Category: performance

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Why all the chatter about breed standard?

A few days ago I wrote an article about what it means to adopt a Greyhound.  Overall this article was well received.  However, some comments I found thought provoking.  I also reviewed other posts throughout social media and there continued to be a theme:  what is the standard for a greyhound and why that matters to you as an owner.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) judges each breed of dog based on a written standard.  You can review the AKC written standard for greyhounds below.

Head –  Long and narrow, fairly wide between the ears, scarcely perceptible stop, little or no development of nasal sinuses, good length of muzzle, which should be powerful without coarseness. Teeth very strong and even in front.
Ears ­ – Small and fine in texture, thrown back and folded, except when excited, when they are semi-pricked.
Eyes ­ – Dark, bright, intelligent, indicating spirit.
Neck – ­ Long, muscular, without throatiness, slightly arched, and widening gradually into the shoulder.
Shoulders – ­ Placed as obliquely as possible, muscular without being loaded.
Forelegs ­ – Perfectly straight, set well into the shoulder, neither turned in or out, pasterns strong.
Chest ­ -Deep, and as wide as is consistent with speed, Fairly well sprung ribs.
Back ­ – Muscular and broad.
Loins ­ – Good depth of muscle, well-arched, well cut up in the flanks.
Hindquarters ­ – Long, very muscular and powerful, wide and well let down, well-bent stifles.  Hocks well bent and rather close to the ground, wide but straight fore and aft.
Feet ­ – Hard and close, rather more hare than cat feet, well knuckled up with good strong claws.
Tail ­ – Long, fine and tapering with a slight upward curve.
Coat ­ – Short, smooth and firm in texture.
Color ­ – Immaterial
Weight ­ – Dogs, 65 to 70 pounds: Bitches, 60 to 65 pounds

If you are like me when you read this, it sounds very similar to what you see in a National Greyhound Association (NGA) greyhound.  First, what is the difference between the AKC and NGA?  Both are registering bodies; however, the NGA is special as they only register greyhounds.  All American racing greyhounds are registered with the NGA.  The NGA doesn’t have a written breed standard so to speak; rather, NGA greyhounds are bred to a performance standard, meaning they are judged on their ability to excel in running sports.  When we look at the AKC written standard for the breed, the NGA greyhound fits the description in that standard.  So why do we find ourselves disagreeing on the breed standard again and again?  The answer is rather complicated.   I think that show breeders thought that breeding a greyhound with exaggerated structural features was sexy and the dog would be able to compete in the group and best in show ring at dog shows.   They succeeded.  There is no functional purpose or advantage for the exaggerated changes we see in most greyhounds that compete in the show ring.

Actually, dogs that are exaggerated are not good for our breed and here is why.  These dogs are not functional in that they are deficient in athletic ability.  They are able to participate in running sports but unable to compete on the same level with coursing-bred greyhounds or racing greyhounds.  If you read into the written standard above you will understand all these qualities are desirable because they improve the greyhound’s speediness and athleticism.  By exaggerating the structural features called for in the written standard we are taking the functionality and the most important part of the greyhound away.

I have listened and read comments about show greyhounds and see things such as “isn’t she beautiful” or “she’s living art”.  I appreciate these opinions but I want to know if they have ever seen a greyhound running after a lure or quarry.  Have they ever seen true poetry in motion?

I am not sure that I will ever feel that a hound standing in a ring is more lovely than a hound doing what they were bred to do for centuries.  I will never see how loping in a ring can be more beautiful than raw power on the coursing field or sand being flung all over the track by a hound that can scoot.

I understand that dog shows are a lot of fun to a lot of people.  I wish we would see more functional dogs at these shows.  I proudly support the breeders that are promoting functional hounds and I hope that in the future at Greyhound specialties you will not see a dog win breed in the ring that is not able to compete in the field but instead a Greyhound that can win in the ring and on the lure coursing field.

As stewards of our breed we must advocate for functionality.   Our focus should not be on what can win the group and best in show ring but what can make a hare turn and break track records.  We simply must focus on the raw power of our breed; after all, it’s why they are still with us.

Official Standard of the Greyhound. c/o The American Kennel Club.  Retrieved December 1st, 2016 from http://images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/standards/Greyhound.pdf_ga=1.268297802.576806201.1479637347
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Greyhound Nails

One of the best parts of greyhound ownership is the lack of grooming they require.  Greyhounds are wash and wear dogs.  They do not need a lot of brushing, trimming, or bathing.  However, their nails do need some attention.

First things first, what is a nail?  The nail is protective covering of the bones and vessels under the tip of the foot.  Nails are made up of a strong fibrous protein called keratin.  This protein is also found in skin and hair.  Nails protect the tip of the foot from damage and help with gripping while running.  

 

 

So what happens if your greyhound’s nails are too long?  Well, multiple issues can occur.  The most concerning issues are the changes to the gait associated with long nails.  When the nail is touching the ground this puts pressure on the bones of the foot.

