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Greyhound

INTERESTING AND FUN FACTS ABOUT GREYHOUND

Fast, slim and sincere, the Greyhounds are immensely friendly and faithful canines who are known to make pretty decent house pets and family companions. These pooches remain loyal and kind to their owners and loved ones and are quite famous all around the world not only because of their exceptional athleticism but for their gentle nature and even temperament as well.

Everyone knows that the Greyhounds are the fastest canine breed on this planet, but do you know exactly how fast they can run? Or how far they can jump? If you seek the answers to all these questions and want to learn more about this wonderful breed, just read further to find out!

General Facts about Greyhounds

  • Name:

    The origin of the name of this breed is not very clear and is still shrouded in mystery. Some believe, as this breed is quite ancient, their name comes from an Old English term ‘GrigHund’ in which ‘Hund’ translates to Hound, but the meaning of term ‘Grig’ is still unclear. It is also theorized by many people that this breed was mostly available in a Grey color tone and that’s why this color makes the first half of their current name. But all this should be taken with a grain of salt as no theory behind the origin of this breed’s name has been proved or validated.

  • Speed:

    The average running speed of a standard Greyhound is around 72 Kmph. And the world record for the fastest canine on this planet is also held by a Greyhound named Fanta Bale whose top speed came out to be 81.2 Kmph.

Facts about Greyhounds’ Body

  • Eyes:

    As these dogs rely more on their vision than their sense of smell, they are also called the Sighthounds. These pooches have widely spread eyes that give them a 270-degree vision which is huge when we compare it to the humans who only have a 180-degree field of view.

  • Standing is better than Sitting:

    Because of long legs and tight muscles, the Greyhounds don’t feel very comfortable while they are in a sitting position. And, that’s why many of these canines prefer standing or lying on their sides rather than being in a sitting posture.

Historical Facts about Greyhounds

  • Origin:

    Their true origin is not known to many and people just started theorizing about their existence and beginnings. But we do know that the Greyhound is a fairly ancient breed that has existed for well over 3500 years on this planet. Some of their past life can be traced back to the Egyptians, Persians, and Greeks but any hard evidence about their actual origin is not present at the moment.

  • Coursing:

    Coursing was a very popular canine sport in which several Greyhounds and their owners used to participate in the hopes of determining the fastest of the bunch. In this sport or event, these canines had to chase down a prey like a rabbit and rather than relying on their sense of smell, they had to rely on their vision.

  • Kings and Queens:

    As Coursing was an immensely popular sport in England, several noblemen and people from the royal families also became huge admirers of this canine event. King Henry VIII was very fond of Greyhounds and this sport and he had several of his own. Queen Elizabeth I was also a huge fan of these dogs and coursing and she took great interest in both of them.

  • Presidents’ favorite:

    Over the years, there have been two U.S. presidents that had the right to call themselves the proud owners of a Greyhound. The very first president, George Washington had a Greyhound that he named after the top British General, General Cornwallis. And, Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th president of the U.S. also owned a Greyhound called Grim.

  • AKC Recognition:

    This breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club in the year 1885.

Temperamental Facts about Greyhounds

  • World’s Fastest Couch Potato:

    Although these pooches can run at amazing speeds, given the option, they mostly prefer a soft bed or a couch over running in an open field. These dogs are fairly lazy and are always happy to lie down, relax and nap.

  • Gentle and Quiet:

    Greyhounds are fairly calm and composed breed that is known for their sweet and gentle personality and their kind nature. They remain quiet and have a low tendency to bark or howl. They might appear big and mighty in size (because of their excellent height) but are known to possess a mellow disposition.

Miscellaneous Facts about Greyhounds

  • Bible:

    Greyhound is the only canine breed that is mentioned by name in the Bible. Overall, Dogs are mentioned 14 times in the Bible.

  • The Leap:

    Apart from the Fastest canine breed, Greyhounds also hold the world record for the highest canine jump. Cinderella May was a Greyhound who won the Guinness World Record for the Highest Jump by a Dog after jumping 68 inches high in the air.

  • Greyhound and the Pop Culture:

    In a very popular American animated series, the Simpsons, A greyhound named Santa’s Little Helper plays the role of the family dog. There also have been a lot of movies over the years that have featured these fast-moving canines. These include films like Good Will Hunting, Charlie Wilson's War, 50/50 et cetera.