Greyhound

Dogs >> Learn & Connect >> Dog Breeds >> Greyhound

View Another Breed:
Greyhound

Greyhound Characteristics

Size:
Grooming Needs:
Exercise Needs:
Good With Dogs:
Watchdog Ability:

Greyhound Breed Information

Breed Group: Hound

Weight: Male: 65-70; Female: 60-65 lbs

Height: 27-30 inches

Color(s): immaterial (includes black, gray, red, fawn, either solid or brindled, either whole colored or spotted)

Adopt a Greyhound boy - ADOPTED

Greyhound

$0.00

Adopt a Greyhound girl - ADOPTED

Greyhound

$0.00

Adopt a Greyhound girl

Greyhound

$350.00

Overview

The Greyhound is the fastest dog in the world, researching speeds of over 40 miles per hour, commonly used in the sport of dog racing. This is an ancient breed, believed to have descended from the Arabian Sloughi and brought to England by traders long before 900 AD. The Greyhound was used long ago for hunting deer and wild board. This breed does not get along well with smaller, non-canine animals, especially rabbits and cats.

Character

The Greyhound is very gentle and sensitive, and makes a wonderful companion to most children. This is also a very talented breed and does well in a number of sports including hunting, sighting, watchdogging, racing, and agility. The Greyhound is an extremely graceful dog that is petite, making him an exceptional running companion. This breed does very well in a home environment, but can also do well in kennel life, although he does crave human attention and desperately wants to be part of the family.

Temperament

The Greyhound is an affectionate breed that loves to be around his family, including children. They make a wonderful family pet, however they do have a prey instinct and should not be in a home with smaller animals such as birds, cats, rabbits, or something of the sort. The Greyhound does extremely well with other dogs, however they get along best with their own kind and do very well with another Greyhound in the home. This breed does get along well with children but because he is so sensitive, this breed would do best in a home with older and more respectable children.

Care

The Greyhound's coat is very short and sleek, which doesn't require much grooming. Brushing is minimal, however brushing with a firm bristle brush or a rub down with a rough towel or a rubber glove will remove any dead or loose hair that may be present. This average shedding breed should not be bathed too often, as it will remove the natural oils from the coat and skin, taking away the weather resistancy the coat of this breed retains.

Coat

The Greyhound has a very short coat that does not require much grooming. The hair of this breed should be glossy, but not silky nor soft. It should be very firm and harsh to the touch, and also coarse. The hair should be close lying and tight. The coat of this breed is somewhat weather resistant so baths should be sparse. The coat of the Greyhound should remain smooth.

Training

The Greyhound is a very intelligent breed, however he is very sensitive so does need an experienced handler. Obedience classes as a puppy are recommended, but not required. This breed should always have a gentle handler, but training should also be consistent if this dog is to excel. The Greyhound should have a variety of training techniques and somewhat of a challenge to keep him fit and happy.

Activity

The Greyhound loves to run and needs quite a bit of exercise on a daily basis. A fenced in yard is a must, and it should be at least of average size. Long walks are also necessary to keep this dog healthy and active. The Greyhound has the tendency to chase things because of his strong prey instinct, so he should always be kept on lead or in a safe and fenced in area or he will be sure to run off when he gets the chance. This breed should always have at least 2 hours of daily exercise per day, as he is very agile and fast.

Ask a Question Greyhound Questions & Answers

QUESTION: Is it legal to breed Gryehounds in New Jersey?

Anonymous - 9/28/2011 8:53:30 AM

Respond to Question

QUESTION: How much should a 3 month old male greyhound weigh?

Anonymous - 8/7/2011 9:26:18 AM

Respond to Question

QUESTION: what size crate do i need for a greyhound i have a crate 24" wide and 40 " tall is this big enough?

Anonymous - 6/20/2011 3:04:54 PM

Respond to Question

A good size cage is one that will allow the dog to get up, turn around and lay down. If you get it to small they will be too cramped and if you get it to big the dog will try to pee or poop in one part of it and sleep in the other,which isn't good.

Anonymous - 1/17/2012 7:04:03 PM

My greys always stayed in one fit for a Great Dane. They need room to lay down. If I remember correctly it was 34x48long. It makes the perfect size they can stand up straight and turn around and lay down and have plenty of room to move if need to to be comfortable.

Anonymous - 7/19/2011 1:02:03 PM

QUESTION: how much does a greyhound puppy weigh?

Anonymous - 5/11/2011 9:45:59 PM

Respond to Question

It depends on the age. A four week old Greyhound is probably like under 10 ibs. ( This is a guess )

Anonymous - 7/6/2011 10:13:37 PM

QUESTION: are greyhounds expensive

Anonymous - 5/8/2011 6:20:54 PM

Respond to Question

Yes, grey hounds are very expensive! They are very good runners and are often used as race dogs!

Anonymous - 12/14/2011 5:50:04 PM

greyhounds can be, but if you rescue one from a track or from WAG then they can be cheaper

Anonymous - 6/19/2011 11:43:10 AM

QUESTION: Are Greyhounds hypoallergenic?

Anonymous - 3/8/2011 10:44:42 AM

Respond to Question

Yes. Because of their short coat, Greyhounds are one of the best dogs to have if the owner is allergic to dog dander.

Anonymous - 7/6/2011 10:09:10 PM

QUESTION: Do greyhounds have very sensitive stomachs? We just adopted one and are having a hard time finding a food that does not give him a very runny stool?

