Greyhound

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This article is about the breed of dog. For other uses, see Greyhound (disambiguation).

Greyhound

Greyhound

Other names

English greyhound

Country of origin

See History section [hide]Traits 27 to 40 kilograms (60 to 88 lb) 27 to 34 kilograms (60 to 75 lb) 71 to 76 centimetres (28 to 30 in)

Weight Height Coat Colour Litter size Life span

Male Female Male

Female 68 to 71 centimetres (27 to 28 in) Fine, smooth Any 1-12 pups 10 - 15 years [show]Classification and standards

Dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The Greyhound is a very old European breed, a sighthound which has been historically bred for coursinggame and latterly racing. Since the rise in large scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, particularly in North America from the end of the 20th century, it has seen a resurgence in popularity as a family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed whose combination of long, powerful legs, deep chest, flexible spine, and slim build allows it to reach average race speeds in excess of 18 metres per second (59 feet per second, or 63

kilometres per hour (39 mph)).[1][2][3] The greyhound can reach a full speed of 70 kilometres per hour (43 mph) within 30 metres or six strides from the boxes, traveling at almost 20 metres per second for the first 250 metres of a race. The only other mammal that can accelerate faster over a short distance is the cheetah, which can reach speeds of 109 kilometres per hour (68 mph) over 3-4 strides from a standing start.[4]
Contents
[hide]

1 Description

o o o o

1.1 Appearance 1.2 Anatomy 1.3 Temperament 1.4 Greyhounds as pets

2 Roles of the breed

o o o

2.1 Coursing 2.2 Racing 2.3 Companion

3 Health and physiology 4 History

4.1 Further reading

5 In culture

5.1 As mascot

5.1.1 Professional 5.1.2 College

5.2 Other

6 See also 7 References 8 External links

Description[edit]
Appearance[edit]
Males are usually 71 to 76 centimetres (28 to 30 in) tall at the withers and weigh around 27 to 40 kilograms (60 to 88 lb). Females tend to be smaller with shoulder heights ranging from 68 to 71 centimetres (27 to 28 in) and weights from less than 27 to 34 kilograms (60 to 75 lb). Greyhounds have very short fur, which is easy to maintain. There are approximately thirty recognized color forms, of which variations of white, brindle, fawn,

black, red and blue (gray) can appear uniquely or in combination.[5] Greyhounds are dolichocephalic, with a skull which is relatively long in comparison to its breadth, and an elongated muzzle.

Anatomy