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Did you know?
The origin of the greyhound is deeply rooted in ancient history.
Murals and paintings of dogs strikingly similar to today's greyhound existed
over 4,000 years ago.
Egypt
From the beginning, the greyhound was held in high regard, as
evidenced by pictures etched on the walls of ancient Egyptian tombs. Pharaohs
rated them first among all animals, both as pets and hunters.
Arab Nations
The Arabs so admired the physical attributes and speed of the
greyhound that it was the only dog permitted to share their tents and ride atop
their camels. In early Arabian culture, the birth of a greyhound ranked second
only in importance to the birth of a son.
Persia, Rome & Greece
The greyhound enjoyed similar stature and is the only canine
mentioned in Holy Scripture (Proverbs 30:29-31).
Europe
It is documented that the greyhound arrived in England over
3,500 years ago. Their link with nobility was established in 1014 when King
Canute enacted the Forest Laws, which stated that only noblemen could own and
hunt with greyhounds.
The Forest Laws
The Forest Laws were abolished in the 1500s by Queen Elizabeth
I, who later initiated the first formal rules of greyhound coursing (the pursuit
of hares), thus officially inaugurating the "Sport of Queens".
Coming to America
In the late 1800s, the greyhound was imported to America to help
Midwestern farmers control the jackrabbit, a noted crop destroyer. With the
advent of the greyhound in America, coursing events soon followed.
Born to Run
History has proven that the greyhound is an animal born to run.
Originally hunting dogs because of their speed, greyhounds are born to run. To
run and hunt by sight is the fulfillment of a greyhound's basic
instinct.
CHARACTERISTICS
Greyhounds by nature are gentle and have always had a strong
relationship with humans. The breeding and training of greyhounds is an
extension of the human/animal relationship established thousands of years
ago.
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