Every greyhound alive today can trace its lineage back to one dog, King Cob, whelped in England in 1839. In 1912, Owen Patrick Smith developed and patented a mechanical lure in North America that would run around an oval track, and the sport of greyhound racing was born.
When did Greyhounds originate?
The modern greyhound is strikingly similar in appearance to an ancient breed of sighthounds that goes back to the Egyptians and Celts. Dogs very similar to greyhounds--domesticated hunters with long, slender bodies-- appear in temple drawings from 6,000 BC in the city of Catal-Huyuk in present-day Turkey.
What was the original purpose of a greyhound?
The original primary use of Greyhounds, both in the British Isles and on the Continent of Europe, was in the coursing of deer for meat and sport; later, specifically in Britain, they specialized in competition hare coursing.
Are Greyhounds an ancient breed?
Greyhound-type dogs are the oldest recorded in history. The breed originated some 8000 years ago in the ancient civilizations of the Middle East where hunting dogs with deep chests, delicate heads, and long legs were found depicted on the walls of early cave dwellings.
Why is it called a greyhound?
The name began as Grighund; 'hund' being the Old English antecedent to 'hound' – but the 'grig' is a mystery. It certainly bears no relation to the colour grey; only that it was a word related somehow to dogs in Old Norse.
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