Greyhounds
have had a special place in history for a long time. Until modern times,
they were treasured by their owners, usually royalty or noblemen, and
treated as one of the family.
Ancient
Times
Greyhounds,
as we know them today, were worshipped in ancient Egypt. The death of a
favorite greyhound was treated the same as the death of a human.
Families shaved heads, stopped eating, wailed, mummified and buried
their pets with their owners. Greyhounds traveled from ancient Egypt to
ancient Greece and were treated with the same reverence. The same is
true for ancient Rome. Gods in all three cultures were portrayed with
greyhounds -- Anubis in Egypt is sometimes interpreted as part man, part
hound. The Greek Gods Hecate, Pollux, and Artemis all had greyhounds as
companions. In Rome, Diana was just one of the many gods who were
portrayed with greyhounds. It appears that in ancient Rome greyhound
racing after hares started as a sport.
Medieval
Times
Greyhounds
almost became extinct during the Middle Ages as famine and pestilence
spread across the land. Men of the cloth saved them, and the nobility
claimed them as an exclusive right of theirs. During the Renaissance
greyhounds were painted and immortalized. Both Chaucer and Shakespeare
mentioned greyhounds in their literature.
In
the 1700's greyhound coursing became popular and spread across Britain
and Europe. During the same time, bulldogs were bred with greyhounds by
an English nobleman named Lord Orford; these crosses continued for 7
generations, and were very popular.
Getting
To America
As
the Britons immigrated to America, they brought their greyhounds with
them and found them ideally suited to chase down rabbits that were
interfering with their crops. This led to bets and wagers among the
farmers as to who had the fastest dog. In the 1900's, an artificial lure
and an oval track led to the first formal greyhound wagering, the
forerunner of our greyhound racetracks.
A
greyt book all about your greyhound's past is The Reign of the
Greyhound -- A Popular History of the Oldest Family of Dogs, by
Cynthia Branigan. All book stores carry it and it is highly recommended
and fun reading!
Additionally,
there are a lot of Web sites devoted to greyhound adoption. The
Greyhound Project, A Breed Apart , The Greyhound Gang (and, of course,
the Keystone Greyhounds) are some of the best! They have tons of
information on history and adoption of these wonderful dogs.
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A
Dog with A Past -- Racing History
Ear
Tattoos
Tattoos
are applied by the breeder at 3 months of age to puppies to ensure a
permanent and positive ID of each potential racer.
Birth
date
The
right ear tells the month and year the puppy was born. Example 1: 88A
means the puppy was born in the eighth (8) month of 1998 (8), and is the
first (A) dog in the litter to be tattoed. Example 2: 120E means the
puppy was born in the twelfth month (12) of 2000 (0) and is the fifth
(E) dog in the litter to be tattoed.
Registration
ID
The
left ear has 4-5 digits and is the litter registration number with the
National Greyhound Association. This number is checked every time the
dog is raced to ensure it is the correct dog racing. You can use the
numbers to help locate your pet if lost.
A
good contact is The National Greyhound Association at Box 543, Abilene,
KS 67410, (913) 263-4660. They maintain a computer dog registry. They'll
give you your greyhound's racing name, his birth date, his birth place,
his mom's name, his dad's name and the current owner of record. You can
write to that owner and send a form to get your greyhound's ownership
transferred over to you (Blue Slip).
Their
Former Life
Greyhounds
usually produce litters of 4-10 puppies. Once weaned, puppies are placed
in a fenced area to play and grow. When they are around one year old
they are kenneled and their track training begins. They are taught to
chase a lure and race counter clockwise. It is at this time that it is
determined whether they will become racers or not.
When
greyhounds are kenneled, they are kept crated for the majority of their
time. Crates are placed one on top of another, side by side. The girls
are usually placed in the upper crates and the boys on the bottom.
Crates are usually 3 feet by 2 feet.
Trainers
usually care for 20-60 dogs within a kennel. Greyhounds are muzzled and
let out with a pack of other same-sex greyhounds up to 5 times a day,
depending on the kennel, to relieve themselves. A racing or training
greyhound is also let out of the kennel to go to the track race up to
twice a week.
They
are fed once a day with a variety of food -- usually soft, high-protein
and inexpensive. They are not neutered or spayed in case they will be
used for breeding purposes.
This
is what a greyhound knows until you bring him home.
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Quick
Facts
-
Most
retired racers are between two and five years old, and will live to
12-14 years of age.
-
Males
are 26 to 30 inches high.
-
Females
are 23 to 26 inches high.
-
Males
are between 65 and 85 pounds.
-
Females
are between 50 and 65 pounds.
-
Greyhounds
come in many colors -- brindle, black, white, fawn or a combination
of these colors.
Some
things to consider:
-
Greyhounds
are friendly affectionate dogs who thrive on human companionship and
adapt to retirement quickly.
-
They
do not require large amounts of exercise, but do need one or two
walks a day if you do not have an adequately fenced in yard. They
enjoy a sprint in a fenced in area once or twice a week.
-
They
eat 2-4 cups of dry food a day, depending on weight and activity
level. · Most Greyhounds do well with other pets and small
children. We will be sure to match your Greyhound to your family
needs.
-
Greyhounds
do shed but very little compared to most breeds. People with
allergies may find themselves able to tolerate this breed due to low
dander levels.
-
Housebreaking
is relatively easy, as they are kennel broken. This means they've
been trained to go outside and keep their crates clean. If they are
walked frequently at first, they will learn to relieve themselves
outside.
-
Greyhounds
MUST live indoors as they do not tolerate heat or cold well.
They can never be tied outside. They must always be on a leash
when outside in an unfenced area as they do not understand the
dangers of traffic and the 'wild'.
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