The appearance of the Greyhound, appearance, characteristic behavior and health, how to care for the breed: walking, which includes the diet, interesting facts. Puppy price. Greyhounds are smooth-haired, calm and fastest friends of man. Having covered only nine meters, they can accelerate to sixty-seven kilometers per hour. They also quickly adapt to the life of a companion. These are very graceful dogs, with a pleasant disposition and a lively mind. Sometimes they do not understand that they are bigger than you and want to bask in the owner's lap.
Greyhound lovers are unchanged in their preferences. Animals are active on walks and the very calmness in the house. Like George Washington, General Gastre traveled with a Greyhound. Today their fans include British writer J. K. Rowling, cartoon character creator Honey Groening, and actress Bo Derok.
The emergence of the Greyhound breed
Greyhound or greyhound is the oldest dog breed mentioned in the biblical scriptures. The first representatives of the breed appeared two thousand years before our era. Of course, this cannot be determined with precision. Such greyhounds have been known since ancient Egypt. Their images on frescoes, subsidized by two thousand nine hundred BC, adorn Egyptian sarcophagi. The Romans used such dogs for hare hunting.
In America, this kind of dogs appeared in the 16th century, thanks to the Spaniards, and immediately became very popular. During the colonial era, greyhounds helped midwestern farmers regulate California hares. Eared rodents destroyed most of the crops of rural workers. People noticed the ability of this breed to catch fast moving targets, and began to use this feature. This is why greyhounds were popularized so quickly.
Full formation and the most modern appearance, the breed acquired two hundred and fifty years ago, in the English lands. Therefore, it is also called the English greyhound. In 1772, Lord Oxford crossed an ancient greyhound, of a rather elegant build, with an old-style bulldog. The result is more muscular, strong and hardy animals. Currently, there are three types of greyhounds in the world: exhibition, hunting and running, which is intermediate between the two previous ones.
Cross-country greyhounds are used in racing races. This canine sport is developed in England, America, Ireland, Australia and even shows competitions on TV. The excellent speed results of these animals are simply amazing.
Show Greyhound, this is more a dog that meets the same standard, which was written at the beginning of the XX century by the British. These dogs have beautiful body lines, a wonderful friendly and sociable character. But, at the same time, the dogs have not lost the passion of the greyhound species.
Hunting dogs were well represented in England until there was coursing - the pursuit of a live hare. In 2005, these competitions were banned. In Ukraine and southern Russia, these dogs are used for amateur hunting.
The international nickname for these animals is "couch potato" or "vegetable". Since these greyhounds love to soak up the upholstered furniture at home. According to two versions, the official name of the Greyhound comes from two different words. The first is the "greyhound" - the great hound. Second, "greyhound" means a gray dog. In fact, there are very few specimens with gray or blue colors.
Description of the appearance of a Greyhound
The English greyhound is a tall, robust dog with a lean build. Height at withers in males 70-77 cm and bitches 67-72 cm. The weight of males is 29–40 kg and bitches are 25–30 kg.
- Head elongated, wide, streamlined. Flat in the parietal part and laterally.
- Muzzle narrow, long, tapering towards the nose. The bridge of the nose protrudes slightly. Stop smooth outlines. The jaws are well developed and long. A full row of strong teeth, joined in a scissor shape.
- Nose developed. Its color is influenced by the color of the coat.
- Eyes oblique, large, elongated. All shades of brown or blue in light colored dogs. The look is smart.
- Ears Greyhound should not be planted very low. The cartilage is thin, laid back, similar in shape to rose petals.
- Neck - elegant, long, conical, smoothly curved, set high.
- Frame - voluminous, elongated, strong, lean. The rib cage is of excellent depth and volume to accommodate the heart and lungs. The ribs are prominent. The back is long, slightly arched. The loin is voluminous. The croup is sloping. The bottom line is strongly tucked up. The abdomen is flat on both sides.
- Tail English greyhound begins to grow low, long, slightly bends.
- Front limbs - long, parallel to each other, strong. Hindquarters - Parallel, strong, with wide hips and good angulation.
- Paws - medium size, oval. The toes are arched.
- Coat short, rather thin, tight to the skin.
