Greyhound

The champion sprinter of dogdom, the Greyhound is a gentle, noble, and sweet-tempered companion with an independent spirit.

Daily Care

Grooming Tips

Greyhounds have a short, smooth coat that is simple to groom. Brush it weekly with a hound mitt or rubber curry brush to remove dead hair and distribute skin oils that keep the coat shiny. Greyhounds shed, but regular brushing will help keep the hair off your floor, furniture, and clothing. Bathe as needed. If you do a good job of brushing your Greyhound, he probably won’t need a bath very often.
Check the ears on a weekly basis for signs of infection, irritation, or wax build up. Cleanse regularly with a veterinarian-approved cleanser and cotton ball. Brush the teeth at least once per week to prevent tartar buildup and fight gum disease. Additionally, nails should be trimmed once per month if the dog does not wear down the toenails naturally.

Exercise Tips

Greyhounds that are kept as pets should have regular opportunities to run free on open ground in a safe area, as well as daily long, brisk walks, where the dog is made to heel beside or behind the person holding the lead. In a dog’s mind, the leader leads the way and that leader needs to be the human. Greyhounds love a regular routine.
It’s also not a good idea to let a Greyhound off a lead when they are being exercised in any public places unless that is they are extremely well-trained because their instinct to chase anything that moves may well get the better of them. The other thing to bear in mind is that Greyhounds are very good at injuring their legs all thanks to the fact they run so fast even over rough ground when allowed to.
Early socialization is a must, and puppy training classes are recommended. The Rat Terrier has a strong prey drive, and they should never be allowed off lead, as most will not be able to resist the urge to chase when faced with a strange cat or squirrel.

Feeding Tips

Feed your Greyhound a high-quality kibble, but don’t leave food in its bowl all day. Because this breed is prone to bloat, split meals up into a few feedings a day and make sure that the food bowl is elevated. Greyhounds will eat everything and anything in its way, but with its delicate stomach, this causes diarrhea. It’s best not to feed your dog table scraps because of this issue.
If you get a Greyhound puppy from a breeder, they would give you a feeding schedule and it’s important to stick to the same routine, feeding the same puppy food to avoid any tummy upsets. You can change a puppy’s diet, but this needs to be done very gradually always making sure they don’t develop any digestive upsets and if they do, it’s best to put them back on their original diet and to discuss things with the vet before attempting to change it again.
Older dogs are not known to be fussy, finicky or big eaters, but this does not mean you can feed them a lower quality diet. It’s best to feed a mature dog twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening, making sure it’s good quality food that meets all their nutritional requirements.
Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog’s weight or diet. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times. Like many large breeds, Saint Bernard can experience bloat, a life-threatening condition where the stomach distends and twists. The causes of bloat aren’t fully understood, but experts agree that multiple, small meals per day and preventing vigorous exercise around mealtimes may help reduce the chances of it happening.

Health Tips

All dogs have the potential to develop genetic health problems, just as all people have the potential to inherit a particular disease. Run, don’t walk, from any breeder who does not offer a health guarantee on puppies, who tells you that the breed is 100 percent healthy and has no known problems, or who tells you that her puppies are isolated from the main part of the household for health reasons. A reputable breeder will be honest and open about health problems in the breed and the incidence with which they occur in her lines.
The average life expectancy of the Greyhound is between 10 and 12 years. This is comparable with the median lifespan of most purebred dogs (10 to 13 years), and most breeds similar in size. As a purebred dog, the Greyhound does have a list of potential health concerns – but this does not mean your dog will suffer from any of them. This list includesBloat(Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus), Osteosarcoma (bone cancer), arthritis, hypertension, supernumerary teeth, chronic Sesamoiditis, Ventral Comedone Syndrome and hip dysplasia.

Trainability

This is a shy and timid breed, so you won’t get anywhere by yelling at this dog. You need to be gentle to get the best results from a Greyhound. A submissive breed by nature, the Greyhound is docile and won’t respond to negativity or harshness. In fact, it can cause psychological harm. Your best bet is to use a kind voice, lots of praise and plenty of treats to train your Greyhound. This is a smart breed, so expect your dog to pick up training fairly quickly. A wonderful dog for first-time dog owners, its naturally well-behaved demeanor will make training a breeze.
A Greyhound should besocializedfrom an early age with small animals and children. Keep training lessons short and sweet, as the Greyhound will become bored very easily. With his mild, sensitive personality, he needs a gentle approach in training, never harsh. Greyhounds are more interested in doing things *with* you than *for* you. They are very affectionate with their families, though they tend to be reserved with strangers.

History

Prehistoric art depicts doglike creatures and men chasing game, but the Greyhound story begins properly in Egypt some 5,000 years ago. The hounds of the pharaohs were designed to detect, chase, capture, and dispatch the fleet-footed wildlife of Egypt’s deserts. To the pharaoh’s subjects, the godlike beauty of these haughty hounds was an extension of their ruler’s divine majesty. And ever after, from the Macedonia of Alexander the Great to the Moscow of the Tsars, nobles looked a bit nobler with an elegant hound by their side.
Greyhound-like dogs have been known in many countries over the centuries and have changed little with the passage of time. The 16th-century Spanish explorers brought Greyhounds with them to the New World. Baron Friedrich von Steuben (who you may remember as the Prussian military officer who helped George Washington whip the Continental Army into shape) was always accompanied by a large Greyhound named Azor.
Greyhounds were among the earliest breeds to be exhibited in dog shows in both Britain and the United States. At the first Westminster Kennel Club show in 1877, 18 Greyhounds were entered. The American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1885. Today the Greyhound ranks 139th among the breeds registered by the AKC.