Remember the old saying about greyhounds? “A greyhound should be headed like a snake and necked like a drake, backed like a beam, sided like a bream, footed like a cat and tailed like a rat”.  This poem should be taken to heart when thinking about the greyhound foot.  When the nails of the hound are too long it creates an uneven balance of pressure in the foot.  This pressure lengthens the ligaments in the foot causing the toes to appear longer and the dog to not walk properly.  This can also be painful.

Pressure sores or decubitus ulcers can also occur with overgrown nails.  The overgrown nails come in contact with the thin skin of the foot and can cause breakdown.  This can lead to infection and can be very painful to the dog.  Pressure sores are difficult to heal.  The offending agent or pressure has to be removed so that the wound can heal properly. 

You can see why nail care is important but what do you need to trim nails?  I recommend plier-style clippers with a safety stop.  I find that guillotine clippers are difficult to use.  Guillotine clippers do not give you the control of the scissor clipper.  It is also more difficult to see what you are doing while trimming the nails.  You should also buy septic powder.  This is good to have on hand in case you do nick the nail quick.  Remember to hold pressure to stop the bleeding as best as you can then apply this.  Septic powder works best on dry surfaces.  Grinding tools are also useful tools to have in your nail bag.  They can file the nail down and if you are worried about the quick there is no clipping involved.  I would recommend grinding nails outside and with a mask on and eye protection.  Also move the tool over the nail as it will heat up.  Continued pressure in one spot will heat the nail and can be painful to the greyhound. 

So you have your tools but how do you successful clip greyhound nail?  I understand that nail clipping can be scary.  We know all too well that there is a sensitive quick in the nail and clipping it can cause bleeding and pain for the dog.  Well friends, I have news for you.  If you look at your hound’s foot you can easily spot the quick even on black nails.  

Once you know where the quick is you make you first cut at about 45-60 degrees.  I recommend then making two additional cuts to the side of the nail to make sure you have removed all the overgrowth.  Once this is completed you can file the nail with an emery board or grinding tool.  A rule of thumb for nail length is that you should be able to slide a credit card under the dogs nail while standing   

Most retired racers are well accustomed to nail clipping as this was a regular part of their routine.  However, if your hound is not so cool with the idea of clippers coming close to their toes some positive reinforcement could help.  I find that using a plastic toy stuffed with food will keep a hound busy while clipping.  The clicker could also be used for this.  Creating a positive association with the clipper can be helpful with a lot of dogs.  Remember to channel your inner leader while nail clipping, dog can sense if you are not confident in your skills.  Getting you and your hound accustom to nail clipping can take some time but well worth the effort!

I hope that this has been helpful to you and you now ready to clip you hound’s nails with confidence!

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What it means to adopt a greyhound

Every American Thanksgiving the American Kennel Club has its national dog show.  The Best in Show (BIS) dog gets tons of advertising and often times many people throughout the country are exposed to a dog that is “beautiful”.  This advertising causes an increase in desire for the BIS dog breed.  This year the BIS went to Gia the greyhound.  Gia is an AKC greyhound that has never competed in amateur running sports a day in her life as she was bred for the ring only.  She is not the typical body type of the NGA greyhound or retired racer.  She is an exaggerated form of the AKC breed standard for Greyhounds. Nonetheless, she is advertising for the greyhound breed and her handler gave serious prompts to the greyhound as a great living companion or pet.
 
Since Gia won BIS there have been several articles published talking about why to add a greyhound to your household, and I have taken issue with some of this; they encouraged me to write this post!  None of these articles captured what adding a greyhound to your home truly means.
 
Many articles spoke about the traits of greyhounds and what the greyhound can and cannot do.  These articles also suggested what is needed to provide one of the fastest land mammals a perfect home (I am not sure there is a perfect home).
 
I disagree with most of this.
 
These writers have completed some research or googling of the greyhound but are missing one important piece of the puzzle:  they have never owned a greyhound.
 
While I was pondering the characteristics of a retired racing greyhound and what I would tell a potential adopter about the breed, I asked my husband, a non-dog-person but a greyhound aficionado that I would trust any greyhound decision to, what makes a retired racer special? Without a moment’s pause, he said “heart.”
 
Retired racers are raised to have “heart”.  By “heart” I mean passion.  They are raised to chase with all their “heart”, hang-out with their kennel mates with all their “heart”, and love their people/trainers with all their “heart”. Everything a greyhound does is with all their “heart”.  Greyhounds are independent dogs that do not need human affirmation like many other dogs.  Greyhounds choose their humans and they do it with all their “heart”.
 

After Gia’s win if you decide to adopt a greyhound, make sure that you know you are not just getting a thin skinned dog that doesn’t bark, but a dog that has “heart”. You’re getting a dog that has been loved by trainers, a dog that loves to chase, a dog that loves to live and lives her life to the fullest, and a dog that inspires you to be a better human.  My friends, greyhounds are more than any dog, more special than anything in the world, and able to give more than their all, as they give their “heart” in all they do.

