HISTORY OF THE GREYHOUND
- Greyhounds are one of the oldest pure breed of dog, and appears in art literature throughout history:
- In ancient Egypt, Greyhounds were mummified and buried along with their owners, and tombs were decorated with Greyhound figures. A hieroglyph of a dog much resembling the modern breeds of Greyhound, Saluki and Slogi can be found in writing of ancient Egypt.
- Alexander the Great had a Greyhound named Peritas.
- The Greyhound is mentioned in the Old Testament. (Proverbs 30: 29-30)
- In Homer's Odyssey, the only one to recognise Odysseus upon his return was his Greyhound, Argus.
- Greyhounds are mentioned in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, and Shakespeare's Henry V and the Merry Wives of Windsor.
- Greek and Roman gods and goddesses were often portrayed with Greyhounds.
- Originally bred as hunting companions, Greyhounds have long been held in high esteem. Greyhounds have been closely associated with royalty for many centuries:
- English law from the 11th to the 14"' century decreed that only noblemen could own or hunt with greyhounds.
- During king Canute's reign the law stated that no "mean persons" were allowed to keep a greyhound. Destruction of a Greyhound was punished with death!
- The American General Custer owned as many as fifteen greyhounds.
- Famous actors such as John Barrymore and Bo Derek have had retired racing greyhounds as pets.
- Popular cartoon family, The Simpsons, have a pet greyhound called "Santa's Little Helper".
- In 1804, Australia issued a proclamation ordering the destruction of all dogs except greyhounds and sheep dogs.