Greyhound

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This article is about the breed of dog. For the bus service, see Greyhound Lines or Greyhound Lines of Canada.. For other uses, see Greyhound (disambiguation).
Greyhound
Greyhound
Alternative names
English Greyhound
Country of origin
Uncertain; possibly England or Egypt
Classification and breed standards
FCI: Group 10 Section 3 #158 Stds
AKC: Hound Stds
ANKC: Group 4 (Hounds) Stds
CKC: Group 2 - Hounds Stds
KC (UK): Hound Stds
NZKC: Hounds Stds
UKC: Sighthounds and Pariahs Stds

The Greyhound is a breed of dog that has been primarily bred for companionship, coursing game and racing. The Greyhound is the second fastest accelerating land mammal, beaten only by the cheetah; a combination of long, powerful legs, deep chest and aerodynamic build allows it to reach speeds of up to 45 mph[1] in less than one and a half seconds, or within 3 strides. [citation needed]

Contents

  • 1 History
    • 1.1 Racing
  • 2 Appearance
  • 3 Temperament
    • 3.1 Greyhounds as pets
  • 4 Welfare
  • 5 Health
  • 6 Miscellaneous
    • 6.1 Cultural references to Greyhounds
    • 6.2 Anatomy
    • 6.3 Sports
      • 6.3.1 Professional
      • 6.3.2 College
      • 6.3.3 High School
    • 6.4 Other
  • 7 See also
  • 8 References
  • 9 External links

[edit] History

Greyhounds unleashed in Paolo Uccello's Night hunt (Ashmolean Museum)

Popularly, the breed's origin can be traced to ancient Egypt, where a bas-relief depicting a smooth-coated Saluki (Persian Greyhound) or Sloughi was found in a tomb built in 4000 BC. Analyses of DNA reported in 2004, however, suggest that the greyhound is not closely related to these breeds, but is a close relative to herding dogs.[2][3]

Historically, these sight hounds were used primarily for hunting in the open where their keen eyesight is valuable. It is believed that they (or at least similarly-named dogs) were introduced to the area now known as the United Kingdom in the 5th and 6th centuries BC from Celtic mainland Europe although the Picts and other hunter gatherer tribes of the Northern area (now known as Scotland) were believed to have had large hounds similar to that of the deerhound before the 6th century BC.

The name "greyhound" is generally believed to come from the Old English grighund. "Hund" is the antecedent of the modern "hound", but the meaning of "grig" is undetermined, other than in reference to dogs in Old English and Norse. Its origin does not appear to have any common root with the modern word "grey" for colour, and indeed the greyhound is seen with a wide variety of coats. This may be confusing however as the deerhound and wolfhound are more comonly grey in colour and possibly the true origins of the greyhound. It is known that in England during the medieval period, Lords and Royalty keen to own greyhounds for sport, requested they be bred to colour varients that made them easier to view and identify in pursuit of their quarry. The lighter colours, patch Like markings and white appeared in the breed that was once ordinarily grey in colour. The greyhound is the only dog mentioned by name in the Bible.[4]

According to Pokorny[5] the English name "greyhound" does not mean "gray dog/hound", but simply "fair dog". Subsequent words have been derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *g'her- 'shine, twinkle': English gray, Old High German gris 'grey, old', Old Icelandic griss 'piglet, pig', Old Icelandic gryja 'to dawn', gryjandi 'morning twilight', Old Irish grian 'sun', Old Church Slavonic zorja 'morning twilight, brightness'. The common sense of these words is 'to shine; bright'.

[edit] Racing

Main article: Greyhound racing

Until the early twentieth century, greyhounds were principally bred and trained for coursing. During the early 1920s, modern greyhound racing was introduced into the United States and introduced into United Kingdom and Ireland in 1926.

[edit] Appearance

Dogs (males) are usually 71 to 76 cm (28 to 30 inches) tall at the withers and weigh around 27 to 40 kg (70 to 100 pounds). Bitches (females) tend to be smaller with shoulder heights ranging from 68 to 71 cm (27 to 28 inches) and weights from less than 27 to 34 kg (60 to 75 pounds). Greyhounds have very short hair, which is easy to maintain. There are approximately thirty recognized color forms, of which variations of white, brindle, fawn, black, red and blue (gray) can appear uniquely or in combination.[6]

[edit] Temperament

A male brindle Greyhound

Although greyhounds are extremely fast, they are not high-energy dogs. They are sprinters, and although they love running, they do not require extensive exercise. Most are quiet, gentle animals. An adult greyhound will stay healthy and happy with a daily walk of as little as 20 to 30 minutes. Greyhounds are often referred to as "Forty-five mile per hour couch potatoes." The dogs often lie on their backs with all four feet in the air while sleeping, an apparently comfortable (if undignified) position. Such a greyhound is said to be "cockroaching."

[edit] Greyhounds as pets

With their excellent temperaments and gentle natures, greyhounds, including retired racing greyhounds, make wonderful pets.[7] Generally even-tempered and gentle, they are pack-oriented dogs which means that they will quickly adopt human "masters" into their pack. They can get along well with children, dogs and other family pets (though are sometimes not safe with smaller pet animals or untrained children). Greyhounds are generally loyal, tractable dogs with developed intellects. They are most affectionate toward those that they know and trust. To allow different greyhounds to hunt and race together, aggression toward other dogs and people has been nearly eliminated from the breed. Greyhounds are said to bark very little,[citation needed] which makes them excellent suburban pets, and are usually as friendly to strangers as they are with their own family. The most common misconception concerning greyhounds is that they are hyperactive. It is usually the opposite. The greyhound is basically a quiet dog and will spend most of its time sleeping in a favorite spot.

