Recently I was fortunate enough to meet a young man and his family who had decided to do his Senior Exit paper on Greyhounds. Lee Brant, the son of Diana and Jim Brant who are now Greyhound Foster parents, is a Senior at North West Cabarrus High School.
He is still working on his project but he sent me his finished paper to read. I asked him if I could share it with all of you. Enjoy !!
Lee Brant
Mrs. Blessington
English IV
2 November 2007
Greyhounds
Most people would like to have a car that can go 0 to 60 miles per hour in three seconds. Well, if he or she cannot afford that, then one could get a greyhound that can go 0 to over 40 miles per hour in three strides. Greyhounds are one of the oldest specialized breeds. Six thousand years of breeding has developed a dog that is the best dog for racing. Unfortunately, the potential for Greyhounds as pets is still not realized by the public and large numbers of dogs are being euthanised. Many strides are being made to stop the euthanasia of retired racing greyhounds through fostering and adoption organizations.
The greyhound breed has existed since ancient times. There is evidence that pictures of Greyhound-like dogs are shown on temple walls in Turkey dating back as far as 6000 B.C.E (Branigan Adopting the Racing Greyhound 3). The tombs of pharaohs in Egypt also depict renderings of greyhounds. Greyhounds held such an honored place in Egyptian households, that the death of a greyhound was only second in importance to the death of a son because of their god-like status. The greyhound as its known today evolved from the Saluki which was also known as the Persian Greyhound. These desert greyhounds could eventually be found in the countries of Babylon, Afghanistan, Russia, Turkistan, Greece, Rome, Gaul, and Britain (Coile 5).
The Greek and Roman greyhounds most resembled modern greyhounds. The Ancient Greeks used the sport of coursing as a popular pastime where two greyhounds were set loose in pursuit of a hare. The Romans highly prized the greyhound. Greyhounds were used for companionship and as hunting dogs. The popularity of the greyhound increased as the Roman Empire spread to Britain and Ireland (Branigan Adopting the Racing Greyhound 5).
The year 1014 marked the beginning of the Forest Laws. Serfs and slaves were not allowed ownership of greyhounds. Freemen who lived near the royal forests were not allowed to use greyhounds for hunting. In order to ensure this, the greyhounds owned by Freemen were lamed. The dogs were mutilated by either chopping three toes off of a front paw or by severing ligaments in the knee. This prevented a commoner from hunting game for food at the expense of royal sport (Coile 6).
It is believed that greyhounds first came to America when Christopher Columbus led expeditions to the New World. Elizabeth I was a coursing enthusiast and promoted the idea of greyhound coursing. Few people probably know that greyhounds were well known figures in the Revolutionary War at Valley Forge. In the late 1700s, Lord Orford cross bred greyhounds with bulldogs that were much like today’s Pit Bulls. Many greyhound enthusiasts were hesitant about Lord Orford’s cross breeding until it was realized that his dogs could not be beaten on the coursing field. It is said today that every present-day Greyhound can be traced back to his two dogs, Snowball and Major (Coile 6).
There are many physical and mental traits that make a greyhound unique. Greyhounds are known as sighthounds or gazehounds. Greyhounds’ keen eyesight helps them to detect movement to track their prey. A greyhound is capable of reaching speeds of up to forty miles per hour in three strides from a dead stop. The traits that make them so fast are their large and strong hearts, low body fat, lots of fast-twitch muscle fibers, long legs, and supple and slightly arched backs(Coile 7). They also have vast amounts of red blood cells. In most dogs, 7.2% of their body weight is blood, but in a greyhound 11.4% of their body weight is blood (Livingood 13). The physical characteristics that describe greyhounds are long, narrow heads, small, folded ears, well-arched loins, long, fine, tapering tails, deep chests, and hare feet (Coile 19). Their feet are webbed and compact with well-knuckled toes. The coat of a greyhound could be one or more of the following colors; black, grey, red, fawn, and white. The pattern of the coat can be solid, brindled, or spotted. The fur on a greyhound is short and thin with no undercoat. This makes the greyhound’s coat easy to maintain. The coat produces no oil, which means the dog will have no odor as long as it is brushed regularly and the hound is healthy. Greyhounds can be susceptible to bone and skin injuries. The leg bones in a greyhound are long and thin which can make them prone to breaks. Their skin is very thin and fragile and can tear easily. Almost all greyhounds will end up with stitches at some point in their lives. The long thin tail of a greyhound can also break easily. Tail breaks often happen from getting them caught in doors or from wagging their tails into a wall. The average height of males is 29” at the shoulder and 27.5” for females. The average weight of greyhounds ranges from fifty-seven pounds to seventy-nine pounds depending on gender. The life expectancy of a greyhound is between twelve and fourteen years (Branigan Living with a Greyhound 12).
Greyhounds were bred both psychologically and physiologically for running (Branigan The Reign of the Greyhound 173). Most dogs tend to blindly trust people. Greyhounds are unique in that they choose who they want to trust. They are almost catlike since they choose who to bestow affection on. Greyhounds tend to display nervousness in new situations. Symptoms they may display when they are nervous are panting, whining, pacing, drippy noses, and sweaty paws. They may also start getting flaky skin and diarrhea. These symptoms may be soothed by a calm quiet voice and a gentle touch. When greyhounds become scared or uncertain of what to do, they may turn into a statue. Their legs will become stiff and refuse to budge or they may refuse to look at you. The best tactic for soothing a scared greyhound is to be patient, calm, and wait him out. “The more insistent you get, the more insistent they get that they are not going anywhere. And they’ll win (Presto).”
