Galgo Español
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| Galgo Español | ||||||||||
 Two Galgos Españoles |
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| Other names | Spanish Galgo Spanish Greyhound |
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| Country of origin | Spain | |||||||||
| Nicknames | Galgo | |||||||||
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The Galgo Español (Spanish Galgo) or Spanish Greyhound is an ancient breed of dog, specifically a member of the sighthound family. The Galgo was named for the Gauls, a tribe of Celts, who inhabited the Iberian Peninsula 400–600 B.C.E. The Galgo breed was probably a result of the dogs brought by the Celts on their migration through the peninsula mixed with dogs brought by traders who did business with the Celts.
In the intervening centuries, it is likely that other sighthound breeds were interbred to produce the Galgo that we know today.
Despite being called a "Spanish Greyhound", the Galgo is not truly a Greyhound. The lineages of the two breeds are different. However, in the last century or so, some breeders have cross-bred Galgos and Greyhounds in order to produce faster Galgos.
Galgos have a very similar nature to Greyhounds. They are calm, gentle and laid back; happy to sleep their day away on their backs on a sofa. Unlike most Greyhounds, more than 90% of Galgos can be considered cat-friendly and are therefore an ideal choice for the hound lover who also owns cats. Almost all Galgos are also friendly towards other dogs and small dogs. Galgos are also very good with children, being calm in the house there is less risk of a child being knocked over or jumped on than a more excitable breed. They are very gentle and tolerate the often over-enthusiastic attentions of children with no risk of retaliation from the dog.
[edit] Use as Hunting Dogs
Galgos are routinely used in Spain to hunt rabbits and hares. Following the end the hunting season most of these animals are abandoned or killed, often being hung from trees. It is common practice for the galgos that hunted successfully to be hung from higher branches so that they die relatively quickly. Dogs that performed badly are hung from the lower branches so that their feet just touch the ground resulting in a long drawn out death[1].
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- G.R.I.N. - Galgo Rescue International Network
- PRO-GALGO - Galgo and Podenco rescue
- Breeds of Dogs website
- Long Haired Whippet website's description of the Galgo Español
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