A Little Anatomy and Physiology of the Greyhound

Greyhound Racing (Photo credit: Mamboman1)How Do Greyhounds Run So Fast?

How Do Greyhounds Run So Fast?

Well here is a little anatomy and physiology of the greyhound to explain some of the characteristics they have that makes them such fast runners.

A greyhound is only about 16 percent body fat.  This is half  that of other breeds.  They have long, thin legs and long spines that enable them to stretch out when running so as to lengthen their stride. Their muscles are so developed in the hindquarters that they are able to thrust forward with powerful strength. Greyhounds are sprinters. They run for a short amount of time, but they do so at immense speeds.

Greyhounds have a double suspension gait, which means that all of their feet come of the ground in one cycle of steps.  Other dog’s feet come off the ground only once in a cycle of steps.  This adds to their speed. Their legginess ratio is also a factor. This is the ratio between depth of their chest and the length of their legs.

Greyhounds have other anatomical and physiological differences, that set them apart from other dogs. Their blood pressure is higher than other breeds and their hearts are bigger, with a thicker left wall which helps with the capacity of blood that needs to be pumped during a race. A greyhound usually pumps his own body weight in blood during a race and their cardiac output increased five times.

Other breeds have around 7.2 percent of their body weight in blood.  In greyhounds that number is around 11.4 percent.  this additional bloods gives them the extra oxygen they need to perform during a race, since blood carries oxygen around the body.

They also have very short hair which makes them more aerodynamic. If you have never seen a greyhound run, you are missing out, they are truly breath taking. They really are born to run.

History of Greyhounds

It is thought that the Greyhound breed originated in Greece. It is also thought that the name Greyhound was derived from the saxon word grech or greg which means “Greek”. Or it could have come from the word “Grazehound”, which is a word used to describe a dog that hunts by sight, (a sight hound). Grey is not a common color of the the greyhound breed. So it is unlikely that the name originated from their color. Back in Egyptian times greyhounds were treated almost god-like. As times passed they became hunters and sporting dogs. Coursing was a sport conducted by Royalty in Rome around the first century AD. Today’s greyhound can be attributed to England back in the late eighteenth century. The Earl of Orford opened the first public coursing club and was determined to produce the “perfect greyhound”. Greyhounds have been around in the United States since before the days of Christoper Columbus and were utilized in the Midwest and West to chase jackrabbits and hunt. Greyhounds are unbelievably fast runners They can reach speeds that exceed 50 mph and can go from 0-45 mph in about three steps. So it is no surprise that we like to watch them run. There are 47 greyhound race tracks in 16 states. Whether you are for or against greyhound racing, one thing is for sure, they LOVE to run. Make no mistake, once you own a greyhound you will realize that they want to run and they do it for the pure love of it, without any coaxing from you. All greyhound racers are registered with the Nation Greyhound Association (NGA). The NGA keep records of blood lines and ownership of each greyhound. Greyhounds are also showed and they still participate in coursing for lures. Coursing for lures is when two dogs usually race after a lure, ( usually a plastic bag).

English: Greyhound racing Français : Lévrier durant une course (Photo credit: Wikipedia)