Greyhound: Breed Temperament, Exercise Needs & Health

(English Greyhound)

Group: Hound

Also known as: English Greyhound

About Greyhound

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A General Description of the Dog

Greyhounds have a long head and you can notice that they have a flat skull. A good, well bred Greyhound has jaws which are extremely strong and they also have a complete scissor bite. The eyes in a healthy Greyhound are oval and bright, and the ears tend to be small, finely textured and they form a rose shape.

Something you should notice is that the Greyhound’s neck is long and muscular and it has an elegant arch to it too. It also blends smoothly into the back. The back is generally long, broad and also square in shape.

The legs are quite long in length, powerful, and fairly straight too. The bones in the legs are a good quality and the hind legs are full of muscles with well-bent stifles and well let down hocks. This, in combination with a deep chest and aerodynamic build allows Greyhounds to reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour in less than 1.5 seconds, i.e. in less than 3 strides.

Their feet have well knuckled toes, and a healthy Greyhound will have strong pads. Greyhounds also carry their long tails low and curved.

Coat

Generally they come in all different colors ranging from black, white, red, blue, fawn, fallow, brindle or a mixture of any of these colors with white.

Greyhounds have a smooth short coat which sheds little. Their coat needs little or no maintenance.

Height

Male 71 cm min 76 cm max
Female 68 cm min 71cm max

Weight

Male 30 kg min 32kg max
Female 27 kg min 30 kg max

Personality

Temperament of the Dog

Indoors, Greyhounds are calm and relaxed, and at times they can be quite lazy. For the people who can devote their time to them, greyhounds make great, ideal pets as they are generally quite intelligent and sensitive. They also do not bark very often either.The thing to remember with Greyhounds is that although they are extremely gentle and at times docile, their nature is still that of a hunting one. The owners will need to bear this in mind.

A Greyhound is very friendly with its owners but with strangers they are known to be a little aloof. The breed will generally get on well with other dogs, but for people with cats, this could be a problem, so extra caution is needed.Greyhounds are renowned for being great sprinters and some can be raced. With the fact they are sprinters, they do have a low endurance so they may need a lot of rests.

People tend to assume that greyhounds do not make good pets. However, the breed does tend to make an excellent pet as it is so gentle and docile. Their hunting instinct is quite strong and it can sometimes take over, especially if the dog sees anything small moving! This is why keeping a cat and a greyhound together is not really a great idea!

Better suited to an indoor or outdoor lifestyle?

Generally greyhounds tend to be strictly indoor dogs, despite what many people believe. Many Greyhound rescue centers will not rehome one of their dogs to somebody who plans on keeping them outside.

Are they suited to homes with kids?

Greyhounds are ideal with children. They really love and they crave affection which children are usually likely to give them. Greyhounds like to be around children but they should not be encouraged to play rough with them. As they are a fairly large dog, they can cause damage to a child even if they do not mean to.

How to take care of the Greyhound Puppies? Greyhound puppies are intelligent and just like other breeds, they need plenty of quiet time to settle down and get used to their surroundings. What happens to a puppy in its early years can potentially affect it for the rest of its life so it is essential you give it enough time to settle in properly.It is important not to over exercise the puppy and make sure that you feed them regular small meals with a good quality food.

As with many breeds, the Greyhound should not be over exercised as it can cause injury to the puppy. They need time to adjust and to let their bones and joints develop properly before they can exercise thoroughly.

Training

Greyhounds are easy to train and they are sociable animals as well. The reason they are so easy to tame is because they are very intelligent animals and they learn almost all commands quickly and easily. However, problems can arise when they see something which looks like prey. They may choose to ignore you on this occasion and simply chase whatever it is and that can be extremely frustrating. However, with persistence and firmness they will learn to take notice of you and it is possible over a long period of time, to teach them not to chase things.

Activity Level

How active is the Breed?

The Greyhound is thought of as being an extremely active breed, but in fact they have a low endurance which means they get tired out quickly. They are fast sprinters but they need plenty of rest. This means that they do not need much exercise and they are not likely to ruin your furniture if they do not get regular walks.

Exercise Need

Forty to sixty minutes a day is sufficient enough exercise for a fully sized Greyhound. Puppies do not need much exercise and so playing with a few toys with them is often sufficient enough a few times a day.

Grooming

Because a Greyhound has short hair, it is fairly easy to manage. All that is really needed is a brush over once a week. The greyhound does not shed at all so they are very low maintenance when it comes to grooming.Generally their claws should be checked regularly and their ears should also be looked over for any signs of infections and irritation.

Health & Care

Genetic Problems

Greyhounds are prone to injury because of their fast and explosive capabilities. Also, the bad thing is they are sensitive to drugs including sedatives. This means that if they have to be treated at the vets, problems can occur.If a greyhound has been adopted sometimes their teeth may be in a bad condition, so regular dental checkups will be needed for this. Also a common problem is that greyhounds may have extra teeth.Overall the Greyhound does not have many genetic problems compared to other breeds.

Breeding the Dog and any Cautions

Greyhounds Tend to be fairly straight forward when it comes to breeding, but as always there are some precautions you should take before even thinking about breeding. It is always better to get the Vets advice before you do make the decision to breed, as they will be able to tell you whether or not your dog is healthy enough to breed.

Litter Size: Average litter of 8 puppies.

Life Span: 9 years through to 15 years.

National Breed Club

The Greyhound Club of America: www.greyhoundclubofamerica.org/
American Greyhound Council

British: The Greyhound Club (UK).

Recognition

The Greyhound is recognized by: FCI, UKC, CKC, ANKC, AKC, NZKC

Rescue Link: U S Rescue link: www.greyhoundclubofamerica.org/rescue-gcoa.html