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The Greyhound is a breed of dog used for hunting and racing. They are one of the fastest land mammals; their combination of long, powerful legs, deep chests and aerodynamic build allows them to reach speeds of up to 72 km/h (45 mph).
Appearance: Dogs (males) are usually 71 to 76 cm (28 to
30 inches) tall at the withers and weigh around 29 to 36 kg
(65 to 90 pounds). Bitches (females) tend to be smaller with
shoulder heights ranging from 68 to 71 cm (27 to 28 inches)
and weights from 27 to 31 kg (50 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
(grey) can appear uniquely or in combination.
Temperament: Although greyhounds are extremely fast
dogs, they are not high-energy dogs. They are sprinters, and
although they love running, they do not require extensive
exercise once they leave the track. Most are quiet, gentle
animals. Greyhounds are often referred to as "Forty-five
mile per hour couch potatoes."
Greyhounds can make good pets because of their mild and
affectionate character. They can get along well with children
and family pets (often including cats). Greyhounds are
generally loyal, tractable dogs with developed intellects,
although their territorial instinct is weak and they make poor
guard dogs. 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"). Most
greyhounds that live as pets are adopted after they retire
from racing.
Most companion greyhounds are kept on a leash because their
hunting background has instilled a strong desire to chase
things (prey drive). Greyhounds can live in an urban setting
but require moderate exercise on a regular basis. They enjoy
walking and running outside.
An adult greyhound will stay healthy and happy with a daily
walk of as little as 20 to 30 minutes.
History: Popularly, the breed's origin is believed
to 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.
Historically, these sight hounds have been used primarily
for hunting in the open where their keen eyesight is a
distinct advantage. It is believed that they (or at least
similarly-named dogs) were introduced to England in the 5th
and 6th centuries BC from Celtic mainland Europe.
The name "greyhound" is generally believed to
come from the Old English grighund. "Hund" is traced
to 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.
According to Pokorny's Indogermanisches Woerterbuch (p.
441-442) the English name "greyhound" does not mean
"a gray dog/hound", but simply "a fair
dog". Subsequent words have been derived from the
indoeuropean root *g'her- 'shine, twinkle': Eng.
"gray", Old High German "gris" 'grey,
old', Old Icelandic "griss" 'piglet, pig', Old Icld.
"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'.
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.
Welfare: 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.
Previously, in the United States over 20,000 retired
greyhounds a year were killed; 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).
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.
The vast majority of greyhounds are bred for racing,
leading registered American Kennel Club dogs about 150:1, and
as such each dog is issued a Bertillon card, which measures 56
distinct identifying traits, and the Bertillon number is
tattooed on the dog's ear, so as to ensure that the dog who
races is in fact the dog it is claimed to be. However, not all
National Greyhound Association registered dogs race. There are
several reasons why some greyhounds never race:
The dog is too slow.
The dog has physical defects.
The dog does not have the required temperament.
The dog is not raised in a country where racing is
popular.
The dog is bred for showing instead of racing.
Most 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.
Veterinary Care: 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 demonstrate unusual blood chemistry, which can be
misread by veterinarians not familiar with the breed; this can
result in an incorrect diagnosis. Also, greyhounds have much
less fat than other dogs, and therefore cannot metabolize
anesthesia as quickly. Female greyhounds are sometimes
administered hormone supplements during their racing career;
these can lead to an elevated risk of cancer .
As well, greyhounds have higher levels of red blood cells
than do other breeds: since red blood cells carry oxygen to
the muscles, this helps the breed's speed. Veterinary blood
services often use greyhounds as universal blood donors.
In the media:
Simpson's Santa's Little Helper
The most 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.
The Greyhound Lines bus company
In keeping with their logo, which sports a racing
greyhound, 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.
Anatomy: An additional peculiarity of greyhounds is
that they have a hinged spine, which is unique in the animal
world. As a result, greyhounds have a small "divot"
in their back, set just behind their shoulder blades.
The racing gait of the greyhound is a double suspension
gallop, in which all four feet are off the ground twice during
each full stride.
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.
Sports:
The Greyhound is the mascot of the following college
sports teams:
Assumption College
University of Indianapolis
Loyola College in Maryland
Eastern New Mexico University
The OHL hockey team in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
is called the Greyhounds.
There is an indoor football team based in West Virginia
called the Ohio Valley Greyhounds.
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