The Greyhound
The Greyhound is classified as a sight hound, which means that his strongest sense is his sense of sight, these wonderful dogs ancestry dates back many centuries BC. In 1906, America began racing the Greyhound breed with an artificial lure (usually a rabbit) this was designed to attract on lookers to bet on the first dog past the post or finish line. This new trend soon caught on around the world and a new industry was born. Greyhounds bred to race are usually retired no later than four years of age, some earlier and then find themselves homeless, some trainers will keep their loyal companions but many will take them to a shelter, or leave them out in the cold. This is when a voluntary greyhound rescue organization will step in, which gives the greyhound a second chance at life.
A retired greyhound has a lot to give a new owner - they make excellent companions to both adults and children and contrary to rumors you may have heard they don't require hours and hours of exercise. They do appreciate a brisk walk everyday and they enjoy a good run much as any other dog does. Greyhounds have a strong chase instinct, some will have been cat tested and would happily live along side a cat or other small furry animal. The life span of a greyhound can be 12 - 15 years of age. This means that once their short racing careers are over these loving and intelligent dogs have many more years ahead of them.
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