09/02/2023
Did you know there are at least ten verifiable facts about greyhounds that you can easily share with the general public in order to educate them about the breed?
10 Things Everyone Should Know About Racing Bred Greyhounds:
1. Greyhounds are a type of sighthound that naturally chases its "prey" with its keen eyesight that spots oftentimes quite small targets from nearly a quarter to half a mile away.
Once an object of desire is spotted, the Greyhound uses its intelligence and unique physical structure to independently chase down the target at high speeds. This type of physical and mental ability is unique within the sighthound sector of canines, with the greyhound being the swiftest of them all.
2. Their anatomical and psychological traits are what makes the breed what it is and what defines the word "greyhound." It is an intelligent, prey hunting, athletic canine that reaches its prey swiftly from long distances away, and uses both it's body and mind to catch the object of its desire. This chase is accomplished independently of any human or other outside influence.
3. In modern times, greyhounds still possess these same anatomical and psychological traits as have been seen for centuries. The athletic Greyhound is preserved today due to the meticulous research of reputable breeders, whose goal is to keep the greyhound true to its original form by honing its function to the purest level that can be achieved.
4. Greyhounds are bred, born, and raised with their littermates, remaining together for at least the first year of their lives, and often remain in close proximity with their mothers during that time.
5. They spend that time learning pack manners and playing with one another. They are quite often seen playing with their breeders and their breeder's children. In the United States, many in the greyhound adoption community are also seen on the farms playing and socializing with these young, highly energetic pups at their various stages from birth to track-ready. They often then follow these pups during their racing careers as well.
6. It's actually not until these growing pups are matured enough physically that they begin sprinting with other age-similar greyhounds. This can include their siblings and other age appropriate greyhounds on the farm. These "sprint paths" are long, sandy surfaces well suited for the safety of their rapidly maturing bodies and to satisfy their growing need to run and chase.
7. At some point when their natural prey drive does fully emerge, they are then allowed to begin training on a manicured track with an artifical lure that mimics their natural prey.
8. After several months, those exhibiting the desire and ability to continue chasing the fake bunny will go on to professional greyhound tracks where oversight is closely monitored by state regulators and licensed veterinarians.
9. At any point along their journey, if a greyhound chooses not to competitively participate in the chase with other greyhounds, it goes into the greyhound adoption community for placement. In the United States and Canada, there is such a high demand for these greyhounds as pets that there are not enough greyhounds retiring to meet that demand. Some adoption organizations have been working with other countries to bring their own retired racers in to help fill those demands and shortages of American bred Greyhounds.
10. At the point of this retirement, it is likely to be the first time ever that the greyhound has been away from other greyhounds and will have to be allowed to adjust to this strange new world with new people, new expectations, and new routines. It may be best described as imagining yourself waking up one morning in a foreign country where you don't know the language, culture, routines, or expectations, but you have no one or no thing to rely on from your past life to aid you in transitioning or surviving in such a new, strange environment. It is up to the adopter, with assistance from the reputable and helpful adoption community to become fully educated on the breed, what drives the greyhound, it's mental and physical needs, and to put the happiness and satisfaction of the new pet at the forefront of consideration. That can oftentimes smack against the human concept of what one "thinks" the greyhound needs vs the reality of what will actually satisfy the mental and physical well-being of the greyhound itself.
Summary: This article is not all inclusive, but provides an accurate account of one of the most misunderstood and controversial-due-to-ignorance canine breeds on this planet. The purpose of this article is to focus on the racing bred greyhound because they are the largest sector of greyhounds in existence. The lack of education can cause the breed to suffer from genetic decimation. This is particularly a threat when fed by the deceitful propaganda of extreme animal rights "big box" organizations which use and exploit the breed to make a profit off of the dogs in order to pay their salaries and routinely support their worldly lifestyles. Throughout the lives of racing bred greyhounds, their needs are meticulously met from the beginning by allowing them to be puppies, to remain within greyhound packs of their peers, allowed to spot a lure (fake "prey") and give chase to the extent of their desire and abilities. This takes the place of, and mimics the act of allowing them to hunt and kill in the wild - which is, by textbook definition, what a greyhound is and what a greyhound does. To deny the breed of what it is at its very core is to deny the breed of being itself, condone it's decimation, and to dishonor its incredible existence and place in this and the canine world.
