Galgo Español

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Galgo Español
Galgo Español
Galgo Español, straight hair
FCI Standard No. 285
  • Group 10: Greyhounds
  • Section 3: Shorthaired Greyhounds
Origin :

Spain

Alternative names:

Galgo, Spanish Greyhound

Withers height:

Male 62–70 cm
female 60–68 cm

Weight:

up to 30 kg

Varieties :
  • Straight hair
  • Wire hair
List of domestic dogs
Wire-haired Galgo Español
Galloping galgo

The Galgo Español is a Spanish breed of dog recognized by the FCI ( FCI Group 10, Section 3, Standard No. 285 ).

Origin and history

The roots of the Galgo Español go back to antiquity. Already in the 6th century BC The Celts hunted with medium-sized greyhounds , which they later brought to the Iberian Peninsula on their trains. After the subjugation of the Celts by the Romans , this breed of dog was called Canis Gallicus (Gallic dog) in the Roman province of Hispania at that time . The Spanish word galgo, which generally stands for greyhound, later developed from this name.

The Arab Sloughi , who were brought to Spain by the Moors during the Moorish rule from the 8th to the 15th centuries, and the Podenco Ibicenco , who is native to Spain , are also likely to have had a major influence on this dog breed . During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries it was exported in large numbers to other countries such as Ireland and England .

The Galgo Español is one of the ancestors of the Great English Greyhound , which shares breed characteristics similar to the Galgo Español. Overall, the Galgo Español is more delicate than the Greyhound and its head has less stop .

In the last century, greyhounds were crossed with the Galgos Españoles for races , making it much more difficult for laypeople to distinguish the two breeds. Names for these longdogs are: Galgo inglés-español, Hispano-Ingles or Galgo-Anglo-Español. The term Galgo Ingles is often used for these mixed breeds, but it also refers to the purebred Greyhound.

description

The Galgo Español is a 60–70 cm tall and 20–29 kg heavy greyhound. Its body is elongated, the head very narrow with small, dark, almond-shaped eyes with a calm, gentle and reserved expression. The stop is not very pronounced. The ear is a large, folded rose ear . When paying attention, the ears are half erect in the first third with folded ends pointing sideways. The neck has an oval cross-section. The lower line shows a long, powerful, evenly deep chest before the belly lift begins, but does not reach the elbows. The tail is set low and strong at the base of the tail. It reaches almost to the ground with a slight, often lateral arch at the end.

There are two varieties of galgo: straight-haired and wire-haired. The coat of the shorthair is very short and fine and has no undercoat, whereas the rough hair is of medium length (up to approx. 10 cm), often scruffy and hard. All colors are allowed.

Essence

In terms of character, he is generally calm and reserved when he has gained confidence, but very affectionate and fixated on his caregivers. He is generally compatible with other dogs and easily fits into existing packs . As is typical of the breed, it is very calm in the house, outdoors it develops - depending on upbringing and disposition - a more or less pronounced hunting instinct.

The Galgo Español is very intelligent, very curious, quite easy to train for a greyhound and easy to care for. In his upbringing, he does not place very high demands on the owner. He responds very well to positive, empowering parenting methods. These increase the bond with the owner. With him, however, you can't achieve anything with pressure and rigor.

use

The galgo was originally bred for hare hunting , but can also be used on rabbits and wild boars . In Spain it is still used as a hunting dog in the field, but sometimes kept under very poor conditions and is often abandoned or killed after the hunting season. Like all greyhounds, the galgo hunts by sight and catches its prey with its persistent speed (60 to 65 km / h) and its lightning-fast turns. Because of this speed it is also used in greyhound races. The Galgo is a little slower than the Greyhound, but much more enduring and more agile in the field. That is why it is often used for coursing .

literature

Web links

Commons : Galgo Español  - collection of images, videos and audio files