Sighthound Large size 27-40 kg

Greyhound

The original 70 km/h couch potato - calmer indoors than most small breeds, with a hard-wired chase instinct that never fully switches off.

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Find out how this breed matches your household

Quick overview

Large
Size
27-40 kg · 68-76 cm
Low
Exercise needs
Short walks and play sessions
Moderate
Alone-time tolerance
Half a workday, with preparation
Moderate
Training
Needs patience and consistency
Minimal
Coat care
Occasional brushing is enough
Good
Fit with kids
Good family fit with basic rules
Not recommended
Other pets
High prey drive - risky with small animals
Moderate
Health burden
Bone cancer, teeth, bloat

The Greyhound typically weighs 27-40 kg, stands 68-76 cm, and lives 10-14 years.

Consider this breed if…

you want a large but quiet, low-maintenance dog, even in an apartment,
short walks plus an occasional fenced sprint fit your lifestyle,
you are open to adopting a retired racer with a known temperament,
you can commit to leash walking for the dog's whole life.

Do not consider this breed if…

you have cats, rabbits, or other small pets - the chase risk is real,
you expect reliable off-leash freedom in open areas,
your home is cold and bare - thin skin and no fat mean it needs soft bedding and coats,
you want an eager-to-please obedience dog.

A typical day with a Greyhound

  1. 7:00 · Morning
    20-30 min leash walk, then breakfast
  2. 9:00 · Midmorning
    Deep sleep, usually upside down on a sofa
  3. 12:30 · Noon
    Quick potty break, back to the couch
  4. 16:00 · Afternoon
    A few minutes of zoomies or a fenced sprint
  5. 18:30 · Evening
    Second walk, gentle play, dental chew
  6. 21:00 · Night
    Sleeps 16+ hours a day in total, and it shows

Temperament and training

Calmness indoors Very high
Prey drive Very high
Gentleness High
Independence High
Sensitivity High
Guarding tendency Very low
Common owner mistakes
Trusting recall off leash - sight of prey overrides any training · Skipping dental care in a breed notorious for bad teeth · Treating it like a high-energy dog and over-scheduling exercise

Family and environment

Kids Good
Gentle and tolerant; teach kids not to disturb a sleeping dog.
Dogs Conditional
Fine with medium and large dogs; tiny dogs can trigger chasing.
Cats Risky
Some individuals are cat-safe, many never are; test carefully.
Apartment Very suitable
Quiet, clean, and mostly asleep; one of the best big apartment dogs.
House with a yard Suitable
Fencing must be high and secure; it can hit 70 km/h in seconds.
City Suitable
Calm on leash and unbothered by crowds.
Countryside Conditional
Wildlife everywhere means leash-only outside fenced areas.
Health data provided by RealVetCost
Overall health burden Moderate

Detailed health data - inheritance, prevalence, course, and typical treatment costs - lives in a separate expert database. This is general guidance, not veterinary advice - confirm any decision with your vet.

View the full health profile
Top health concerns
Osteosarcoma Bone cancer risk in large sighthounds
Dental disease Needs routine dental care
Bloat (GDV) Deep chest - feed accordingly

Similar breeds - by reason

Not visually similar - similar in what they mean for you.

Smaller version of the same lifestyle
Whippet
A quiet apartment sprinter: 30 minutes of running, 23 hours of couch - just never trust it off leash near small animals.
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Long-coated giant sighthound
Borzoi
An elegant, quiet sighthound that lounges indoors but sprints after anything that moves - independent, tall, and needing a secure area to run.
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Similar independent sighthound
Saluki
A graceful, sensitive sighthound that is calm at home but needs secure sprinting space - its intense prey drive rules out off-leash areas and small pets.
View profile →

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Greyhound cost in the US?
Adopting a retired racer typically costs $300-$600 through a greyhound rescue, which is how most Americans get one; show-line puppies are rarer and cost more. Yearly upkeep is moderate, but budget for regular dental cleanings and sighthound-specific anesthesia care. Lifetime cost commonly reaches $15,000-$25,000+, and a cancer diagnosis can add thousands more.
Do Greyhounds need a lot of exercise?
No - this is the biggest myth about the breed. A Greyhound is a sprinter, not an endurance athlete: two daily walks plus an occasional safe, fenced sprint keep it satisfied, and it will happily sleep 16+ hours a day. It is genuinely one of the laziest large breeds indoors.
Can a Greyhound ever go off leash?
Outside a securely fenced area, the honest answer is no. When a Greyhound spots a squirrel or plastic bag on the wind, instinct overrides training and it is at full speed before you finish calling. Most rescues make leash-only walking a condition of adoption for good reason.
Is a Greyhound safe with cats?
Case by case, and often no. Rescues cat-test their dogs; some retired racers live peacefully with cats after careful introduction, while others can never be trusted. If you already have cats or small pets, only adopt an individually cat-tested dog, and manage them separately when unsupervised.