Dossier No. 13 · Egypt, antiquity (pharaoh's hound)
Greyhound
Refined apartments and quiet households who appreciate effortless grace.
- Stature
- Large
- Coat
- Sleek and close — fawn, brindle, black, or blue
- Temperament
- Gentle, serene, surprisingly lazy indoors
- Origin
- Egypt, antiquity (pharaoh's hound)
I
History
Depicted in Egyptian tomb art four thousand years before Christ, mentioned by Homer, and the only breed named in the King James Bible. English nobility regulated their ownership by law from the 11th century; for a thousand years, to own a greyhound was to declare your station.
II
Personality
Gentle, serene, and — to the surprise of every first-time owner — astonishingly lazy indoors. They sprint in 30-second bursts and recover for 23 hours. They are quiet, clean, and possess a quality of stillness rare in any animal.
III
To Live With One
Apartments and townhouses are perfectly suitable. They require a daily walk, a securely fenced sprinting space once or twice a week, and a very soft sofa. They do not bark; they sigh.
IV
Notable Companions
Cleopatra is said to have kept greyhounds, and Henry VIII enacted the 'Forest Laws' reserving them for the aristocracy. General George Custer reportedly raced them before the Little Bighorn. Their patronage has always been royal, military, or simply very fast.