Breed Type: Hounds
Weight: 65 to 70 lbs for Males, 60 to 65 lbs for Females
Height: 27 to 30 inches
Coat type: Smooth and close coat with short hair.
A breed of hunting dog, Greyhounds was primarily bred for coursing game and racing. Its body comprises of long, powerful legs, deep chest, flexible spine and slim build, allowing it to reach speeds of around 70 kilometers per hour. In the present times, Greyhounds have been honored as the fastest breed of dogs. However, its affable and amicable nature has increased its popularity making it a family pet. The breed is a soft and intelligent one and becomes deeply attached to its owner. To know more about the history, appearance and personality of greyhounds, read through the following lines.
History
Greyhounds have a strikingly similar appearance to the original sighthounds that dates back to the Egyptian and Celts. According to the temple drawings from 6,000 BC in the city of Catal-Huyuk, these dogs were domesticated hunters, with long, slender bodies. In 4000 B.C., dogs similar to greyhounds were found in the funerary vase in the area of modern Iran. Since the ancient people depicted only those images that carried some religious or social significance, it is believe that the precursors of Greyhounds definitely carried a chief connotation in the society of that time.
Despite appearing in various Celtic, British, Irish, and Scottish pictures and literature, its slender build, deep chest, and thin skin suggest its origin must have been from a place that has a warm climatic conditions. Its name has come from an ancient English word "Gre-hundr". While the Romans believe that the Greyhounds came from Gaul, the Celtics are of the opinion that the breed came from Greece. Yet others claim that the original color of the dogs was gray, and the name simply means gray dog.
Appearance
Greyhounds have a sleek, contoured built with an unfathomable chest and an extraordinarily flexible, curved spine. Its body shape is one that assists the dog when it comes to racing and running speedily. Flaunting a long head and narrow muzzle, the dog has dark eyes and rose-shaped ears. While the front legs are absolutely straight, the hindquarters are extremely powerful and muscular with an arched loin. Greyhounds have a long tail that is carried low but has a slight upward curve at the end. The short, smooth coat comes in thirty recognized color of which the most popular are white, brindle, fawn, black, red and blue.
Personality
Quick, smart, calm, sociable, loving and wise, Greyhounds is quite and dignified indoors that love to be petted and hugged and may even seem lazy to some but they are quite active outdoors. The intelligent canines have tremendous stamina and love to chase things that move quickly. Though witty and intelligent, Greyhounds have a reserved nature, which often leads to undervaluing them. So, the best bet would be to socialize them right from the tender age. Greyhounds are sensitive and form close bonds with the family. Not good for cats, Greyhound is cautious around strangers but love children and company of other dogs. It is easy to train and generally obedient. However, it may prove difficult to control it, if it has eyes on any potential prey.