Greyhound Dog History: Part 3 of 4

Within this part three concerning the Greyhound dog breed history, we will talk about how this stunning animal succeeded its way from being the victim of the "Forest Laws" to being the preferred dog of the aristocracy for sportsmanship racing games.

To swiftly summarize on these Forest laws of the year 1014: These laws were shaped so that free men of the area couldn't employ their Greyhound dogs to hunt game for food, since it was only the aristocrats and the wealthy that could get fresh kill for their feasts. The sheer speed and training ability of these dogs were immense, and so they were great hunters for man. Under this law, no slave or serf were legally allowed to own a Greyhound.As harsh as it is to envision, the law obliged that all Greyhound dogs possessed by freemen of the royal forests were to have either three of their toes chopped off or get the ligament in their legs severed. This would prevent the dogs from chasing and bringing back game to the commoners, which was considered only the right of the nobles.

Ultimately, after a number of centuries, this law was rescinded. Nonetheless, the Greyhound dog breed still held its status as the dogs of nobility. However, with the growth of agriculture and domestic animals used for food, requiring the Greyhound to hunt game and gather meat was needed by the people less and less.

Given that hunting for prey was out-of-date at the point in time, Greyhounds became the object of great sportsmanship in racing by both the aristocrats and the masses. This was known as "coursing". A coursing enthusiast, Elizabeth I, fashioned rules where the Greyhound dogs could be justly judged for the new sport coined the "sport of queens". In truth, the first coursing sport was created in the year 1776. Then later during the time of the 1800's, the upper-class considered coursing one of their beloved pastimes.

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