Galgo Español puppies

About the Galgo Español

The Galgo Español, or Spanish Greyhound, is an ancient sighthound bred to course hares across the open plains of Spain by sight, and the FCI standard says the breed was known to the Romans. They look like a Greyhound but are slighter, with a long, narrow head, a well tucked up belly and a very long tail, and they come in two coats: short, fine and smooth, or semi long and hard with a beard and eyebrows. The FCI standard gives 62 to 70 cm for males and 60 to 68 cm for females, and Wisdom Panel gives 61 to 71 cm and 20 to 29.9 kg. The United Kennel Club recognised the breed in 2006, and many galgos in the UK arrive through rescue charities after being used by hunters in rural Spain.

Indoors Galgos are calm and like to sleep for much of the day, but they need to run regularly, and off lead running belongs in a securely enclosed area because the urge to chase is strong. A weekly brush with a hound mitt keeps the coat in order. They are often good with dogs and with cats they are raised with, but they are not a choice for a home with pet rodents. If you adopt a galgo from Spain, ask which tests for leishmaniasis and other Mediterranean diseases have been done, and tell your vet, because these diseases are not endemic in the UK.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Galgo Español puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Bloat (a twisted stomach), which Wisdom Panel says this breed is at greater risk of than most; split food into several meals and avoid feeding just before or after hard exercise
• Leishmaniasis, a parasite spread by sand flies in Spain and other Mediterranean countries; rescued galgos are tested for it, but latent infections can be hard to diagnose and the incubation period runs from three months to seven years
• Babesiosis, heartworm and ehrlichiosis, other Mediterranean diseases that rescued galgos are tested for before they come to the UK

Your Galgo Español puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Galgo Español.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 20 to 29.9 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 29.9 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other medium breeds

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Sources

• wisdompanel.com for adult weight and height, life expectancy and energy, grooming and the temperament ratings
• fci.be for coat type and country of origin
• greyhoundsinneed.co.uk for health notes
• Health notes from Galgo Español breed information at https://greyhoundsinneed.co.uk/information-library/mediterranean-parasites-and-diseases/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

No published figure for energy level, the good with children rating and the good with other dogs rating, so nothing is shown rather than a guess.

Photo: Tux-Man, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.