Also known as the Spanish /English Greyhound, or the Galgo Inglés-Espagnol, this racing dog is a comparatively recent cross between the two ancient breeds of English Greyhound and Spanish Greyhound.
The Anglo-Spanish was created in Spain in the earlier part of the 20th century, to improve the racing speed of the smaller, local greyhounds. In modern Spain it is the recognized breed employed in professional greyhound-racing, although it is not yet accepted in the world of pedigree show dogs. Its popularity has meant that its Spanish ancestor has become increasingly rare. From the 1930s onwards, there have been more and more Anglo-Spanish dogs and fewer and fewer of the original, indigenous Spanish Greyhounds.
In recent years there have been serious complaints made against the organizers of Spanish greyhound-racing on the grounds of cruelty to the dogs, and a number of investigations have been carried out in attempts to improve their welfare.
Leave a Reply