Usually known simply as the Greyhound, this ancient breed, the ultimate canine athlete, has been used for chasing and coursing all kinds of prey for thousands of years. In more recent times it has become a racetrack animal in many different countries.
This is a dog of superlatives. It has the longest history of any breed, having been depicted in ancient art more than 6,000 years ago. It is the most aristocratic of dogs, having been owned by more royalty and nobility than any other breed. It is the fastest of dogs, reaching over 40 mph (64 kph). It has leapt further than any other dog, one having cleared 30 ft (9.14 m) in a single jump. It is the most prolific of dogs, one male having sired more than 3,000 pups. It is also the most expensive breed in the world, champion racing Greyhounds having changed hands for as much as $72,000.
But perhaps the most extraordinary record held by this amazing breed is that it has been given more names than any other dog. This fact reflects the vast number of historical references that have been made to the breed over the centuries, and sets it apart from all other dogs, in a class of its own. A survey of the English literature on the subject of Greyhounds reveals more than 50 different names. In alphabetical order they are as follows: Graihond, Graydog, Grayhound, Grayhownde, Grayhund, Greahound, Greahounde, Greahund, Grefhound, Grehound, Grehounde, Grehunde, Greihound, Gresehownd, Greund, Grew, Grewan, Grewand, Grewant, Grew-dog, Grewehound, Grewend, Grewhond, Grewhonde, Grewhound, Grewhounde, Grewhund, Grewin, Grewnd, Grewnt, Grewund, Grey, Grey-dog, Greyhound, Greyhounde, Greyhund, Griezhund, Grifhound, Grighund, Grihond, Grijphund, Grizhund, Grohund, Groond, Groo-und, Gruan, Gruand, Gruant, Grue-hound, Grune, Gryhond.
Inevitably there have been fierce arguments about the meaning of its name. The idea that ‘grey’ refers to its colour is rejected by most scholars. Some favour the idea that its correct name is Grewhound, the word ‘grew’ meaning ‘Greek’. The dog was greatly favoured by the ancient Greeks, who frequently decorated their vases with its image, and the suggestion is that Greyhound is a modification of Greek Hound. Another school of thought sees it as meaning Badger Dog, because in the I7th century the word ‘grey’ meant ‘badger’. However, this slow-moving animal was never the main quarry of the high-speed Greyhound. Others consider that it comes from the Saxon word `grei’, meaning ‘beautiful’. Still others relate it to the Anglo-Saxon word `grig’, meaning ‘bitch’, but it is not clear why only the female gender should be involved. Finally, there is the idea that, so important was this dog, that it was the Great Hound of the nobility and that this title was later slurred in common speech to Greyhound. The truth is that we do not have a definite answer.
In earlier centuries this dog was so prized that ‘common folk’ were forbidden to own one. About a thousand years ago, a law was passed in England stating that only royalty and nobility could hunt with Greyhounds. Serfs could not own them at all, and freemen were required to have their dogs deliberately lamed if they lived within 10 miles (16 km) of a royal forest. Special dog-mutilators were despatched around the countryside by the king to enforce this brutal measure. In this way the exclusivity of royal sport was preserved for 400 years.
With the decline of the great forests, the Greyhound was found new occupations. First there was hare-coursing, organized in the form of controlled competitions. Then, for urban populations, there was the invention of the Greyhound racetrack complete with mechanical prey, prizes and gambling. This was done in imitation of thoroughbred horse-racing and, astonishingly, in some of the earliest races the dogs were provided with jockeys in the form of live monkeys fixed to their backs.
The very first Greyhound race using an artificial hare took place in I876 near London, along a straight track, but it failed to catch on. This new sport was not taken seriously until the 1920s, when the first modern race was staged, using the now familiar oval track. This took place in Manchester in 1926, and the sport has since spread to many other countries around the world.
In recent times, both Greyhound-coursing and Greyhound-racing have been under attack from animal-rights groups who regard both activities, especially coursing, as sports involving cruelty to animals. In theory, racing should not involve cruelty. Indeed, it should, like drag-hunting, provide a useful, prey-free way of exercising hunting animals. Unfortunately, commercial considerations are such that the dogs are not always treated as well as possible and they are often culled, even when perfectly healthy, simply because they are past their racing best.
In temperament, the Greyhound is something of a surprise. It proves to be one of the most affectionate, relaxed, gentle and obedient of pets, although any small hairy animal that runs away from it (including small lapdogs) is liable to trigger its insatiable urge to chase. With proper precautions, retired racing Greyhounds make superb companions and there is no excuse for the widespread practice of slaughtering them as soon as their racing days are over. Most such dogs have at least another ten healthy years ahead o them, given a friendly home.
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