Basically they are 45 M.P.H. couch potatoes
But here is some information you may find interesting before you adopt a Greyhound
*Dictionary Definition - A large, slender dog of an ancient breed, having a smooth coat, a narrow head, and long legs and capable of running swiftly.
Actually the Greyhound is the fastest canine and can reach speeds up to 45 M.P.H. They have a double suspended gate like a Cheetah. Beautiful, athletic and a sweetness of temperament that is second to none.
They’re friendly and social by nature as a result of constant contact with other dogs and trainers in the racing kennel. They thrive on human companionship and make marvelous household pets. Since they rarely bark they are great city and apartment dwellers.
But they are indoor dogs. That layer of fat, under most dogs skin, is absent in the Greyhound. Thus they never get that doggie smell. They can’t regulate their body temperature because of this, so they can not be left outside.
History & Famous Owners
The origin of the Greyhound is deeply rooted in ancient history. They have been part of civilization for 8,000 years. Animal anthropologists generally agree that the Greyhound - type dog - is one 0f the original canine breeds, from which virtually all domestic dogs descend.
they were highly prized by the Pharaohs, as hunters, and playmates for the royal children and even transported on royal barges. Pictures of the early Greyhound can be found etched on Egyptian tombs. Both Cleopatra and Julius Cesar owned Greyhounds.
In Persia, Rome and Greece, the Greyhound enjoyed similar stature and is the only canine mentioned in the bible. Alexander the Great owned a Greyhound by the name of Peritas. The first dog mentioned in literature in 800 B.C. Is a Greyhound. Many of the Greek and Roman Gods are depicted with greyhounds.
It was the Romans who spread their fame. They were prized as companions as well as hunting partners. The Romans kept the Greyhounds in their homes as pets. As the Roman empire spread the Greyhounds went along.
The Arabs so admired the Greyhound’s physical attributes, they were the only dog allowed to share their tents and ride atop their camels. In early Arabian culture, the birth of a Greyhound ranked second only in importance to the birth of a son.
During the middle ages King Canute of England enacted the Forest Law - Which stated that only noblemen could own and hunt with Greyhounds. A hundred years earlier in Wales, King Howell decreed the punishment for killing a Greyhound was death, the same as killing a person.
On Columbus’ second expedition he was accompanied by Greyhounds.
General Custer owned 22 Greyhounds and would sleep with them on the parlor floor.
Santa’s little helper on the Simpson’s is a retired racing Greyhound.