You have questions about greyhounds, and we have answers! If you have a question not covered in our FAQ, please fill out our contact form.
How much do greyhounds weigh?
According to the American Kennel Club, male greyhounds typically weigh between 65-70 pounds, while females range from 60-65 pounds. Greyhounds may appear "thin" to some, but this is often their healthy weight. Here's a great article that helps determine if a greyhound is truly too thin or overweight.
How tall are greyhounds?
Male greyhounds stand 28-30 inches tall at the shoulder, while females are slightly shorter, at 27-28 inches. Their elegant stature is one of their most striking features.
What is the life expectancy for greyhounds?
Greyhounds typically live between 10-13 years, though some can live longer. Remarkably, a greyhound in Oklahoma lived to 19 years as of 2012!
What colors and patterns do greyhounds come in?
Greyhounds come in 18 official colors, including blue (grey), brindle (striped), fawn, red, white, black, and ticked. The color does not determine any aspect of the greyhound's personality or health and we recommend that you choose a greyhound based on their personality and compatibility with your lifestyle and household activity level, as opposed to their looks!
Can greyhounds thrive in Michiana with our cold winters?
Absolutely! With the right gear like coats, booties, and snoods, greyhounds can thrive in cold climates. Our network of foster families and volunteers can help you find the perfect cold-weather solutions for your hound.
What are some good resources to learn more about greyhounds?
The greyhound community is vast and eager to share knowledge. Check out online communities like Greytalk, Greytalk on Facebook, and the r/Greyhounds subreddit.
We highly recommend these two books:
- Adopting the Racing Greyhound by Cynthia A. Branigan
- Retired Racing Greyhounds For Dummies® by Lee Livingood
These two books really are the "gold standard" in terms of comprehensive, useful information about the breed from track life to post-adoption. Greyt Angels often has donated editions of both of these books available that we are happy to give out upon request.
What are lurchers?
Most of the retired racers that Greyt Angels works with are purebred greyhounds. However, we occasionally receive lurchers into our care, which are greyhounds or other sighthounds—such as whippets, Italian greyhounds, borzois, Irish wolfhounds, just to name a few—crossed with another dog breed, often working breeds like collies or large scent hounds like coonhounds. The information in this FAQ applies primarily to purebred greyhounds.
Lurchers can differ from greyhounds in size, appearance, health, life expectancy, and temperament. Sometimes the differences are small—for instance, many of the lurchers we have worked with are smaller than standard greyhounds—but other times they can be more significant. For instance, lurchers that are part working breed may have much higher activity levels than your average greyhound. Regardless, all lurchers have the potential to make just as "greyt" family pets if you are willing to understand, accept, and work with their unique traits!