 

 

 

 

 

 


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Dog digestion and feeding

Dog GI system

After writing my myths BUSTED post, I began thinking about how often I am asked about what I feed my greys. I felt that this topic is worth spending more time discussing.

 First let’s discuss the gut of a dog. All mammal digestion begins in the mouth. This is where we begin to break down the particles in our food to extract the important elements needed for sustained life. Most mammals produce amylase, an enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates, in their saliva. Amylase is not produced in a dog’s saliva.

We must remember that our sweet cuddly greyhounds are natural born predators that are more than able to crush through bone and muscle meat with ease. Carbs were not often on the menu.  Open up her mouth and check out those huge teeth!

After reading this about amylase I was confused as to how dogs break down kibble. Let’s dive into the dog’s GI tract to learn how this happens.

After your hound ravenously devours her food, she swallows it. The esophagus allows the passage of food from the mouth to the stomach. The esophagus is just a connection, nothing exciting happens here.

Then the food enters the stomach. Dogs have single chamber stomachs like humans. The stomach pH of a dog is about 2, which is the same acidity as lemon juice.  The strong gastric acid combined with the muscle strength of the stomach begins to break down food into absorbable molecules- but minimal absorption actually occurs in the stomach.

© Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc.
© Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc.

 

Once the food has been broken down by the gastric acid, the food enters the small intestine. Mammals have three parts that make up their small intestine: the duodenum, jejunum, and the ileum. The small intestine is a large organ and can be about two and half times the dogs total body length!

© Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc.

The duodenum is the smallest part of the small intestine but the most important. The duodenum connects the small intestine to the stomach. While food is in this section it is combined with enzymes from the gallbladder, pancreas, and liver. The duodenum is where amylase, lipase, and proteinase begin to break down carbohydrates, fats, and protein, creating the building block for life.  In the duodenum, kibble is broken down.

After the food is further broken down, it enters the jejunum. The jejunum is the longest section of the small intestine. The jejunum has a large surface area to allow for absorption of nutrients.

After the jejunum successfully absorbs all important nutrients from the food, the remaining intestinal contents are released into the ileum. The ileum connects the small intestine to the large intestine.

Once the intestinal contents reach the large intestine most nutrients have been absorbed and broken down. The job of the large intestine is to absorb water and create feces. The large intestine is critically important in the hydration status of the dog. Once most water is absorbed, the feces enters the anus and then rectum. Once in the rectum the dog will be able to expel its waste.

© Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc.

Dogs have quick digestive systems and depending on your fed, digestion can take them 6-12 hours per meal.

Feeding

 Now we have a basic understanding of how a dog’s gut works. Let’s talk about what to feed your greyhound.

 

When I first read that dogs do not have amylase in their mouth I felt that raw food was the only way to feed a dog.  Since learning more about dog digestion and monitoring my dogs on raw my opinion has somewhat changed.

I have three greyhounds. They were fed raw for about three years. I have followed both the BARF (bones and raw food) method and whole prey.  I feel that whole prey worked better for my dogs and aligned with my concerns regarding no amylase in dog saliva. I used multiple protein sources and felt very good about the diet they were receiving.





However, Jethro never thrived on raw. His coat was dull, thinning, and he was very skinny (even for a greyhound). I tried to increase his rations but he began to refuse to eat. After about 10-14 days of him barely touching his food I knew something had to change.

 


I started him back on a very high quality kibble. Seriously, his eyes about popped out of his head when he saw a bowl full of kibble. I realized that raw was not for him. He did not do well on it.

 

I do still give him raw bones to help with tarter build up.


 

After my experience with Jethro I wanted to learn why greyhound trainers would feed kibble and raw together. After all, this goes completely against everything I had learned about the horrors of feeding raw and kibble at the same time.

 

I researched this more, reading accounts on what Henry VIII fed his hunting greyhounds, what open field coursing greyhounds are fed, and what top US racing greyhounds eat.  A theory for feeding carbohydrates continued to surface throughout my research; it stated that greyhounds need a lot of ready-to-use energy for sprinting. The carbohydrates in kibble, pasta, and rice that trainers often feed help with this. The balance between the raw protein source and the kibble create a balanced diet for quick acceleration from an energy standpoint.

I encourage greyhound owners to try different diets and see what their hound thrives on. There are easy options for raw and kibble. The most important thing to remember when choosing a food it how you dog looks, feels, and preforms on that diet.  After all a dog’s diet is not a bragging point between humans but an elemental point of existence for your hound.

The illustrations in this post are reprinted with permission by the copyright owner, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, from the Atlas of Veterinary Clinical Anatomy. These illustrations should not be downloaded, printed or copied except for personal, non-commercial use.