Greyt "History"

Ever look at a Greyhound and marvel at its stately appearance? This is probably for a reason: Greyhounds are one of the oldest breeds of dogs -dating back eight-thousand years- and have appeared in classical art, literature and religious texts for centuries.

Greyhounds may very well be the oldest breed of dog: Cynthia Branigan, Grey historian and author of "The Reign of the Greyhound" mentions images of Greyhound-like dogs drawn on a Turkish temple wall -from 6,000 B.C.E.

Egyptians thought Greyhounds were so special that they were considered part of the family: royals often had their Greys mummified and buried within their family tombs. In fact, many of the most famous tombs in Egypt are decorated with drawings of a member of the Greyhound family. I always had the feeling that Greyhounds brought us closer to God -but in fact they are the only breed mentioned by name in the "good book" (Proverbs 30:29-31).

Alexander the Great had a Greyhound he named Peritas. Queen Elizabeth I was a Grey owner as well. The Dark Ages bought the plague, but Greyhounds were saved from extinction by priests who bred them for noblemen -the only people allowed to own one. In fact, from the 11th to 14th centuries, English law decreed that no "mean person" was allowed to keep a Greyhound -under penalty of death.

These wonderful dogs pervade classical art and literature as well. Greek and Roman gods including Diana and Artemis were pictured with Greyhounds. In literature, Greys are mentioned in Homer's Odyssey (Odysseus's faithful, intelligent Grey, Argus, was the only one to recognize him upon his return home), Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales and Shakespeare's Henry V and Merry Wives of Windsor.

Greyhounds accompanied many of the great explorers -Columbus, Francisco de Coronado, Ponce de Leon, Hernando de Soto, Vasco de Balboa and Cortez- as they traveled throughout the Americas. And even in America, Greys have a rich history: Greyhounds were brought to North America in the mid-1800s from Ireland to control a jackrabbit epidemic in the Midwest. General George Custer took his Greys -almost 40- with him wherever he went, often sleeping on the floor amongst them.

Greyt "Name"

Where does the term Greyhound come from if these dogs aren't always gray in color? That depends upon who you talk to: some say the original Greyhound was mostly gray in color -others, that the term derives from the Old English "grei" meaning "dog" and "hundr," meaning hunter. Still others insist that it is derived from "gre" or "gradus," meaning first-rank among dogs -which fits with the belief held by many that Greyhounds are the first breed of all dogs. Finally, a minority believes the term derives from Greekhound, since they reached England through the Greeks. Whatever the origin of the name, I think they are just "greyt."

Greyt "Color"

You name it, Greyhounds wear it. Greyhounds come in black, black with white, white with black, fawn, fawn with white, white with fawn, brindle, blue brindle (Did I miss anything?) Greyhound owners are as colorblind as our Greys are beautiful -we love them in all colors.

Not only do they look good, their coat hardly sheds: they have hair, not fur. There's no need to ever take them to the groomer's, except for the occasional nail clipping -if you are faint of heart, like me. I clean out their ears and brush their teeth every week -but I still haven't gotten myself to stomach cutting their delicate nails.

Greyt "Bod"

How do they keep that model figure? Greyhounds never seem to be overweight. Well, their body fat count is much lower than other breeds - so genes really do make a difference. Males tend to be bigger and weigh 75 pounds on average and stand 29 inches at the shoulder -females/bitches (although I do not like calling them that!) a bit shorter at 27.5 inches at the shoulder and weigh 60 pounds on average.

Well defined, their musculature is in full view in every step of their incredible stride: no wonder that they appear in so many historical paintings. Best of all, they groom themselves like cats -they don't smell!

For me, however, it is those wonderful eyes that do it. I look into them and see love -they have the innocence of a deer's.

Greyt "Personality"

Born and bred to be calm and sweet, Greyhounds are patient, calm, easy-going and actually a bit lazy. Nicknamed "couch-potatoes," they will claim your couch upon arrival. They need no more exercise than any other big dog, enjoying daily walks and an occasional run along the beach or a fenced in grassy area.

They are sweet and patient even with children when they are treated likewise. But as with all breeds, it's a good idea to monitor them when they are around young children. Greyhounds are not generally "barkers" -they're not known as good watchdogs, but mine definitely let me know when someone comes to the door.

Because most track-bred Greys have lived in a crate for most of their lives, housebreaking is easy: your place is a Penthouse! Stairs take a little effort as these are a new experience (which is also cute to watch them as they get accustomed.)

Greyhounds are smart and have unbelievable memories. They learn tricks quickly and will do just about anything for a treat. Mine once remembered a particular door in a condo building where she received a treat: a year later, she went back to the very same door and sat for another treat - the people didn't even live there anymore!

Greyt "Track"

All legs off the ground at the same time; leaping, graceful, joyous -no this isn't the ballet- it's a Greyhound in action. Dogs walk on their toes -Greyhounds spring from theirs! And like these dogs that run with all four legs off of the ground, this breed will keep you on your toes.

On average, track dogs begin racing at 15 months, peak sometime around two years and are in retirement by age three - sprinters generally retire a little earlier. Long distance endurance racers may stay until age 5. Although the races range from 15 seconds to one minute, Greyhounds train and exercise like Olympic athletes. Dogs are walked in pairs for two 15-minute sessions a day on a hard surface. Some trainers allow their Greyhounds to gallop in grassy areas. Males and females are usually in separate paddocks and muzzled to prevent injury. Some trainers even have a treadmill and the bigger tracks have their own dog pools designed for training/exercise. Greyhounds on average race once or twice a week. Their diet mirrors their lean, non-fat body-type and typically includes cereal, rice, pasta, fish, chicken, and lean red meat later. Like human athletes, race dogs are even drug tested. Dog racing is big business, and owners are protective of their investment -all track dogs have tattoos on their ears that include a registration number and birth date.

In the U.S., about 16,000 track Greys are turned over to rescue groups every year to help place the dogs. Some successful male greyhounds may remain and be utilized for stud. Some females with great racing scores and bloodlines may be kept/sold as brood moms. Some are utilized for blood research and as blood donors and then retired. And, then for some, the future is uncertain. I can only hope every racing greyhound ends up in a home.

Ideas for this History section inspired by www.greyhoundgang.com
What a greyt site!