Anonymous - 2/17/2011 9:40:29 AM

Respond to Question

He may just be nervous. My greyhounds are on FROMM now but they were on PRO PLAN Natural for a long time. Just find one food that they like and stick to it. You can also give them a tsp of pepto to help with the tummy issue.

Anonymous - 7/19/2011 1:04:58 PM

When I adopted my greyhound he had a very sensitive stomach as well. I used plane yogurt. Just mix a couple of table spoons full with his dog food after a couple of days he will be fine. I also feed him Purina One. Michael

Anonymous - 6/1/2011 12:41:48 PM

My old Greyhound Had A Very Unadaptive Stomach And Threw Up Every Time We Tried a New Food For Her We Chose Purena Lamb And Rice And Nothing

Anonymous - 4/20/2011 12:21:53 PM

My greyhound couldn't eat poultry at all. I did find that Royal Canin's Adult Lamb and Rice food kept her healthy. Later in her life I suppllemented that with hamburger and brown rice--softer on her teeth. I would also catch her eating my tomatoes off the vine in my yard!

Anonymous - 4/9/2011 12:54:03 PM

QUESTION: Do the ribs on greyhounds stick out or not? I have a dog that is mostly greyhound and one other breed but my puppy looks more like she could be full blooded but her ribs stick out and ive had her for about 2 months now and i feed her really well. but she doesn't seem to be gaining any weight. is this normal for greyhounds or not?

Anonymous - 10/13/2010 1:51:31 PM

Respond to Question

An adult greyhound with proper conditioning will show the back ribs but I wouldn't call it "sticking out". I like to see a little extra fat on a puppy. When they grow they will tap any reserves and look like they have lost a ton of weight overnight. Puppy greyhounds should have as much high quality food as they will eat - a minimum of twice daily. Many pups are not wormed properly when they are still nursing and from your description of ribs sticking out and failure to gain weight it sounds like she may have a roundworm infestation. Go pick up a wormer with pyrantle pamoate and give her the proper dose for her weight. Follow up again in a week and then again in three weeks. Then follow a regular de-worming regimen for your area and you shouldn't have any more worm problems.

cashelfarm - 11/17/2010 2:35:12 AM

I don't know what you mean by the ribs "sticking out", but most web sites say if you can see the last 3 ribs on a greyhound, the dog is at a healthy weight. I also know that my 6 year old 75 pound male greyhound eats about as much as a hundred pound dog should eat (at least according to the guidelines on the bag of food), in order to maintain his weight. I give him a good quality higher protein dog food, again at the recommendation of greyhound web sites. He is not that active: gets two 20 minute walks and a brief run daily. A greyhound that is actively racing can double his daily caloric needs. So when I send him to the boarding kennel when I go on vacation, I increase his daily food allottment by 25-50%, because if I don't, his weight will drop, even though they say he eats all his food. Hope this has been helpful.

Anonymous - 10/17/2010 2:52:10 PM

QUESTION: Are greyhound an intelligent breed?

Anonymous - 9/20/2010 9:49:59 AM

Respond to Question

I guess it depends on the dog ... and the commitment of the owner. We have heard you cannot train a greyhound like you can other breeds, but ours sits (in a sphinx-like position), jumps, and barks on command. He also knows the command 'wait'. I clean his feet after every walk and he is told to wait at the door while I go to the laundry room to get his bucket to dip his feet for a rinse. He patiently waits at the door as told and never walks beyond the entrance with his muddy feet in my absence. He also waits while his food is being dished out and doesn't barge in until he is given go-ahead to eat. We've made very clear boundaries and he is well aware of these. HOWEVER, as a previous poster said, they are clever enough to problem solve so our home has become increasingly dog proofed as when we are not around, he is capable of finding rather cheeky ways to entertain himself.

Anonymous - 2/25/2011 12:33:08 AM

Once upon returning home from a lure coursing competition with my veteran male who had retired from a long and very successful racing career - a chicken flew out of the rafters of a barn right in front of him and he killed her instantly. As this is a behavior that he was trained to do I of course didn't punish him but took him straight to the yard. A few months later I had forgotten the previous incident and upon unloading him from the truck another hysterical hen flapped down in front of him. I expected the worst but instead of jumping the hen and dispatching her in seconds he stood his ground and looked up as if to say "I know now that you don't want me to kill those." I'm not suggesting that all greyhounds can be trained not to kill - but in this one case it was evident that an amazing amount of deep thought and problem solving was at work. Anyone who thinks their greyhound is a dummy is destined to be outsmarted by it.

cashelfarm - 11/17/2010 3:00:33 AM

Sighthounds are often thought of as not having a lot of intelligence due to their apparent lack of ability in dog sports requiring technical obedience skills. Greyhounds however have amazing ability when problem solving on their own. They will figure out complicated latches and once learned will open them with remarkable speed and dexterity.

cashelfarm - 11/17/2010 2:52:17 AM

yes

Anonymous - 10/11/2010 5:40:22 AM

If you are looking for Greyhound puppies for sale from reputable Greyhound breeders or to adopt a Greyhound from a Greyhound rescue then make sure you understand as much about the dog breeds you are interested in as you can. Every puppy breed is different. Begin your research by reading the breed information about the Greyhound puppy above. Search our dog breeds section to find Greyhound puppies, dogs and puppies that make great pets.

Sign up for our newsletter!

Sign up for exclusive offers, tips and more.

Community QuickLinks
Company Info