From: tittle@ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs,news.answers
Subject: rec.pets.dogs:  Greyhounds FAQ
Supersedes: <dogs-faq/greyhounds_708930012@athena.mit.edu>
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Date: 5 Jan 1993 06:02:14 GMT
Organization: University of California at Irvine: ICS Dept.
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X-Last-Updated: 1992/06/18

Archive-name: dogs-faq/greyhounds

This is the breed-specific FAQ for Greyhounds.  It is not posted on a
regular basis, but may be obtained via anonymous ftp at pit-manager.mit.edu
under /pub/usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/greyhounds. Or, send email to 
mail-server@pit-manager.mit.edu with 

send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/greyhounds

in the subject line, leaving the body empty.

AUTHOR

Jack Dean, 18 June 1992.

DESCRIPTION

For centuries greyhounds have been bred to hunt by outrunning their
prey. The fastest breed of dog, they can reach a top speed of 45 miles
per hour, and can average more than 30 miles per hour for distances up
to one mile. Selective breeding has given the greyhound an athlete's
body with the grace of a dancer. At the same time, the need to
anticipate the evasive maneuvers of their prey has endowed the
greyhound with a high degree of intelligence.

The Greyhound has a long neck and head, with a barely noticeable stop,
or bridge to his nose.  The ears are small and usually folded flat
back against the neck.  The ears may stand semi-erect or fully erect
when the Greyhound is attentive.

The back is long and arched.  The deep chest and narrow waist gives
the Greyhound its distinctive silhouette.  The legs are long and
powerful.  The feet are small and compact, with well knuckled toes.
The tail is long and curved .

The coat of a Greyhound is short and smooth.  Greyhounds come in an
endless variety of colors, including fawn, red, black, blue, brindle,
and all these colors broken with white.

A Greyhound typically stands between 26 and 29 inches and the
shoulder, and weighs 50 to 80 pounds. Bitches average around 10 to 15
pounds less than dogs.

The Greyhound is a very quiet and docile animal when not racing.  They
are somewhat shy in the presence of strangers, but very affectionate
to those they know and trust.

RECOGNIZED

The Greyhound is recognized by all major kennel clubs

HISTORY

Greyhounds are one of the oldest breeds of dogs.  The Greyhound is
mentioned in the Old Testament (Proverbs 30:29-31 KJV), Chaucer, and
Shakespeare (_Henry V_ and _Merry Wives of Windsor_).  A hieroglyph of
a dog, very much resembling the modern Greyhound, can be found in the
writings of ancient Egypt.

There are many differing explanations for the origin of the term
Greyhound.  One writer suggests that the original Greyhound stock was
mostly grey in color.  Another says the term derives from the Old
English grei, meaning dog, and hundr, meaning hunter.  Another
explanation is that it derives from "gre" or "gradus", meaning first
rank among dogs.  Finally, it has been suggested that the term derives
from Greyhound, since the hound reached England through the Greeks.

Greyhounds have long been associated with royalty.  In fact, from the
11th to the 14th century, English law decreed that no "mean person"
was allowed to keep a Greyhound.  Penalty for breaking this law was
death!

CHARACTERISTICS AND TEMPERAMENT

Greyhounds have a very gentle and quiet disposition.  They are very
pack oriented dogs and will quickly adopt human masters into their
"pack".  To allow different Greyhound to hunt and race together,
aggressiveness has been slowly eliminated from the breed.

Greyhounds are very tolerant of children.  Being non-aggressive, a
Greyhound will generally walk away from a worrisome child, rather than
growl or snap.  However, even the gentle Greyhound has its limits, and
should not be subjected to continuous harassment.

Although Greyhounds are the fastest breed of dog, they do achieve
their incredible speed in one all out sprint, and do not have a lot of
endurance.  A greyhound is quite content to be a "couch potato" and
spend most of the day sleeping.  Since they don't have a lot of
endurance, a Greyhound actually requires less exercise time than most
dogs.

Greyhounds are the prototypical sighthound, a group of hounds that
pursue their prey by sight rather than scent.  As with all
sighthounds, greyhounds have a very strongly developed chase instinct.
In spite of this, it is possible for Greyhounds to peacefully coexist
with other pets including cats, dogs, even rabbits.  his task will be
easier if the other pets do not run away.  Even after you've trained
the Greyhound to not chase the family indoor cat, this does not mean
that the Greyhound won't chase the neighbor's cat, or even the family
cat outdoors.

SPECIAL MEDICAL PROBLEMS

Greyhounds are very sensitive to certain medications, including
anesthesia.  Before allowing your Greyhound to undergo any surgery,
make sure that your vet is aware of the special anesthesia
requirements for greyhounds.  In particular barbituates are to be
avoided in Greyhounds.  Do not be afraid to ask questions of your vet;
not all vets are aware of a Greyhound's special anesthesia
requirements.

Flea collars, and long lasting pesticides such as Hartz Blockade, can
also be harmful or even fatal to Greyhound.  Any product which
releases flea killing chemical into the bloodstream of the dog should
be avoided.  Greyhound's livers metabolizes toxins out much slower
than other dogs of comparable size, so it is possible for harmful
concentrations of these toxins to develop.

As with other deep chested breeds, Greyhounds are prone to bloat, or
torsion.  Bloat is a life threating disease where the stomach organ
flips over.  Immediate medical attention is required to avoid death.


REFERENCES

1.  Books

2.  Breed Rescue Organizations

Greyhound Pets of America
1-800-FON-1GPA

3.  Breeders

4.  Breed Clubs

National Greyhound Association
Abilene, Kansas

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