Dog breed · United Kingdom
The Greyhound is a breed of dog and a sighthound. It is an ancient breed historically developed for hunting game by sight and speed, and has later been used in organised coursing and greyhound racing. Greyhounds are also kept as show dogs and companion animals.
Greyhounds are characterised by a tall, muscular, smooth-coated build, a long tail, tough feet, and a distinctive flexible, "S-shaped" outline typical of sighthounds. They are a distinct breed from other related sighthounds, such as the Italian greyhound.
The Greyhound's long legs, deep chest, flexible spine, and slim build enable high sprinting speeds. In racing contexts, greyhounds can reach peak speeds of at least 69 km/h (43 mph), with typical winning speeds of approximately 58–61 km/h (36–38 mph).
Temperament: Greyhounds are gentle and affectionate and make excellent pets. They do well in families with children, as long as the children are taught to treat the dog properly with politeness and appropriate respect. Greyhounds have a sensitive nature, and gentle commands work best as training methods.
Occasionally, a Greyhound may bark; however, they are generally not barkers, which is beneficial in suburban environments, and they are usually as friendly to strangers as they are with their own families. A 2008 University of Pennsylvania study found that Greyhounds are one of the least aggressive dog breeds towards strangers, owners, and other dogs. However, Greyhounds can be prone to sleep startle/sleep aggression if suddenly disturbed while napping. Owners can encounter this problem, as many greyhounds sleep with their eyes at least partially open, appearing awake.
A survey of those adopting rescue Greyhounds found that Greyhound adoptions have higher short term adoption success than shelters. The survey also found reported hyperactivity levels to be below that of shelter dogs.
Greyhounds tend to be outgoing, happy and sociable with people and seem to relish human contact, even following owners from room to room at home (known colloquially as being a "Velcro dog"). Small animals including cats may be the subject of prey-driven behaviour by Greyhounds.
Appearance: Males are usually 71 to 76 centimetres (28 to 30 in) tall at the withers, and weigh on average 27 to 40 kilograms (60 to 88 lb). Females tend to be smaller, with shoulder heights ranging from 66 to 71 centimetres (26 to 28 in) and weights from 25 to 34 kilograms (55 to 75 lb), although weights can be above and below these average weights. Greyhounds have very short fur, which is easy to maintain. There are approximately 30 recognized color forms, of which variations of white, brindle, fawn (pale tan to dark deer-red), black, red, and blue (gray) can appear uniquely or in combination. Greyhounds are dolichocephalic, with a skull which is relatively long in comparison to its breadth, and an elongated muzzle.
Health And Physiology: A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 11.5 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds. A 2005 Swedish study of insurance data found 60% of Greyhounds died by the age of 10, higher than the overall rate of 35% of dogs dying by the age of 10.
The speed of a Greyhound is due to its light but muscular build, large heart, highest percentage of oxidative–glycolytic fast twitch muscle fibers (Type IIa) of any breed, double suspension gallop, and extreme flexibility of its spine. "Double suspension rotary gallop" describes the fastest running gait of the Greyhound in which all four feet are free from the ground in two phases, contracted and extended, during each full stride.
Compared to humans, the activity of the anaerobic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase in greyhound muscles is about three times higher, but even so, their lactate dehydrogenase activity is lower than that muscles of antelopes and cheetahs when these are also compared to humans. The activity of the aerobic enzyme citrate synthase is comparable to that of human endurance runners; this indicates muscles capable of both high speeds and high endurance.
The musculature of both hindlimbs constitutes more than 18% of their body mass. The proportion of both forelimbs muscle mass is very similar. The proportion of back musculature is 12% of their body mass.
Due to the Greyhound's unique physiology and anatomy, a veterinarian who understands the issues relevant to the breed is generally needed when the dogs need treatment, particularly when anesthesia is required. Greyhounds cannot metabolize barbiturate-based anesthesia in the same way that other breeds can because their livers have lower amounts of oxidative enzymes. Greyhounds demonstrate unusual blood chemistry, which can be misread by veterinarians not familiar with the breed and can result in an incorrect diagnosis.
Origins: "The true origin of the greyhound is unsure, but drawings of findings from the Çatalhöyük site in Turkey (6000 BC), the finding of a greyhound-like dog in a funeral vase in the town of Fusa in Iran (4200 BC) or in rock art in Tassili (dated at 5000 – 2000 BC) indicate that the greyhound is indeed one of the oldest breeds of dog."
The ancient skeletal remains of a dog identified as being of the greyhound/saluki form were excavated at Tell Brak in modern Syria, and dated as being approximately 4,000 years old. Dogs that look similar to Salukis and Greyhounds were increasingly depicted on Egyptian tombs from the Middle Kingdom (2134 BC–1785 BC) onward.
Historical literature by Arrian on the vertragus (from the Latin vertragus, a word of Celtic origin), the first recorded sighthound in Europe and possible antecedent of the Greyhound, suggested that its origin lies with the Celts from Eastern Europe or Eurasia. Systematic archaeozoology of Britain conducted in 1974 ruled out the existence of a true greyhound-type in Britain prior to the Roman occupation, which was further confirmed in 2000. Written evidence from the early period of Roman occupation, the Vindolanda tablets (No. 594), demonstrate that the occupying troops from Continental Europe either had with them in the North of England, or certainly knew of, the vertragus and its hunting use.
