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 | The Greyhound
The Greyhound has been a companion to humans for thousands of years and is thought to originate from ancient Egypt. They feature in many works of art and literature throughout history, and used to be mummified and buried along with their owners. As well as making great companions, their speed and sighting skills made them perfect for hunting deer and wild boar.
The Greyhound can run faster than any other breed of dog and can reach speeds of up to 45 mph (72 km/h). Their bodies are perfectly structured for speed; with long, powerful legs, a deep chest and an aerodynamic build. They also have a lack of body fat and no undercoat, making their fur feel very short and firm in texture. This means that during very cold weather, they will need to be protected by the use of a dog coat when they go outside.
Although Greyhounds love to run about in large open spaces, they are not particularly high-energy dogs and rarely bark. They are often quite happy to stretch out somewhere warm and comfortable and go to sleep. They do, however, make excellent pets, as they are quiet, gentle, loyal and intelligent and get on well with children.
MF
Many Greyhounds today are also used for racing. This unfortunately inflicts a large amount of pain and suffering on many Greyhounds. When they become too old for racing, many are destroyed in inhumane ways. Thankfully, there are now many organisations around who help to protect and re-home these gentle dogs.
Appearance
The Greyhound’s body is very sleek with perfectly straight forelegs and very muscular hindquarters. Dogs are around 28 – 30 inches (71 – 76cms) in height and bitches are a little smaller, measuring 27 – 28 inches (68 – 71cms). The weight of the Greyhound again varies between dogs and bitches. Dogs weigh around 65 – 70 lbs (29 - 32 kg) and bitches weigh 60 – 65 lbs (27 – 29 kg). The head of the Greyhound is long and narrow, but fairly wide between the ears. The eyes are dark and the muzzle and teeth are strong. The ears are small, thrown back and folded – semi-pricked when excited. The neck is long and muscular with a slight arch and the tail is long and fine with a slight upward curl. Its short, smooth coat comes in many colour variations such as, white, brindle, black, blue, fawn and red.
Grooming
The short, smooth coat of the Greyhound is very easy to maintain and will stay in perfect condition with regular grooming using a good firm brush. Even though these dogs are average shedders, the lack of undercoat makes them more acceptable to allergy sufferers.
MF
Health Problems
Greyhounds are generally fairly healthy and hereditary illness is rare. However, they may be prone to bloat and are sensitive to drugs and insecticides. They have an average lifespan of around ten to twelve years.
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