- Black, white, red, blue, fawn, fallow, brindle or any of these colours broken with white
An ancient sighthound with tall, lean, elegant build designed for exceptional speed. Known for their gentle temperament and often described as a '45-mph couch potato', combining incredible athleticism with calm, affectionate nature.
Ancient sighthound breed dating back thousands of years, depicted in Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art. The modern Greyhound was standardized in Great Britain for coursing game and later racing. Famed as the fastest dog breed.
“Possessing remarkable stamina and endurance. Intelligent, gentle, affectionate and even tempered”
Quoted from FCI standard n°158. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Drawn from sources, not opinion: FCI breed standard. An empty column means we hold nothing for that side, not that there is nothing to say.
The Greyhound standard is published by the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale), the international federation of pedigree-dog clubs, and it is what show judges apply. This section sums up what it says about coat and colour and size. It does not assess any one animal: use it to know what to ask the breeder.
Fine and close
Shortened from FCI standard n°158 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
The colours and patterns the standard admits, and what it prefers, discourages or disqualifies in each. An accepted colour says nothing about health.
Quoted from FCI standard n°158. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
An adult's measurements, per the standard. It does not say how big this puppy will be. Quotations from the FCI are in English, as the standard publishes them; the headings are ours.
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Greyhound in general; any individual animal can differ.
Known hereditary risks for the Greyhound breed, and the specific documentation to request from any breeder before paying a deposit. A responsible breeder will have these readily available; deflection is a red flag.
1 condition documentedThis is breed-level literature, not veterinary advice about an individual animal — your vet knows the animal.
Health checklist (PDF)Found in more than about one in twenty of the breed's dogs screened, or described as common in the sources.
An inherited skin condition of the nose described in a Greyhound litter, six of eight puppies affected: crusts and cracks form on the nose of otherwise healthy dogs. It is persistent but not life-threatening, and it is caused by a different variant of the same gene as in Labradors. It is recessive, and roughly one in thirteen of 105 Greyhounds in a small screen carried it.
What to ask for
Hereditary nasal parakeratosis (SUV39H2, Greyhound type) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited skin condition of the nose described in a Greyhound litter, six of eight puppies affected: crusts and cracks form on the nose of otherwise healthy dogs. It is persistent but not life-threatening, and it is caused by a different variant of the same gene as in Labradors. It is recessive, and roughly one in thirteen of 105 Greyhounds in a small screen carried it.
What to ask for
Hereditary nasal parakeratosis (SUV39H2, Greyhound type) DNA test result, on both parents
Median survival 11.5 years
95% confidence interval 11.4–11.6 years, from 3,025 recorded deaths among 4,032 dogs
Mortality hazard 1.19 (1.14, 1.23) relative to crossbred dogs, whose median is 12.0 years.
Measured in the United Kingdom from 584,734 dogs. Median survival is not a prediction for an individual dog.
McMillan, K.M., Bielby, J., Williams, C.L., Upjohn, M.M., Casey, R.A. & Christley, R.M. (2024) Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Scientific Reports 14, 531.