Art depicting greyhound-resembling dogs have been found in the tombs of Ancient Egypt. Image credit: animalsaustralia.org
The Greyhound is an ancient dog breed which has been around for thousands of years, but its true origins aren't totally clear. Dogs appearing to resemble Greyhounds have been observed in Egyptian art from 4,000 BCE. These hounds of the pharaohs were bred to detect, chase, and capture wildlife in the dessert. However, others believe the Greyhound may have originated in ancient Greece, Africa, Turkey or the Middle East.
Wherever they came from originally, the Greyhound made its way to Europe in the middle ages and was widely considered a 'noble hound'. In England around the 11th Century, only nobles and royalty were permitted to own a Greyhound, and killing of one was totally forbidden. Greyhounds were considered a 'status symbol' and were used for hare and fox hunting. King Henry VII and Charles V of France both had Greyhounds on their coats of arms.
Eventually, thanks to their incredible speed, these hounds were used for racing. Today, they are still used for racing, but are also a popular family pet due to their placid, loveable nature. Due to cruelties observed in the racing industry, many Greyhound-specific animal charities such as Gumtree Greys are set up to rehome ex-racing Greyhounds deemed 'too slow' or 'past their peak'. Read our article 10 Reasons to Adopt A Greyhound for more info about why these guys make amazing pets.
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