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Greyhound
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Description... |
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The Greyhound is built for speed and quickness.
This breed is a sight hound, it uses its eyes and speed to catch
up to its prey. The body of the Greyhound is designed to be as
fast as possible, sleek and slender. Their coat is smooth and
short and comes in many colours.
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History...
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 A
very ancient breed developed in Egypt for keen sight and speed.
Its job was to spot prey and run it down by using a quick burst of
speed, which was often done with the help of other hounds. Much of
this breeds history is lost or unknown, but the Greyhound has
often been associated with royalty at different periods of
history.
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Traits...
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Greyhounds love to run, preferably if they are
chasing something. The sport of lure coursing is something every
serious greyhound should check out, as this is very similar to
what the breed was originally bred to do. Some owners also
participate in conformation showing.
This breed will also benefit from obedience training, as
will most owners.
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Good aspects...
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 Although
somewhat aloof, they are usually friendly towards strangers and
affectionate with their owners. They are a clean, quite, and
gentle breed when indoors. A Greyhound has short hair that sheds a
lot less than most breeds. They are a pack animal, and therefore
are seldom aggressive with unfamiliar dogs or people. They can be
good with kids when they have been raised around children,
remember, all interactions should be supervised. The Greyhound is
not built for endurance, this makes it possible to give it only
short and intense exercise sessions.
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Health...
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Greyhounds are very sensitive to some medications,
so this should be discussed with a veterinarian who is familiar
with the breed. Also, a condition known as torsion or bloat should
be discussed. This condition is deadly but can often be
prevented. Bone cancer, hygroma, and hypothyroidism are also
conditions that should be discussed with an experienced Greyhound
breeder, veterinarian, or fancier.
Adopting ex-racing Greyhounds is a common way to acquire
a member of this breed, having these dogs checked for worms and tick-borne
diseases is a good idea.
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Be aware...
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Many Greyhounds have a strong prey drive and will
attempt to chase down small animals such as the neighbours cat or
a farmers chickens. For this reason, a Greyhound might not do well
in a household that contains small and fast moving animals. Also
for this reason, this breed should not be trusted off lease except
in an enclosed and safe area, a loose Greyhound and traffic are a
deadly combination. Early socialization and obedience training can
make this dog much more tolerable of strange noises or other
stimuli. Obedience training may take a bit more time than with
some other breeds, but a dedicated and patient trainer who uses
non-punitive methods will get good results. Some Greyhounds may
not do well in a very busy family with lots of loud noises and
constant coming and goings. Due to the Greyhounds coat, he should
be protected from extreme heat and cold.
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Summary...
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As is it's reputation, this is the fastest dog in
the world!
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source: petcare information centre-
petcare.umn.edu
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Further resources... |
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