Allow me to share a few facts about these fantastic dogs with you. The first greyhound type dogs were seen on Temple drawings dating to 6000BC in what is now Turkey. As people traveled to different parts of the world, they took their dogs with them. Around 4000BC, a funerary vase was created, in what is now Iran, that was decorated with the image of greyhounds. These dogs were obviously held in high regard for their image to have been added to such a personal item.
Greyhounds are said to be the fastest dogs on earth. They can run up to 45 miles per hour over a short distance. They are in a class of dogs called sighthounds [or gazehounds]. This means they pursue their game by sight. Supposedly, they can see up to 1/2 mile. Interstingly enough, the prefix "grey" is thought to have nothing to do with the color of the dog, but instead comes from the word "gaze".
When we choose to share our life with a greyhound, we are taking part in an act nearly as old as civilization itself--these dogs slept alongside the pharaohs, hunted with the noblemen of the Middle Ages, and have been the inspiration for artists and poets for thousands of years. There is no question that they are worthy of us, but are we worthy of them?
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