The history of the Greyhound covers a span of some 4000 years. The Greyhound is one of the most ancient of breeds as it is seen in artistry, pottery, literature, and found in the hieroglyphs of the ancient pyramids(even the mummified remains of this noble breed have been found with that of their owners). One source states that dogs that were very similar to today's Greyhound, that is, a hunting dog with a long, slender body, appear in temple drawings in the city of Catal-Huyuk in Turkey that date back from 6000 B.C. The Greyhound is also the only breed of dog specifically mentioned by name in the Bible(Proverbs 30:29-31).  There are old written breeding records found of the "English Greyhound" that date prior to 1770. However, the oldest written records date back to around 2500 B.C. that were kept by the Egyptians.
     The Greyhound is considered a sight hound, that is a hunting dog that relies on its sight to find and pursue game over open country.  This pursuit in open country is referred to as coursing.
     The physical attributes and the speed of the Greyhound has been admired by cultures down through the ages, from the Egyptians and the Greeks,  to Persia and the civilizations of the Middle East and beyond.  These dogs were used for racing and for the pursuit of small to medium-sized game, such as fox, hare, coyote, etc.
     The Greyhound in England was so valued that the Forest Laws were enacted in 1014 by King Canute, stating that this hunting dog could by owned only by the nobility.  Even Greyhound racing could  be enjoyed only by those of high birth, the commoner couldn't possibly appreciate this noble beast.
     The Greyhound was introduced in the 1800's to the United States for the purpose of controlling the jackrabbit population.  This prey certainly showed off the Greyhound's ability as a hunter-courser.  One thing led to another, and farmers started to compete their dogs against each other, and racing came into popularity.  It was in 1912 that a mechanical lure was invented to allow for racing on an oval track.  The rest is racing history.
     When track racing was introduced early in the 20th century, a division occurred between those people who would show their dogs in the ring, and those who bred their dogs for racing and coursing.  Studbooks were kept separated between the racers and the show dogs.  This is because the temperament and strengths that were important to the racer, were not the same for the dog in conformation.  Same dog, slightly different standards.
     Today, in the United States, racing Greyhounds are not permitted to show in conformation under A.K.C. rules, however, they can participate in obedience, tracking, agility and lure-coursing.  This is known as an I.L.P., or Indefinite Listing Privilege, in the A.K.C.
     There are several dog registry associations that specialize in registering dogs for either racing or conformation.  These are:
          The Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) classifies the Greyhound as a Coursing Hound in Group 10.
          The American Kennel Club has recognized the Greyhound since 1885, and it is classed in the Hound Group.
     These first two dog registries have to do mainly with Greyhounds that are shown in conformation.  There are other dog registries that may be of interest to Greyhound owners.
          National Greyhound Association (NGA) which is in the United States, that has to do with Greyhounds that are used in professional racing - by this we mean with pari-mutual betting.
          National Oval Track Racing Association (NOTRA) has to do with amateur racing, where there is no betting, and the Greyhounds race on an oval track.
          Large Gazehound Racing Association (LGRA) this is also an amateur racing group, where there is no betting, and the Greyhounds race on a straight track.
          American Sighthound Field Association (ASFA)
          National Open Field Coursing Association (NOFCA)
          North American Coursing Association (NACA)

Return to Greyhound Directory
Return to Bark Bytes Home