THE AMAZING GREYHOUND
I got interested in this article, specifically about, Baloo, pictured here with his Lamb Chop toy, featured in Drool Magazine, and written by Patrick Leone. Baloo used to be a professional athlete until he was retired from greyhound racing, so he has a tattoo number and letter in one ear and a registration number given out by the National Greyhound Association by which legalities and standards can be upheld in his other ear. Greyhounds belong to one of the oldest recorded breeds-depicted in ancient Egyptian art and mentioned in the Bible-and always bred with the same result in mind-SPEED. Baloo can go from “zero to 45mph in less than 30 feet and maintain that speed for a quarter-mile or more.” Greyhounds were initially trained to hunt small fast prey in the dessert. Also, when racing they were after a “rabbit,” so it is necessary to be on alert when walking Baloo that he does not think someone’s little dog is prey.
When I was in my teens, I remember visiting family in Florida, and greyhound racing was a big sport, like betting on horse racing. Now there are limited states where it is still legal- Arizona, Florida, Iowa, West Virginia, and Texas. With the onset of Covid-19, and the general waning of interest, many tracks have closed, and therefore, there are many more greyhounds available for adoption. Generally, greyhounds don’t start racing until they are around eighteen months of age and have shown good racing form and speed. During their racing career they live entirely on the track premises and race about three times a week. There are many physical traits that greyhounds possess that enable them to have such great speed. Greyhounds weigh about the same as the average Labrador, 60-70 pounds, but they stand about five inches higher, which makes their graceful conformation akin to a ballet dancer. Greyhounds have long skinny legs and an aerodynamic head, a deep narrow chest enabling necessary breathing ability, elongated feet for acceleration, a long spine for balance and flexibility, and a long thin tail which “acts as a rudder, efficiently adjusting speed.” They also possess specialized “fast-twitch” muscles making for powerful short bursts of energy. Greyhounds have the largest heart of any other breed of dog, “and in a 30 second sprint, a greyhound’s heart will pump their total blood volume throughout the body up to five times.” Greyhounds have more red blood cells, which means more oxygen, than any other breed, and therefore they are used most frequently as canine blood doners. Greyhounds have a double suspension gallop giving them the fastest gait of any land mammal. “In a single stride, each paw touches down at a different time and all four paws leave the ground twice.” The only other mammals that are similarly adept are the cheetah, but they tire within fifteen seconds, and the three-pronged antelope which can maintain a gallop for miles before resting.
I had a customer-friend who was a die-hard greyhound rescuer. She usually had three or four at a time. But being a greyhound adoptee takes a special kind of dog lover. Because they lived with a pack of their own, and in special circumstances, they need to learn what it is like to be a house dog, and even to recognize they are part of a whole world of canines, alike as well as different from them. They need to learn how to enjoy the different comforts of home-life (they did get pampered on the track with whirlpool baths and massages.) It takes a lot of patience, but the rewards are great.
Ebby, my foster/rescue, has endeared herself to me and to Bob, although Bob is not comfortable playing with her as I am, and she still growls if I hug her neck too tightly. I finally designed a way to blanket her, but she still gets aggressive. Maybe with more time, she will acquiesce. I took her off the prosaic because it made her retreat more and eat less. I am only doing CBD oil for now.
We have great, all-weather coats, for snow, cold rain and wind, and to keep those muscles and joints warm. And, of course, our popular Gold Paw fleece cover-ups for all day wear.
