Spanish Greyhound (Galgo Espanol): Dog Breed Information

The Galgo Espanol is a traditional sighthound from Spain. Like most sighthound breeds, he is an avid hunter. Due to its gentle and balanced nature, it is very popular as a family companion dog.

Origin and history

The Galgo Espanol is a traditional Spanish sighthound breed believed to be descended from ancient Asian sighthounds and adapted well to the Spanish steppes. The noble Galgo Espanol was mainly used to hunt rabbits. To make Spanish Galgos even faster for commercial sighthound racing, greyhound breeds began to be crossed in the 20th century. Today attempts are being made to breed the Galgo pure again. The FCI only recognized the breed in 1972 by issuing a standard. A revised standard was written in 1982 reflecting an effort to differentiate the greyhound.

Appearance

The Galgo Espanol is a large sighthound with an elongated body and a very narrow head with dark, almond-shaped eyes. The ears are large and triangular, forming a rose-shaped ear attached to the head when at rest. The sickle-shaped tail is very long. It is set low, tucked between the hind legs, and almost touches the ground.

The Galgo Espanol is bred in two varieties: smooth-coated and wire-coated. The fur of the smooth-haired Galgo is very short, fine, and without an undercoat. The fur of the medium-length wire-haired cat is medium-long and shaggy. On the face, it forms a mustache and whiskers, bushy eyebrows, and a mop of hair. All color variants are possible.

Nature

The Galgo Espanol is a very friendly, agreeable, and adaptable companion dog. It gets along with other dogs, it meets strangers with reserve. But once it’s confident, he’s very approachable and personable. It forms a very close bond with its people. It is affectionate, gentle, and fond of children and is a very quiet and unobtrusive dog in the house. Aggression is alien to him.

The Galgo Espanol is very easy to train with loving consistency and empathy. However, pressure and strictness do not achieve anything with the sensitive dog. Because of his docility, he is – in addition to the sighthound sport – also suitable for other dog sports activities such as agility, nose work, jogging, or retrieval work. Despite all obedience, the Galgo Espanol is and remains a passionate hunter who can hardly be stopped when spotting a hunted object. Therefore, it should only run free in wild-free terrain.

The Galgo Espanol can also be kept in an apartment, provided that it is given the opportunity for regular exercise and opportunities to run free. A large property where he can romp with its kind is therefore a better choice for a Galgo.