They stand between 26 and 30 inches at the shoulder and weigh an average of 50-85 pounds. Males are generally larger than females. Because they are bred as athletes the racing Greyhound breeding pool has been kept relatively clean. They are not prone to many of the genetic disorders that plaque other large breeds. They will share your life for 12 to 14 years with good care.
Greyhounds are far to gentle to make good watchdogs.
Their size may serve as a deterrent to would-be trouble makers. They do make excellent therapy dogs and have also been used as service dogs in some cases. Racing greyhounds are kennel broken, meaning they are trained to go outside and to keep their kennel clean. At first when you leave it is helpful to limit the area in which the dog is allowed to roam. Their overall desire to please makes this transition easy and they will quickly learn to ask to go outside to relieve themselves.