- Color - various. Fawn or fawn, red, brindle in any of its modifications. All delute, that is, lightened colors: blue, blue-fawn, blue-brindle, give their owners blue eyes, the colors of the sky. There are black greyhounds, white individuals with any spots. For example, white with red or tiger spots.
Typical Greyhound behavior
In the family, these are kind dogs that lie very lazily on sofas all their free time from walks. They are comfortable in home keeping, which is why people often keep not one, but two such dogs. On the street, these dogs are transformed, and they can be basically in two states. This is either lazy contemplation of the surroundings, or a quick start for some reason curious. They consume energy very quickly, these are sprinters. That is, they quickly and effectively caught up with the target, and then rest and accumulation of strength before the next throw.
The owner of this dog can be a person with at least minimal physical strength to cope with the dog. After all, Greyhounds weigh about forty kilograms and are perfectly physically developed. The dog is very versatile in terms of a sports companion. Greyhound will be happy to accompany you in cycling, skiing, cross-country and other training. If sports are alien to you, then the pet will sleep until twelve o'clock, and, going out with you for a walk, you will sit in the meadow, and the greyhound frolics around you.
Greyhound dog health
English greyhounds owe good health to their ancestors. On average, Greyhounds live to be twelve years old. But, a tendency to some diseases can be observed in them.
For example, like all fairly large dogs, they may have bloating. To protect yourself from this flaw, you must properly formulate the dog's diet, and feed him only after a walk.
Dysplasia of the hip joint or dislocation of the patella, in Greyhounds, are mainly acquired in nature. This may be due to a lack of vitamins. Then the ligaments and tendons weaken, and when falling, the weakened animal will be injured more quickly.
Cataracts are common in aging English greyhounds. Therefore, in adulthood, the pet requires regular check-ups by an ophthalmologist. The problem is easily eliminated by surgery. After the rehabilitation period, the dog sees perfectly.
How to care for an English greyhound?
- Wool the greyhound has a short one, so it is not difficult to put it in order. In the apartment, the cilia of wool will be only during the period of the hairline change. Well, if you brush your dog on the street every day, during walks, then you won't have to clean the apartment either. For the procedure of combing out a dog, slickers are not suitable. You need to buy combs made of silicone, rubber, or rubber. Such materials provide good adhesion to smooth coat, effectively remove loose hair and provide excellent body massage of the dog, improving blood circulation. Their configurations are varied. There are combs in the form of brushes with teeth of different levels. They can be in the form of a glove and put on a person's hand, which is very convenient to use. In addition, the other side of the glove can be equipped with a rag-foam material with which you can bathe your pet. It turns out a great thing - two in one. Greyhounds are bathed before the show or as soon as they get dirty, about once every two weeks. Choose standard concentrates for washing and dilute with water so that the PH-balance of the skin is not disturbed. You cannot use pure shampoo. You will greatly degrease the skin and make it sensitive. In this case, dandruff and itching are not uncommon in dogs.
- Teeth greyhound, require more frequent grooming than its coat. The frequency of the procedure is two, three times a week. There are tons of gels and flavoring pastes that make it easy by attracting the animal to the scent. They have bactericidal properties, perfectly removing plaque and removing odor. These funds are applied to special soft brushes that are put on a person's finger, which is very convenient. The dog's teeth are cleaned in a circular motion. If you run your teeth with your greyhound, a stone will appear on them. The first sign of its formation is not a pleasant stinking smell from the dog's mouth. It is created by the waste products of bacteria accumulated on the teeth. Stones should not be left behind as sooner or later the gums will begin to bleed and your dog may lose teeth. It is not recommended to take them off yourself. You cannot carry out the necessary disinfection of the instruments with which you will carry out the manipulation. Thus, if the gums are damaged, you will infect, and the metal materials will damage the enamel of the teeth. Therefore, it is better to bring your pet to the veterinary clinic. The veterinarian will give the dog an immobilizing injection and remove the stone deposits using an ultrasound machine. This procedure is effective and completely safe. In order not to repeat the manipulation again after a while, in the future, brush the dog's teeth regularly. For the prevention of dental diseases, give special "chewing". For example, purchased edible, pressed bones of various compositions.
