Asia and the Middle East
Bred as a sight hound to chase and kill all manner of prey.
Hound
Bitch 68-71cm., Dog 71-76cm.
Bitch 27-30kg., Dog 30-32kg.
12-15 years
Despite being the fastest of all breeds, the Greyhound does not require huge amounts of exercise. On average, a twenty minute walk, twice a day, and a good romp in the countryside a couple of times a week will suffice. These dogs are sight hounds and can see for up to half a mile away. If they spot anything moving they will be away at full speed. The owner’s garden must have a fence of at least five foot high as these dogs love to jump.
A racing greyhound has special food requirements but the family pet is not a big eater. Small recommended amounts of quality food is all that is needed for this dog. The Greyhound should be slim but not thin.
The Greyhound is a relatively healthy dog. They do suffer with skin problems and as a breed they are allergic to many medications such as anaesthetics. Flea collars and pesticides can be life threatening to this dog as can certain worm treatments containing an organophosphate base.
The Greyhound’s appearance is of a tall, muscular dog that is powerful and elegant. The head is long with a flat skull and a moderate stop. The eyes are oval shaped, dark in colour and the ears are small. The Greyhound has a long, slender muzzle with well-chiselled jaws. The neck is long and graceful going into a long body, a deep chest and well sprung ribs. The front legs are long and straight and the back legs are wide and muscular to give the dog propulsion. The tail is long, set low and has a slight upward curl. The coat is short and tight and comes in colours of, black, white, red, blue, fawn, or brindle.
Greyhound K9 Obedience Dog Breed Summary:
It is now widely recognised that Greyhounds can and do make excellent family pets. These superb racing dogs have a calm and gentle disposition.
Because of their racing abilities, people mistakenly believe that these dogs need huge amounts of exercise which is far from true. As long as they have short daily walks and an occasional longer session, the Greyhound is quite happy to spend much of his day snoozing if he has a relaxed and peaceful home.
Any potential owner should be aware that these dogs in general do not like cats or other small pets, but as usual this is owner-dependent and not a pre-requisite of the breed.
This dog has a thin coat and very little body fat so is extremely sensitive to long exposure in cold weather conditions. The Greyhound does not fare well outside in a kennel and must be an indoor dog, preferably with a nice warm bed! Fortunately they are very clean dogs and have no body odour.
Greyhounds love being with children and are easy to care for. On the whole, these gentle, sensitive dogs make wonderful family dogs.
Just a thought...
Thousands of Greyhounds are abandoned each year in Britain and Ireland, ending up in pounds and rescue shelters. Estimates suggest that between 8,000 and 10,000 Greyhounds are discarded every year because they are not good enough to race. Greyhounds do make wonderful pets and none more so than the gentle abandoned creatures which sit, waiting in rescue shelters for a kind family that they can love forever. An ideal dog for someone who ‘just wants a dog around the home’ whilst gaining the satisfaction and pride from knowing you have made a world of difference to an otherwise tragically sad life in a shelter. The racing industry uses these dogs as a commodity and nothing more, in 90% of stables. Without caring second owners, there are hundreds of these not far from you who have no chance of a decent life. Every doggie home should have one! |
