History of the Greyhounds!

Greyhounds are mentioned throughout history – possibly dating back 4,000 years ago. An early recorded cases of man’s affection for his canine friends are found in the tombs of the Egyptian Pharoahs. Among the images of the Gods, are pictures of the Pharoahs in chariots which are closely followed by dogs similar to today’s Greyhounds and Salukis.

Greyhounds are linked closely with Egypt’s royalty such as Tutankhamen, Amenhotep II, Thutmose III, Queen Hatshepsut, and Cleopatra VII who were known to have owned Greyhounds.

History is littered with Greyhound lore. For example, the Greyhound is the only breed of dog to be mentioned by name in the Bible (Proverbs 30:29-31):

There be three things which go well, yea,
Which are comely in going;
A lion, which is strongest among beasts and
Turneth not away from any;
A greyhound;
A he-goat also.

In ancient Arabian culture, the birth of a litter of Greyhounds, (or more probably their eastern cousin, the Saluki) was considered only slightly less important than the birth of the owner's own son. Also, the Greyhound was the only dog allowed in the tents and was even allowed to ride on top of their camels!

Other famous names from history known to have had a liking for the Greyhound include Odysseus, who after being away from home for twenty years was recognized only by his faithful hound, Argus. Diana, the huntress of Roman lore, was also believed to be appreciative of the greyhound (sighthound).

It was probably the Romans who introduced the sport of coursing to Britain, though the sport was already popular among the Celts living in Europe at the time of the Roman invasion.

The Greyhound's royal connections continued through the middle ages, when they were popular with such historical figures as King Canute of England.

At the time of the Norman invasion the Greyhound was a favorite among the aristocracy. Commoners were banned from owning greyhounds. The commoners started breeding greyhounds with more color variation (like brindles) as it made the dogs more difficult to spot while hunting on the lands from which they had been banned.

The greyhound's reputation was untarnished among the ruling classes. Lords and gentlemen had their tombs designed with the effigy of a faithful greyhound, waiting forever at the feet of its beloved master.

The true origin of how we come to know this lithesome animal as the "Greyhound" not known. The breed's modern name has been traced back to the middle English "Greihound" which is believed to have originated in the Icelandic "Greyhundr" by way of the old English name "Grighund." As the people of Iceland are descendants of the Norse people, it is a fair assumption that the Vikings, who occupied northern England at the time of the Norman Conquest, were aware of the greyhound's great hunting ability. For hundreds of years after the Norman invasion, the Greyhounds remained very popular among the nobility.

It is thought that the idea of track racing evolved from the desire to hold coursing events within smaller enclosures. Smaller that is than the original three miles of course which was used until then. The idea of coursing within enclosures had the obvious benefit that spectators could easily view the proceedings. Fences, complete with holes through which the rabbit could run, were set up within the enclosure and the hounds were released in pairs. The Greyhounds were awarded points for the way in which they pursued the quarry and not necessarily for being the dog that caught the rabbit.

In the 19th century, the sport of coursing became one of the most popular of field sports. The Industrial Revolution made many folk of previous working class background as wealthy as their royal counterparts, which in turn allowed them to indulge in the sport once considered the pastime of the rich and ruling classes. Coursing events became popular all over the country – and The Waterloo Cup which was first held in 1837 – is still very popular.

Around this time, Greyhounds were exported to the United States in large numbers. They were seen as an ideal solution to the problems created by rabbits, which were destroying the crops on the Midwestern farms. They soon became a popular sight on the farms, where their speed and agility was very much appreciated.

Near the end of the 19th century, the first clubs were set up, including the creation of The Greyhound Stud Book in Britain and, later, similar publications in the United States, Ireland and Australia.