History Tells the Tale

                                             

                                                           History paints a stunning picture
                                                           Of greyhounds' run through time,

                                                          Ancients cherished the noble breed

                                                          As does this heart of mine.

                                                           

The Greyhound Breed has been around for a very long time so I thought it might be appropriate to take a look back on how this breed evolved.  Even if you are acquainted with some of the history, it is interesting to see how many cultures the greyhound has touched.  As I researched their history through my many greyhound books, I visited the varied cultures that revered these dogs.  We will take our own journey.  Make believe we are on ancestry.com for greyhounds, and follow the leaves.

The first greyhound type dogs were believed to have lived in the ancient city of Catal-Huyuk in what is now southwest Turkey.  I say type due to the fact that they resembled the greyhounds of today by being “long and lean”.  Temple drawings dating back to 6000 BC depicted these long, lean dogs.  As a result of the migration of people to different areas, evidence of these dogs was soon found elsewhere.  Drawings and paintings of greyhound-like dogs were found in present day Iran dating back to 4200 BC as well as in Algeria dating back to about 3000 BC.

Many people associate greyhounds with Egypt due to pictures of greyhound-like dogs depicted on the tomb walls of the pharaohs.  In Egypt, these dogs were kept as companions, used as hunting partners, and held in extremely high esteem.  The Egyptian God, Anubis, was half-man and half-beast.  Some feel that the beast resembles the present day Pharaoh Hound.  Whether this is true or not, what is true is that the Egyptians highly valued these dogs.  When a dog such as this was born, there was celebration and when one died, the family would mourn.  They were buried and mummified with their owners, and the tombs were decorated with images of them.

The Greeks brought some of these greyhound-like dogs back from Egypt.  They, too, felt these dogs to be of great significance.  This type of dog was mentioned in literature dating back to 800 BC and even in Homer’s “Odyssey”.  Greek mythological figures were also said to associate with greyhounds.

The ancient Romans saw value in many of the Greek possessions and so Greyhounds became important to them also.  Running their greyhounds was an enjoyable pastime.  Roman armies accompanied by greyhounds spread the empire to lands across Europe.  When Rome fell to Germanic tribes in 476 AD, the greyhounds were left behind.  They might have become extinct except for clergyman who protected them and bred the puppies for the nobility.  Ownership of the breed soon became the exclusive right of the rich.

King Canute of England in 1014 enacted a set of laws called the Forest Laws.  Large tracts of countryside were reserved for hunting and could only be used by royalty and nobility.  Greyhounds during this time could only be owned by these noblemen.  If Greyhounds were found to be owned by anyone of “lower means”, their dog’s feet were mutilated to prevent hunting.

Coursing the greyhound became a popular sport in Europe.  It had its origins in Greece, and it kept the dog a popular breed.  In it, two greyhounds were “slipped” or released in a field after a hare.  The dogs were judged by a complicated set of rules in which their concentration and agility were measured.  By the mid 1700’s, the sport spread through Great Britain and then across the continent due to a more complete and understandable set of rules.

Greyhounds first came to America with the Spanish in the early 1500’s. However, many more came when farmers began to settle the midwest.  Their crops became overrun by jackrabbits, and these European immigrants remembered the agility and endurance of the greyhounds in the coursing fields.  Using the greyhounds to rid the farm fields of jackrabbits helped the farmers in their work. However, the coursing of the dogs with jackrabbits, coyotes, and other game on the plains became a popular pastime.

In the early 1900’s, Owen Patrick Smith invented the artificial lure, a man-made rabbit on a motorized arm.  With this invention, greyhound racing was born, and the sport as we know it began.  Its popularity soared during the 20th century.  Today, however, due to other types of betting available to the public, the sport has been hard hit.  Many of the tracks have closed down leaving the dogs at loose ends.  Thank goodness for all the greyhound rescue organizations in this country and in Europe.

Although competitive lure coursing was very popular in Europe and America, the sport of professional dog racing soon took its place in popularity.  Lure coursing today is mostly done for the fun of the chase and the enjoyment of watching the dogs break from the gate and run.  When I have attended these events, the dogs are released and chase what looks like a plastic bag on a mechanized pulley.  At lure coursing events where the dogs are judged, their speed, enthusiasm, follow, agility, and endurance are evaluated.  Each dog runs twice.  The points allotted go towards Field Champion or Lure Courser of Merit.  And lure coursing is not just for greyhounds as many other types of sighthounds also participate.

During the researching of this post, I found some interesting facts concerning racing, coursing, and show greyhounds.  It is important to note that greyhounds came from that original coursing greyhound stock.  However, in racing, the emphasis is placed on speed; in coursing, it is on agility and endurance.  Eventually, the racing dogs were bred with other racing dogs and were registered with the National Greyhound Association or NGA. By the turn of the century, exhibiting pure bred dogs became popular so show dogs started to be bred only with other show dogs, and these were the foundation stock for the dogs registered with American Kennel Club or AKC.  The judges tended to prefer fewer rough edges and more fat.

Looking back in history helps illustrate the greyhound story.  What is your greyhound’s story?   Have you checked into his/her life as a racer?  You can go to greyhound-data.com or just google greyhound, and your dog’s racing name. Your dog’s lineage can open a treasure chest of information for you.  Share your stories with us. 

