Meet Ruby!
Ruby is an adorable Greyhound puppy currently available for adoption from Nittany Greyhounds! If you want to know more information about Greyhounds, keep reading!
History
Greyhounds are one of the oldest dog breeds, so old in fact that they’re mentioned in the Bible! 
Greyhounds were quite popular in Ancient Egypt because of their speed and hunting abilities. The Egyptians were so fond of their Greyhounds that the order of birth importance went- son, Greyhound, daughter. When a Greyhound died, the entire family would mourn its death. For upper class Egyptians, it was quite common to see their pet Greyhounds mummified and buried alongside their owners. There are also many depictions of Greyhounds in ancient Egyptian art.
Later in history, the Greyhounds were also frequently shown in Greek art. Gods and goddesses, such as Hecate, the goddess of wealth, and Pollux, the protector of the hunt, were always depicted with their Greyhound companions. In the Odyssey, Homer describes a Sighthound, which is essentially identical to the modern Greyhound. The Romans also featured Greyhounds in a similar way, accompanying gods and goddesses, and being prevalent in artwork.
Care
| Height | 27-30 inches |
| Weight | 50-75 pounds |
| Life Expectancy | 12-15 years |
Greyhounds have very short and sleek coats, so they only require minimal grooming. Even though they are not hypoallergenic, they can sometimes be a good match for people with allergies. Many Greyhounds also do not bark at all, so as a result they often make excellent dogs for people who live in townhouses or apartments. They are known for being very friendly, so they live well in homes with other animals and children. I can personally attest that Ruby is one of the sweetest dogs I’ve ever met! She was very quiet, even when surrounded by many people and other dogs. Also, she was quite happy to just sit there with her head against my legs. I never would have expected Greyhounds to make such great cuddle companions!
Greyhounds are affectionately known as the “40mph Couch Potato.” They only need a short amount of time to exercise each day where they can get their bursts of speed out, and then they are perfectly content to sleep the rest of the day! Greyhounds are the fastest dogs, clocking in at 45mph, so when they do run, they can be quite hard to keep up with on a leash. But make sure you have a fenced in yard because you won’t be able to catch them!
Famous Greyhounds
As previously noted, Greyhounds are quite fast, so Greyhound races are quite popular. Mick the Miller is arguably the most famous Greyhound ever, and he is also considered the pioneer of Greyhound racing in Great Britain. Mick the Miller was born in 1926 in Ireland, and his owner, Father Martin Brophy, anticipated him racing in America, but he eventually raced in England instead. He won 19 races in row including two wins at the English Greyhound Derbies. His overall career record was 51-17, which is extremely impressive. He retired at the age of three and is considered a legend in the Greyhound racing world.
Fun fact: All the dogs at Nittany Greyhounds are retired racing dogs! Since they retire so young (2-5 years), this means you’ll have plenty of time still to spend with an adopted Greyhound!
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All of the dogs on this blog are so cute! Looking at the pictures and reading fun facts about dogs brightened my day. I don’t have any dogs but many people on my street at home do, enough that we are apparently known to the nearby streets as “the dog street”. I love dogs 🙂