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.