There are very few accidental Greyhound births. This is due to how closely the breeding is monitored. Greyhounds are bred specifically to be successful at the track. Only greyhounds with a good pedigree or racing record are bred. Extensive research goes into planning the litter. The mother of the litter will probably be a retired racer. The pedigrees are checked to make sure the racing characteristics are passed on from the mother’s grandparents and great-grandparents. The mother’s racing results will also be taken into account. Top-ranking males are advertised as studs. Some males can be sought after just for their bloodline. The breeder will carefully research bloodlines to make sure there is no closely related ancestry (Livingood 173). “The breeder will be looking at the bloodlines for the most significant characteristics, such as chasing instinct, sprinting ability, and stamina, as well as the incidence of any inherited conditions, before making a decision.” (Branigan p. 15) There are so many retired racing Greyhounds waiting to be adopted that it would be foolish to justify breeding any more. For this reason, ex-racers are neutered or spayed before being allowed to be adopted or fostered. The NGA will not register any puppies from adopted Greyhounds. The owner of the puppies would have to be responsible for the dogs for life (Livingood 179).
In 1926, O. P. Smith founded the International Greyhound Racing Association, INGRA. He hoped to promote the sport and keep the sport honest and free from organized crime. In order to ensure that each dog could be accurately identified, the Bertillon Card and ear tattoos came into practice. All registered racing Greyhounds have a Bertillon Card which is an identification card. Each dog’s Bertillon Card lists fifty-six identifying points on that particular Greyhound. Some of the identifying markers on the card are the color of each toenail, the color of the coat on all sides, any scars, and tattoo numbers. Every Greyhound has different tattoo numbers. The left ear tattoo is the litter registration number that is assigned by the National Greyhound Association. The right ear tattoo identifies the specific puppy in that litter. In his right ear is the month and the year of his birth and also the order in his litter in which he was tattooed. For instance, if the greyhound’s ear tattoo is 24E in his right ear, this means he was born in February of 2004 and he was the fifth puppy to be tattooed in his litter. When a greyhound changes owners, the NGA should be contacted so the dog can be registered in the new owner’s name(Branigen The Reign of the Greyhound 188).
Life for a greyhound starts in a nursery room or whelping pen. Greyhounds are born to a litter of about six to eight puppies. Greyhounds usually make good mothers and will take good care of their litters. The mothers are usually fed extra food to ensure good nutrition for the puppies. At about three weeks, the puppies will be able to see and their hearing begins to develop. The puppies will be completely weaned by six weeks. At this time, the puppies will be fed from a communal bowl to encourage competition. The puppies will stay with their mothers until they are eight weeks old. The entire litter will then be moved to a larger run with indoor and outdoor access. This allows free play for the puppies and helps them develop balance and build muscle. Early lure training starts at this time as a game. Trainers often drag toys or milk jugs in front of the pups to get them to chase. By four months of age, the greyhound pups will be leash trained and will have had lots of human contact and handling. Often the dogs are moved to a rearing facility about this time. Their ears are tattooed and they are given more space for unlimited running. At ten to twelve months of age, the puppies are once again moved, this time to a training facility. This is where their formal education takes place. Instead of living in a large area with their littermates, they are moved to individual kennels. They also begin the same structured routine they will have at the track. Each day begins early with turnout. During turnout, the dogs are divided into two areas, one for females and one for males. Turnout lasts for about 15 minutes. The dogs are expected to use the restroom, drink, and run. All of the dogs are muzzled during turnout to prevent any confrontations between dogs. Turnout will also occur midday and late in the evening. While the dogs are out, their kennels will be cleaned and filled with shredded newspaper for their bedding.
Greyhounds have their maiden race or first race around the age of eighteen months. The dogs must not only have speed but they must possess endurance and agility also. The greyhounds must be able to concentrate on the lure and keep their eyes on the other dogs so that they do not accidentally bump them. Pileups on the track can cause serious injury. Racers will be disqualified if they bump or start a fight with other dogs. Young greyhounds have six races to come in first, second, third, or fourth place. The dogs that do not place are put up for adoption or euthanized. A young greyhound’s very life may depend on whether he wins or places in a race.
The greyhounds race on an oval track. A lure is suspended by a mechanical arm in front of the dogs. This lure simulates a hare. The lure is simply raised at the end of the race. The trainers use a squawker to retrieve their dogs at the end of the race. The squawker sounds like the cry of a rabbit.