Their talents include sighting and coursing. They do not have undercoats and therefore are less likely to trigger people's dog allergies (Greyhounds are sometimes incorrectly referred to as "hypoallergenic"). Not having an undercoat coupled with their lack of body fat also means they are more susceptible to extreme temperature (heat and cold). Most sources recommend that Greyhounds be housed inside.

Greyhounds are very sensitive to insecticides. Many Vets don't recommend the use of flea collars or flea spray on greyhounds unless it is a pyrethrin-based product. Products like Advantage, Frontline and Advantix are safe for use on Greyhounds and are very effective in controlling fleas and ticks.

Companion greyhounds must be kept on a leash because their hunting instinct has instilled a strong desire to chase things (predator drive; see prey drive). Greyhounds can live in an urban setting but require moderate exercise on a regular basis. They enjoy walking and running outside.

[edit] Welfare

Greyhound racing

In the late 20th century several Greyhound adoption groups were formed. The early groups were formed in large part out of a sense of concern about the treatment of the dogs while living on the track. These groups began taking greyhounds from the racetracks when they could no longer compete and placing them in adoptive homes. Prior to the formation of these groups, in the United States over 20,000 retired greyhounds a year were euthanized; recent estimates still number in the thousands, with about 90% of National Greyhound Association-registered animals either being adopted, or returned for breeding purposes (according to the industry numbers upwards of 2000 dogs are still killed annually in the US while anti-racing groups estimating the figure at closer to 12,000.).[8]

Accidents and disease are also common killers among racing greyhounds. In 2005, an epidemic of respiratory failure killed dozens of dogs and left over 1200 quarantined in the U.S., particularly in Massachusetts, Colorado, Iowa and Rhode Island[citation needed].

The vast majority of greyhounds are bred for racing (registered with the National Greyhound Association or NGA), leading American Kennel Club registered dogs about 150:1[citation needed]. Each NGA dog is issued a Bertillon card, which measures 56 distinct identifying traits with the Bertillon number tattooed on the dog's ear to prove identity during their racing career.

There are several reasons why some National Greyhound Association greyhounds may never race:

There are currently two online databases to easily lookup or search for all past and present registered dogs: Greyhound-Data.com and Rosnet2000.com Dogs can be searched by their Bertillon number, race name, and other attributes. Data includes dog photos, race statistics, and pedigree.

Most NGA greyhounds finish racing between two and five years of age. Some retired racing greyhounds have injuries that may follow them for the remainder of their lives, although the vast majority are healthy and can live long lives after their racing careers are over.[citation needed]

[edit] Health

Greyhound in flight

Greyhounds are typically a healthy and long-lived breed, and hereditary illness is rare. Some Greyhounds have been known to develop esophageal achalasia, Bloat (gastric torsion), and osteosarcoma.[9] Because the Greyhound's lean physique makes it ill-suited to sleeping on hard surfaces, owners of companion Greyhounds generally provide soft bedding; without bedding, Greyhounds are prone to develop painful skin sores. Greyhounds typically live 10–13 years.[10]

Due to the unique physiology and anatomy of greyhounds, a veterinarian who understands the issues relevant to the breed is generally needed when the dogs need treatment, particularly when anaesthesia is required. Greyhounds cannot metabolize barbiturate-based anesthesia as other breeds can because they have lower amounts of oxidative enzymes in their livers.

Greyhounds demonstrate unusual blood chemistry, which can be misread by veterinarians not familiar with the breed; this can result in an incorrect diagnosis. Greyhounds have higher levels of red blood cells than do other breeds. Since red blood cells carry oxygen to the muscles, this higher level allows the hound to move larger quantities of oxygen faster from the lungs to the muscles. Veterinary blood services often use greyhounds as universal blood donors.[11].

[edit] Miscellaneous

[edit] Cultural references to Greyhounds

Santa's Little Helper from The Simpsons
Simpson's Santa's Little Helper

A widely recognized greyhound in popular culture is the fictional character Santa's Little Helper from the Fox Broadcasting Company's animated series, The Simpsons.

The character, Santa's Little Helper, exhibits many of the intellectual and behavioural characteristics of the typical greyhound as a pet. He is portrayed as affectionate, tolerant of other household pets (notably cats), loyal, and not overly active.

Don Quixote

In the novel Don Quixote, by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, the protagonist imagined that his flea bitten mutt was a fine Greyhound.

Greyhound Bus

The Greyhound Lines bus company, in keeping with their logo which sports a racing greyhound, occasionally airs television commercials starring a talking computer-generated greyhound. The greyhound in these commercial shorts is often noted for his dry, deadpan wit.

[edit] Anatomy

The key to the speed of a Greyhound can be found in its streamlined shape, large lungs, heart and muscles, the double suspension gallop and the flexibility of the spine (which is often called—incorrectly—hinged). "Double suspension gallop" describes the racing gait of the Greyhound, in which all four feet are off the ground twice during each full stride.

[edit] Sports

The Greyhound is the mascot of the following sports teams:

[edit] Professional

[edit] College

[edit] High School

[edit] Other