In 124 A.D. the Greeks
wrote of hunting with greyhounds, yet the greyhound's roots reach
further into antiquity, to a time when the human unleashed the
dog not for sport, but to provide meat for sustenance. A dog that
could overtake fleeing game and bring it back to share was a valuable
animal; one of the first specialized breeds of dog was the greyhound.
Dogs
of undeniable greyhound form are depicted on the tombs of ancient
Pharaohs over 4,000 years ago. Dogs of the Pharaohs were more
like the saluki, a Middle-Eastern greyhound like breed. The saluki
was a dog of nomad, and as such would have traveled throughout
the desert lands.
There
is a feeling among some of the public that racing greyhound owners
and trainers are satanic beings that regularly abuse the dogs
in their care. This perception is fueled by the well-publicized
cases of greyhound kennels full of neglected dogs. The truth is
that the greyhound people are no different from the rest of mankind.
Both topnotch and unscrupulous pet owners as well as greyhound
owners exist. The expense involved in raising greyhounds makes
their neglect a very costly business.
All retired greyhounds
need a home, that's where people like Oxford Retired Greyhounds
come into play. As a retired greyhound owner I can safely say
that there's never a dull moment with a greyhound in the house,
but most of all these dogs have spent most of their lives running
around in circles, and now all they want to do is chill.
Greyhounds have been dubbed the 40mph
couch potato.
