Tip: zie voor het racen met Greyhounds ook deze pagina!!


Herkomst
Rond 400 vóór Christus brachten de handeldrijvende Feniciërs het ras mee naar Engeland en Ierland. De hier gevestigde adel ontfermde zich over de hond en heeft het ras door de eeuwen heen weten te behouden. In beide landen worden nog steeds veel windhondenraces gehouden. Greyhounds kunnen een snelheid van 70 km/u bereiken en beschikken over een fenomenaal gezichtsvermogen.

Algemeen voorkomen
Een sterke, gespierde, droge hond met gewelfde lendenen en een diepe borstkas. Hij maakt een krachtige en fiere indruk.

Schofthoogte
reuen 71 - 76 cm; teven 68 – 71 cm

Gewicht
27 – 32 kg

Vacht
Zeer gladde, dichte, goed aanliggende en kortharige vacht. Kleuren: wit, vaalrood, rood, reekleurig, blauw, zwart of gestroomd, of elk van deze kleuren met wit.

Gebruik
Zichtjager op groot en kleinwild, renhond en gezinshond. Ook showhond.

Gezondheid
Gezond ras dat vrij oud kan worden.

Aard
Vriendelijk, evenwichtig, intelligent, gevoelig, blaft weinig en is nauwelijks waaks, aanhankelijk, niet geschikt voor een omgeving met katten, tenzij hij daarmee is opgegroeid. De Greyhound is minder moeilijk op te voeden dan andere windhonden. Ze leren redelijk snel en zijn gehoorzaam totdat ze iets zien bewegen - dán zijn ze 'Oostindisch doof'.

Overig
Af en toe met een zachte borstel verzorgen. Deze hond kan tegen de kou, maar mag na het rennen of wandelen niet teveel afkoelen.




FCI-Standard Nº 158 / 03. 06. 1998 / GB GREYHOUND

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Strongly built, upstanding, of generous proportions, muscular power and symmetrical formation, with long head and neck, clean well laid shoulders, deep chest, capacious body, arched loin, powerful quarters, sound legs and feet, and a suppleness of limb, which emphasise in a marked degree its distinctive type and quality.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Possessing remarkable stamina and endurance. Intelligent, gentle, affectionate and even tempered.

HEAD : Long, moderate width.

CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : Flat.
Stop : Slight.

FACIAL REGION :
Muzzle : Jaws powerful and well chiselled.
Jaws/Teeth : Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bitte, i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Eyes : Bright, intelligent, oval and obliquely set. Preferably dark.
Ears : Small, rose-shape, of fine texture.

NECK : Long and muscular, elegantly arched, well let into shoulders.

BODY :
Back : Rather long, broad and square.
Loins : Powerful, slightly arched.
Chest : Deep and capacious, providing adequate heart room. Ribs deep, well sprung and carried well back.
Flanks : Well cut up.

TAIL : Long, set on rather low, strong at root, tapering to point, carried low, slightly curved.

LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS : Forelegs long and straight, bone of good substance and quality. Elbows, pasterns and toes inclining neither in nor out.
Shoulders : Oblique, well set back, muscular without being loaded, narrow and cleanly defined at top.
Elbows : Free and well set under shoulders.
Pasterns : Moderate length, slightly sprung.

HINDQUARTERS : Body and hindquarters, features of ample proportions and well coupled, enabling adequate ground to be covered when standing.
Thighs and second thighs : Wide and muscular, showing great propelling power.
Stifles : Well bent.
Hocks : Well let down, inclining neither in nor out.

FEET : Moderate length, with compact, well knuckled toes and strong pads.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : Straight, low reaching, free stride enabling the ground to be covered at great speed. Hindlegs coming well under body giving great propulsion.

COAT
HAIR : Fine and close.

COLOUR : Black, white, red, blue, fawn, fallow, brindle or any of these colours broken with white.
SIZE : Ideal height : dogs 71-76 cm (28-30 ins); bitches 68-71 cm (27-28 ins).
FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.


About the Greyhound

History
One of the first types of dogs selectively bred by humans was the sighthound, a dog that could run after and catch game by outrunning it. The prototypical sighthound has always been the greyhound. Greyhound-like dogs have been depicted since ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman times. The name greyhound may come from Graius, meaning "Greek", or from the Latin gradus, denoting "high grade". By the time of the Saxons, greyhounds were well-established in Britain and were valued both by commoners, for their ability to put food on the table, and by nobility, for the sport of the chase. In 1014 the Forest Laws prohibited all but nobility from keeping greyhounds near royal forests unless they had been "lamed"; these laws remained in effect for 400 years. Even when they were repealed, greyhounds remained the dogs of nobility because with the growing importance of agriculture and domestic animal food sources, the running dog was not economically advantageous. Instead, greyhounds were used for coursing hare for sport, and during the 1800s coursing became a consuming pastime of the upper class. Early American immigrants often brought greyhounds with them to the New World, where they proved adept at coursing on the open plains. When coursing was made available to the masses by staging it first in closed parks and then on tracks after a mechanical lure, the greyhound's fate was sealed. Track racing proved so popular that dogs were bred specifically for short bursts of speed, ultimately resulting in the fastest breed of dog. At the same time, greyhounds entered the show ring. The breed soon became divided into show and racing types, which were seldom interbred. In America, the greyhound is one of the least popular breeds according to AKC registrations of show stock. The National Greyhound Association registers many thousands of greyhounds annually; however, recently retired racers from NGA stock have become popular as pets.

Temperament
Known as "the world's fastest couch potato," the greyhound is quiet, calm and extremely well-mannered indoors. They are good with other dogs, and with other pets if raised with them; outdoors, they tend to chase any small thing that moves. They are reserved with strangers, very sensitive and sometimes timid. Despite their independent nature, they are eager to please.

Upkeep
The greyhound needs daily exercise, but it is a sprinter, not an endurance runner. Its needs can thus be met with a chance to run, or by a longer walk on leash. It loves to run and chase outdoors, and can easily run into danger at great speed unless exercised in a safe area. It is not generally amenable to living outdoors. Greyhounds relish creature comforts and must have soft bedding and warmth. The coat is extremely easy to care for, needing only occasional brushing to remove dead hair.

Health
• Major concerns: none
• Minor concerns: esophageal achalasia, gastric torsion, osteosarcoma
• Occasionally seen: none
• Suggested tests: none
• Life span: 10 – 13 years
• Note: Racing injuries — especially toe, hock and muscle injuries — are
common in retired NGA dogs. Both NGA and AKC greyhounds are sensitive
to anesthesia and are prone to lacerations and tail-tip injuries.

Form and Function
The ultimate running dog, the greyhound is built for speed. Its long legs and arched back enable it to contract and stretch maximally while executing the double-suspension gallop. It has tremendous muscle mass and light legs, further enhancing speed. The feet are long and narrow, giving maximum leverage. The long tail serves as a rudder and brake when running at high speed. The coat is short and smooth. Two types of greyhounds are available: AKC (show) and NGA (racing). Retired NGA greyhounds are smaller, sturdier and faster than show dogs and may be more inclined to chase small animals.