Breed History
Though the English are credited with developing the Greyhound into the breed we recognize today, Greyhound-like dogs have been known to man from very early on in our history....
We see the Greyhound taking down deer and other game in Egyptian tomb carvings from 2900 BC; likewise, the historical record of the Greeks, Romans and other ancient cultures are peppered with written accounts of the Greyhound. In fact, the name Greyhound has nothing to do with the dogs color, which is immaterial according to the AKC, but likely comes either from the Greek Graius or Latin gradus, meaning Greek and of high grade, respectively. High grade is an apt descriptor for the Greyhound, as the dog has been bred almost exclusively by the noble and aristocratic classes for most of its history. Ancient Greyhounds were used by the common man to hunt game, but as time passed and agriculture became more important, the breeds hunting skills were largely forgotten in favor of its coursing and racing abilities. From the 11th to the 15th century in Britain, commoners were forbidden to keep Greyhounds near royal forests, and even after the ban was lifted the dog remained a pet of the nobility. The Spanish are credited with bringing the first Greyhounds to the New World during the 16th century, and used the dogs to frighten off Native American tribes. George Washington also famously kept a large Greyhound named Azor during the American Revolution. During this time, the Greyhound continued to be raced and entered in coursing competitions. The Greyhound was first entered in dog shows during the 1870s and recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1885. Around this time, the breed became split into show and racing lines, with the show line being a bit more tractable and the racing line obviously faster. Today the Greyhound is an unpopular pet in the United States, though it has a devoted following as a dog racer.