Greyhound
🧠 Temperament & character
The Greyhound is gentle, calm and sensitive, a reserved and peaceable dog with a friendly nature. In the house he is a real couch-lounger who enjoys the closeness of his people and rarely makes noise. Towards strangers he is polite but rather reserved, and as a guard dog he is hardly suitable. Outdoors, however, his high hunting drive and his incredible speed awaken, so that he can hardly ignore moving game.
📜 Origin & history
The Greyhound is an ancient sighthound breed whose ancestors were already valued in antiquity for the sight-hunting of hares and other game. In Great Britain he was bred for centuries for coursing and later for racing sport, where he gained fame as the fastest dog in the world. Commercial greyhound racing, however, brought with it the problem that many retired racing greyhounds look for a new home. Today numerous former racing dogs are rehomed as gentle companion dogs, also through animal-welfare organisations in Switzerland.
✂️ Grooming, care & training
The short, smooth coat of the Greyhound is remarkably easy to care for and needs only occasional brushing. As a sprinter he does not require hours-long marches, but rather regular opportunities to gallop briefly and powerfully in a secured area, followed by extensive rest periods. Because of his high hunting drive he should stay on the leash outside safe zones, and his recall is only conditionally reliable. He is sensitive and learns best with calm, friendly methods; because of his low body fat he gets cold easily and needs a coat in cold weather.
🩺 Health
The Greyhound is an astonishingly robust, healthy breed with a life expectancy of about ten to thirteen years. As with all sighthounds, caution is required with anaesthesia and medications because of the low body fat percentage and the special metabolism. As a large dog with a deep chest there is also a risk of life-threatening gastric torsion. Responsible breeders and reputable rehoming organisations pay attention to heart health, healthy teeth and a balanced temperament.
🏡 Who is this breed right for?
The Greyhound suits people looking for a gentle, calm and easy-care dog that barks little and takes up hardly any space in the house superbly well. He is even suitable for larger apartments, since he is a pronounced lover of rest, but he needs regular safe opportunities to run. For sensitive first-time owners he is well suited thanks to his uncomplicated nature, provided they take his hunting drive seriously. In Switzerland many former racing greyhounds are rehomed; leash safety, a winter coat and patience during the settling-in period are important.