Dog breed profile
Greyhound
A detailed profile covering characteristics, everyday care and linked health conditions.
Quick facts
Typical guide only; individual needs vary.
Profile description
The Greyhound is a tall, streamlined sighthound developed for pursuing game by sight and later used in racing and coursing. Most adults stand around 68 to 76 centimetres tall and weigh approximately 25 to 40 kilograms. The breed has a narrow head, deep chest, long legs, powerful hindquarters and a short, fine coat in almost any colour.
Greyhounds are capable of exceptional speed over short distances, but most mature dogs are calm and relaxed indoors when their exercise needs are met. They are generally gentle, quiet, sensitive and affectionate. Many retired racing Greyhounds adapt well to household life, although some need time to become comfortable with stairs, glass doors, slippery floors, small animals and unfamiliar environments.
Their strong chase instinct can be triggered suddenly by cats, wildlife or moving objects. The breed has thin skin, little body fat and limited protection from cold weather. The Greyhound's typical affectionate, calm, gentle qualities are most constructive when household rules are predictable and desirable behaviour receives regular reinforcement. Because movement can trigger the Greyhound's chase response, calm exposure and physical management around wildlife and smaller pets remain important even after good training. A Greyhound that is corrected harshly may become defensive, avoidant or less willing to engage; calm teaching better preserves confidence and cooperation.
Choosing a Greyhound should involve considering the whole adult dog rather than appearance alone. Responsible selection of a Greyhound should consider stable temperament, functional structure and documented health history alongside colour, coat and outward breed type. A prospective Greyhound owner should plan for a moderate activity commitment and short-coat maintenance, while allowing for the breed's affectionate and calm manner.
First-time dog owner tips
Practical preparation for welcoming this breed into your home.
Care requirements
For the Greyhound, care involves daily walks and regular opportunities for short bursts of running in a securely fenced area. Off-leash exercise should not occur near roads or in open spaces because the dog may chase moving animals and cover a great distance very quickly. Increase duration and impact gradually in a young or previously unfit Greyhound; fatigue, altered gait or reluctance should prompt rest and assessment instead of forced completion. Training a sensitive Greyhound should preserve trust: lower the difficulty when the dog disengages and reward small correct responses instead of escalating pressure. For the Greyhound, fencing and lead equipment are part of welfare: gates should close reliably, boundary gaps should be checked and identification details kept current.
Training should use positive reinforcement, gentle handling and calm repetition. Recall should be practised, but owners should not rely on it as the only safety measure. Use each grooming session to examine the Greyhound's skin, feet, ears and body outline, making the process cooperative enough that subtle changes are noticed early. Introduce brushing, foot handling, mouth examination and quiet restraint to the Greyhound in brief rewarded steps before any of those procedures becomes urgent.
The short coat needs weekly brushing and occasional bathing. Greyhounds often require coats in cold or wet weather and should have soft bedding to protect pressure points. Their thin skin can be easily cut, so play with rough or heavily built dogs should be supervised. Teeth should be brushed frequently because dental disease is common, and nails should be kept short.
Food should maintain a lean but healthy body condition. Regular veterinary care should monitor teeth, heart health, eyes, joints and any signs of pain or lameness. Owners should inform veterinarians that Greyhounds can have breed-specific differences in blood values, body temperature regulation and responses to some anaesthetic drugs.
Conditions linked to this breed
Cutaneous Asthenia [Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome]
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Dysphagia [Swallowing Problems]
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Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI)
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Focal Multifocal Acquired Retinopathy
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Haemophilia A (Factor VIII Deficiency)
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Inherited Deafness
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Osteochondrosis
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Pannus (Chronic Superficial Keratitis)
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Progressive Retinal Atrophy Generalised
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General dog health conditions
These conditions can affect dogs generally and are not presented as conditions specifically associated with this breed.
Cataract [Cloudiness of the Lens of the Eye]
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Diabetes Mellitus
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Hypothyroidism
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Otitis Externa (Ear Infections)
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Pancreatitis
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