I’d like to acknowledge the authors and books I used to research this piece. Each book’s information added to my knowledge of these wonderful dogs.  They were:

Adopting the Racing Greyhound by Cynthia A. Branigan

Greyhounds, A Complete Pet Owner”s Manual by D. Caroline Coile, PH.D

The Complete Book of Greyhounds Edited by Julia Barnes

Greyhounds: All About America’s Favorite Dogs, Editors of Dog Fancy, Vol. 20 

Lure Coursing Information:  dogs4sale.com.au

Kisses and hugs to all your greyhounds.

      

  I 
 
 

Beginning at the Beginning

Kiowa

                                                           Greyhounds are an intriguing breed,

                                                           Somehow they fulfill my need,

                                                           To care for and love this special creature,

                                                           Who from the start was my teacher.

HELLO!  Welcome to my greyhound blog.  For those of you who don’t understand the term “roo”,  I guess I should explain that first.  A roo is a sort of howl that greyhounds make.  It is pretty distinctive to them and is usually heard when they are making happy talk.  When one greyhound starts, others are sure to join in the fun.  And that's what I would like you to do.  Join in the fun of this blog. 

I am thrilled to be able to be sharing my greyhound life experiences with others. Some of you may have greyhounds and know their special pull in our lives, others may just be curious about the breed and want to learn more.  I am hoping to be able to share my knowledge of my beloved greys and combine it with my love of writing.  I will try to acquaint you with greyhounds through information about the breed as well as my own personal experiences.   

I fell in love with these dogs in 1991 when I happened upon an article in my local newspaper.  After reading the story and seeing the accompanying pictures, I felt my heart break for this noble breed, and I was smitten.  I did not understand how anyone could harm beautiful and loyal creatures such as these.  I knew that if my husband and I ever adopted a dog, it would have to be a greyhound.  I’m sure that by my reaction after reading the article, he thought it was a passing phase and that I was just moved by what I had read. (Silly him)  He didn’t know what he was in for.   After all, I was mainly a cat person.  I had a couple of dogs when I was younger, but I preferred the cat temperament.  Was I ever wrong.

The following Saturday after reading the article, my friend and I went to a craft/dog show in Batsto, NJ that was held outside.  I had just finished telling her about the article when walking straight for us were two people attached to two greyhounds. OMG!!  Was this karma or what?  We approached, asked numerous questions, and patted the dogs soft fur.  If smitten was the word I used before to describe my feelings, now I was in total and complete love.  Upon arriving home, I couldn’t wait to tell my husband about my experience.  He listened patiently and simply said,  “Just call and get some information before you drive me crazy.” That was it.  I contacted Greyhound Friends of NJ, Inc. that day.  That began my love affair and devotion to this spectacular breed.   

 

Eastern Shore Meet & Greet

We adopted our first dog, Cayman, a little black 3 year old girl, by picking her up at a kennel used by the rescue to house dogs just off the track.  Two years later, we succumbed to another grey, Woody, a red brindle boy of 4 years of age.  After his adoption, I felt the need to volunteer in some capacity for the rescue group.  I lived then in southern NJ in a rural area, and the rescue was based in central NJ.  I don’t think they knew what to do with me and really had no way to use me then.  Left to my own devices, I started taking my dogs to outside events in my area, and people would ask questions about them.  It was like a mobile Meet & Greet.  

Back then, few people had seen greyhounds so    they didn’t even know what breed our dogs were.  Of course, I felt it my duty to educate them (did I mention I happened to be a teacher).  I also contacted the local vets and was asked to participate with my dogs in events they had organized.  I gave programs at my school as well as other schools to educate the children about the breed and their plight.  I quickly became known as the Greyhound Lady.  Finally, the rescue had moved its reach southward, and I was called to begin Meet & Greets in a PetsMart about 45 minutes north of my home.  I had many helpers, and when a PetsMart in my town finally opened many years later, I moved down to that location. 

My husband and I finally retired, and we now live on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.  Before moving, I searched the internet for greyhound groups in my new area.  Easier said than done. (This may be a subject for another post).  Suffice it to say, it was not easy.  I was successful eventually and am now Eastern Shore Coordinator for Old Dominion Greyhound Adoption out of Virginia Beach.  Sounds impressive, doesn’t it?  However, I am doing what I have always done, educate the public on the subject of greyhounds.  

My purpose for writing this will be to educate, to stimulate conversation, to commiserate about our pooches, and to facilitate the spread of greyhound knowledge.  Sometimes I will share experiences I have had with my own dogs, but I am also hoping to write about the history of the breed and other greyhound subjects of interest.  So please stay tuned. 

Rusty and Kazi

If you have some time, you might want to read an article I wrote that was recently published in The Bark Magazine, online.  It is very timely and is about losing one of my dogs for 25 hours because of a “special feature” of our van.  Go to thebark.com, click on Dog Culture.  The article is under Readers Write and is called Greyhound Lost: A Minivan Warning.  If you have a van and a dog, it is a must-read. 

I hope you enjoyed this first posting and will come back often.  Please comment on what you might like to read on this blog.  How did YOU get the greyhound bug?  Comment on your first meeting with your greys and how it turned into a greyt love.  Every story is unique, but still contains a bit of commonality with other greyhound folk.  

Kisses and hugs to all your greys.