- Ears Greyhounds should be inspected regularly. They are cleaned in the presence of accumulated sulfur and dirt. Mostly liquid herbal remedies are used. They carefully care for the skin of the auricle, soften dirt and create disinfection. The procedure is carried out by instilling them into the auricles, the base of which is massaged and after a few minutes what has come out is wiped off.
- Eyes require a more thorough inspection after going out into the countryside, hunting or baiting stations. When the dog runs, plant particles of grass, soil or sand can get caught in them. Mechanical damage to the fundus is not excluded. You cannot assess the condition of the animal yourself or check the eyes with the help of special equipment. It is also impossible to launch such wounds, the pet may go blind. Sometimes urgent surgery is required. Therefore, the sooner you bring your dog to the veterinarian ophthalmologist, the better. In case of usual irritation, the eyes of the animal are washed with bactericidal, soothing agents.
- Claws when growing, it must be shortened in length. This can be done with claws or a file.
- Feeding Greyhounds are possible, both natural and ready-made. Lean meats and organ meats are a big part of natural nutrition. Its processing does not require any cooking or fine twisting in a meat grinder. The meat must be cut into medium pieces and scalded with boiling water. You do not need to scald only frozen meat. Remember that pork is not good for greyhounds. First, it is very oily. Secondly, there are a lot of helminth eggs in pork and your animal can become infected with dangerous parasites. The cereals (buckwheat, barley, rice, wheat) that you add to the groundbait must be boiled. Only oat flakes are steamed. Give your dog a small amount of fish oil every day. It helps to strengthen the heart muscle, has a good effect on the ligaments, hair and skin. Natural nutrition requires a separate intake of vitamins and minerals. Ready-made professional food, greatly simplifies the feeding of a greyhound. The main thing is not to overdo it with the norm, and make sure that the dog has free access to drinking water.
- Walking Greyhounds are not as long as you might think. Ten, 15 minutes of freedom is enough for them to frolic. These dogs were bred to run short distances and quickly chase prey. So, don't expect this greyhound to travel long distances.
Remember that if a Greyhound lives in your apartment, he needs to arrange a cozy place to sleep. Such a dog cannot sleep on the floor. Greyhounds have prominent pelvic bones, and they wear them away if they sleep on hard surfaces. Where to put them? You need to take a soft mattress and sew several removable covers on it so that you can wash them. You can make a small sofa or a slipper and cover it.
Greyhound training
The training of an English greyhound depends on the preferences of its owner. You can do traditional classics with them. First of all, this is the hunt for hares and foxes. If hunting is alien to a person, then he can attend coursing. Coursing is a dog chasing a bait that imitates the movement of a hare along a broken path. Such an event is spectacular and beautiful. Competitions are also held on it at the international level.
Interesting facts about the Greyhound
These frisky animals are second only to the cheetah in speed. Greyhounds have an efficiently engineered aerodynamic body. A light, elegant head of a dolichecephalic, that is, elongated structure, which tapers towards the nose. Small ears that fold in and prevent air, dirt and dust from entering the ear canal. Dogs have keen eyes with a large degree of vision to track prey.
At the same time, the animal has excellent muscles in order to develop tremendous speed, developed hips for a good push. The volume of light greyhounds is impressive. The chest has a large volume for good work not only of the lungs, but also of the heart. They have virtually no adipose tissue and thin, springy skin. The tail is a kind of rudder, which is an extension of the flexible spine and helps the dog to maintain balance on sharp turns.
Greyhound puppies price
In Russia, the breed is quite small in number. Many breeders find the Greyhound to be the most comfortable breed among greyhounds. Unlike Russian greyhounds, they do not have long hair and there are no difficulties with the formation of a skeleton in the first year of life.
Breeders carefully select owners for their pets, paying attention to the lifestyle and preferences of people. That is, if the Greyhound is for exhibition, then the future owner should be interested in and participate in exhibition events. Those who breed cross-country or hunting individuals, respectively, are looking for those buyers who will go to amateur races or hunting.
These are agile and graceful dogs, which are not difficult to keep within the city. They are suitable for families with children and active people. Greyhound puppies are mobile, tireless and extremely focused on the person, their owner. Therefore, they are comfortable in urban conditions, but if they are offered to hunt, then the pets will only be happy. The price of puppies is $ 400-600.
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