Greyhounds are the oldest, purebred dog, dating back to the Pharaohs
of Ancient Egypt. Paintings inside the tombs of the great Pyramids depicted greyhounds
The
first Greyhound came to Australia with Captain Cook in 1770.
Greyhounds
came to the New World in 1493 on Columbus' second expedition
In
1804, Australia issued a proclamation ordering the destruction of all dogs EXCEPT greyhounds and sheepdogs.
A
law passed during the reign of King Canute stated "No mean person may keep any Greyhounds." The law also stated that the destruction
of a Greyhound should carry the same capital punishment as the murder of a man
In
England at one time, it was forbidden for 'commoners' to even own a greyhound
In
Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus' loyal dog Argus is a greyhound
Greyhounds
are mentioned or featured in 11 of Shakespeare's plays
Greyhounds
are the only breed of dog mentioned in the Bible (Proverbs 30:29-31 KJV)
Our
American General Custer was a big greyhound fancier
President
Abraham Lincoln had a greyhound on his family coat-of-arms
The
mythical Greek Goddess Diana is usually pictured with a greyhound at her side
John Barrymore, the famous actor,
always kept his house full of greyhounds as pets
For many, many years the American
make of car the Lincoln had a greyhound as its hood ornament
Greyhounds are the fastest breed
of dog, reaching top speeds of 40 miles per hour!
Greyhounds can see CLEARLY for
a distance of a half-mile!
Greyhounds are NOT guard dogs.
Being bred specifically to be even-tempered and good natured, they are inherently well socialized. For this reason they LOVE
everyone
Greyhounds come in 19 different
primary colors and in over 55 different color combinations
Greyhounds
have a larger heart, lungs and more red blood cells than other canine breeds
Rescued
greyhounds are used for donating blood for other dogs! Greyhounds have a more universal blood that can be used for dogs needing
blood transfusions from accidents, injuries or surgery.
The
average lifespan of a greyhound is 12 or more years
A
Greyhounds foot placement when running is different to any other dog - during the Greyhound's complete stride, he is off the
ground twice - a double suspension gallop (they run like a cheetah, not like a horse). When running, greyhounds spend
80% of their time in the air. It is as close to "flight" as a land animal can get..
Greyhounds
require little exercise, are very quiet, and are ideal for suburban homes, unlike many other large breeds of dogs.
Greyhounds
are being used as therapy dogs in the USA, because of their
gentle
nature.
Because
of their low body fat and short coat, a greyhound has very little - if any "doggy smell".
People
that are allergic to dogs, usually find that they do not suffer the same
discomfort
with a Greyhound.
Some
Greyhounds can, and do, live in harmony with other animals, such as
other
dogs, cats, birds and even rabbits.
Greyhounds
are usually found standing or lying down, they find it uncomfortable
to
sit. Some say it is because their tail is so stiff which doesn't allow him to sit
properly
- and some say that it is just uncomfortable for them to take the sit position.
Greyhounds
are chemical sensitive.
They
must have special anesthetic when undergoing surgery and they
cannot
wear flea collars.