Greyhound racing reached its peak in 1991 when it was the sixth most popular spectator sport. The revenue from the sport was $3.4 billion. As of 2000, there were forty-seven tracks in sixteen states still operating in the United States. Many people are involved with the career of each dog. The person that spends the most time with the dog is the trainer. The trainer is hired by the kennel owner. The trainer’s responsibility is the daily care of the dog and the responsibility for choosing which races the dog will compete in. The owner of the dog may not be involved in the daily life of the dog but he is responsible monetarily for the dog’s food, care, and medical bills. The winnings the dog may earn from racing are divided with 60% going to the kennel owner, 35% going to the dog owner, and 5% of the winnings going to the trainer.
Greyhounds are built for speed. They are different from most other dogs in the way that they run. Greyhounds run in a double-suspension gallop. This means that the greyhound is completely suspended in air during their gallop. The first phase is when all four feet are contracted under the body. The second phase is when all four legs are fully extended in front and behind the body. This style doesn’t promote long distance running. The double-suspension gallop enables the greyhound to run in leaps which adds speed but not stamina. Greyhounds have what is called stereoptic vision or binocular vision. The term stereoptic vision means that they see in 3D or can perceive depth of field. The dogs are able to see very far away. Binocular vision is how they see the best. It means that it’s like tunnel vision. When they spot something, that is all they see. The dogs are so focused in on that one object that they cannot see what is going on around them.
There has been an increase in public awareness concerning the plight of retired racing greyhounds. There are now over two hundred retired racing greyhound adoption groups in the United States. As many as 50,000 Greyhounds were being bred each year. Through the efforts of Greyhound adoption groups 3500 greyhounds were adopted to homes in 1990. Unfortunately, the remaining dogs were often euthanized. By 1997, that number had increased to about 18,000 adoptions each year. Today, Greyhound tracks in the United States spend more than $1.7 million supporting the adoption of their retired racers. As many as 25,000 retired racers are currently being adopted but that number is still lower than the number of dogs being bred. A lot of consideration needs to taken before adopting a retired racing greyhound. The first step to take when adopting is to research the greyhound adoption groups in the area. These groups will have many requirements. These groups will recommend books to read on Greyhounds to make sure the adopting family is familiar with the breed, its history, and the concerns when adapting a dog to a home. References will be checked. The adoption group may ask for references from neighbors, family members, and vets. A home visit will take place to ensure the house is safe for a greyhound. The home visit will be completed by the local foster or adoption coordinator. Potential adopters must agree to always have the dog on a lead and they must also understand that retractable leashes and electric fences are absolutely not allowed when dealing with Greyhounds. The adoption organization will be a vital resource in educating the adopting family on how to best acclimate a greyhound to a home. The family will be responsible for teaching the greyhound how to walk on hard surface floors and how to go up and down stairs. Windows, glass, and mirrors are new and potentially dangerous experiences for the greyhound. Greyhounds must be taught to understand that just because they can see something through the glass or in the mirror, it does not mean that they can catch it. The adopting family must also realize that retired racers have lived by a very structured schedule. The family will need to agree to work with the greyhound’s schedule to help acclimate the dog to the family routine. Choosing a suitable greyhound that fits the adopting family begins with dog recommendations from the kennel workers. Potential adopters are often shown several dogs that are thought to suit the family. The adopting family will be asked to bring any other pets to the kennel to make sure all of the animals are compatible. Families may be asked to make several visits to the kennel before actually taking the dog home. Between the visits, the kennel will have the greyhound spayed or neutered and micro-chipped. At this point, the greyhound makes the transition from retired racer to family pet.
Progress is being made at increasing the number of retired racing greyhound adoptions through fostering and adoption organizations. The future of adoptions for retired racers is looking promising through the relationships being built between greyhound tracks and adoption and fostering organizations. As public awareness continues to increase, it will hopefully become a well-known fact that retired racing greyhounds can adapt well to homes and can make wonderful pets.

Debbie,

Wow! I am impressed, what a fabulous "A" paper! We had the pleasure of meeting the Brant family at the University PetSmart a couple months ago...let's see if they fail fostering...LOL

If the Brant's are ever near Birmingham, AL and are interested in the racing dog's daily routine, visiting a racing kennel, meeting the trainer and learning more on the side of the racing hounds life, Fishdog Kennel has an open door to all visitors.

Cathy

WOW !!!!! This is clearly an A+ paper !!! Thanks for sharing.

Gary

WOW- I even learned some new things from reading this paper- please let us know how he does on it. Thanks for sharing.

Very impressive! How's that fostering going? Any chance he'll become a permanent member of the family?

Great paper.

Hi Cynthia, Jane ws adopted and went to her new home today

Excellent! I also learned a lot of things I didn't know!

Greyt paper! I met the family at one of the M&G's and was very impressed with his knowledge. (And how he kept slipping and saying my dog instead of foster.)

I think we all learned something we didn't know before by reading this paper. I'd give him an A+.