As one of the most popular dog breeds in the world, Greyhounds have grown and evolved with us for hundreds of years, and were loyal companions long before they entered the world of racing.
Today, greyhound racing is about to come to an end around the world, with more countries closing down racing tracks every day.
Greyhounds, however, aren’t just racing dogs; they’re a fascinating breed that has plenty of quirks and eccentricities of their own. These are some truly interesting facts about the famous breed.
1. They were Owned by Egyptians
The greyhound breed has been around for roughly 3500 years, and are believed to have been the pets of the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Persians. And while many of them were used as guard animals for the house, evidence has shown that these ancient peoples loved their dogs and cared for them greatly.
In the well-known story, The Odyssey, a greyhound makes an appearance in the form of Argos.
2. Their Speed
Like some slots at https://www.onlineslots.com.sg/casino-games that feature fast reels, greyhounds have always been fast animals, and thousands of years of selective breeding have created a four-legged speedster that’s almost unmatched in a straight line. Their lean bodies and powerful legs mean that greyhounds can reach speeds of around 72 kilometres per hour at full pace, and they can reach this speed in a short amount of time, usually within four or five strides. Their acceleration and speed is one of the reasons that they were chosen to become racers.
One of the reasons behind their speed is their lean bodies – it requires less energy for them to propel themselves forward, and without the extra weight they’re able to attain extremely high speeds relative to how big they are.
3. Unique Vision
Greyhounds, similar to other sighthounds, have thin heads that house wide eyes. This gives the greyhound a total of 270 degrees of sight angle, meaning that they are able to see behind their head. Humans, in comparison, can only see 180 degrees, and have little peripheral vision.
This is an evolutionary adaption that the greyhound’s ancestors would have possessed in order to better spot prey while also being aware of any danger lurking up behind them in the world.
4. They Battle to Sit
Greyhounds are able to sit, just like any other dog breed, but they don’t enjoy it. Their extremely tight muscular structure means that their muscles stretch to uncomfortable levels when they’re sitting, and it’s fairly unusual to see a greyhound sitting down by its own accord.
This is also why the breed is almost always standing or moving around, and will avoid sitting as much as they can.
5. Swimming
Greyhounds are able to swim on their own, but unlike most other breeds, they require a lot more training and coaxing before they’re comfortably enter a body of water.
They’re some of the weakest swimmers in the dog world, as its not an environment they would naturally be found near.