Greyhounds - Pictures
Greyhounds - Breed OriginsGreyhounds are believed to be the oldest purebred in the world today. Greyhounds can be traced back over 8000 years to early cave drawings and decorative artifacts. They are thought to have originally descended from the Arabian Sloughi. Some theories approximate that the Greyhound is as much as 8,000 years old, but it is commonly agreed that they are at least 4,000 years old. The distinguishable modern Greyhounds are descendants of an ancient breed that goes back to the times of the Egyptians and Celts. The Egyptians worshipped Greyhounds as a god and frequently showed them on murals in the tombs of kings. There was a saying in old England, which goes "You could tell a gentleman by his horses and his Greyhounds." Old paintings and tapestries showing hunting indulgences often included Greyhounds. The Greyhound was used to hunt wild boar and deer. The Greyhound is the fastest dog in the world and they were able to seize and pull down these wild animals with ease. Domestic animals, especially cats, geese and ducks, were also targets of the Greyhound. The breed was universally regarded for its sight hound capabilities and today they are used primary for dog racing. The dogs are trained to chase a mechanical rabbit around a track. Unfortunately, in the recent past many Greyhounds have been bred only for racing and when they did not perform adequately or their short racing career was over, they were destroyed. Awareness of this problem has increased recently and there are many quality rescue groups that place these graceful, noble Greyhounds in good homes.
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