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50 free Greyhounds trivia questions with answers — nature quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
The Greyhound is the fastest dog on earth and, for most of its history, a dog you were not allowed to own unless you were noble. It is the only dog named in the King James Bible, it appears on Henry VII's coat of arms, and its 8th-century bones from a Czech hill fort are almost genetically identical to the racing dogs of today. These 50 questions cover the animal and the sport built around it: the 43 mph top speed and the double-suspension gallop, the big heart and odd blood chemistry that trip up vets, the grighund etymology, the 'Velcro dog' temperament and the sleep startle, coursing and the Waterloo Cup, Owen Patrick Smith's mechanical hare, Belle Vue 1926, Mick the Miller's nineteen straight wins and his stuffed afterlife at Tring, Master McGrath, Ballyregan Bob's 32, the English Derby, adoption after the track closures, the Italian Greyhound, Santa's Little Helper and how an American bus line got its name. The expert tier asks about Crufts 1928, the Vindolanda tablets and the Waterloo Hotel. Every answer is cited to a page we checked and comes with a short explanation, so you learn something even when you miss. Play solo or print it for a dog-lovers' night.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01What peak speed can a racing Greyhound reach?
At least 69 km/h (43 mph)
Typical winning speeds are 58–61 km/h; the breed has the highest share of fast-twitch Type IIa muscle fibres of any dog.
Q 02To which group of dogs does the Greyhound belong?
Sighthounds
It was developed to hunt game by sight and speed rather than by nose.
Q 03What is the Greyhound's fastest running gait called?
Double suspension gallop
All four feet leave the ground twice in every stride, once contracted and once extended.
Q 04Roughly how tall is a male Greyhound at the withers?
71–76 cm
Males weigh 27 to 40 kg on average; females are a little smaller.
Q 05Roughly how many recognised colour forms does the Greyhound come in?
About 30
White, brindle, fawn, black, red and blue appear alone or in combination.
Q 06Greyhounds are 'dolichocephalic', meaning what about their heads?
Long relative to width
The elongated muzzle goes with the slim, S-shaped sighthound outline.
Q 07What nickname do owners give Greyhounds that follow them from room to room?
Velcro dog
Despite their speed, they are famously sociable, gentle and not keen barkers.
Q 08Why can waking a napping Greyhound be risky?
Sleep startle aggression
Many sleep with their eyes partly open, so they look awake when they are not.
Q 09Why do rehoming bodies advise keeping Greyhounds on a lead outdoors?
Strong prey drive, poor recall
Victoria and Western Australia make leashing mandatory by law.
Q 10Which type of anaesthetic do Greyhounds metabolise poorly?
Barbiturates
Their livers have lower levels of oxidative enzymes, and their unusual blood chemistry can mislead vets.
Q 11Compared with other breeds, Greyhounds have higher levels of what in their circulation?
Red blood cells
More oxygen reaches the muscles faster; platelet counts, by contrast, run lower.
Q 12Why are Greyhounds less likely to trigger dog allergies?
They have no undercoat
The lack of undercoat and body fat also makes them sensitive to heat and cold, so they live indoors.
Q 13Greyhounds are unusually sensitive to which class of product?
Insecticides
Vets avoid pyrethrin-based flea collars and sprays on the breed.
Q 21A Greyhound named Primley Sceptre won the first what in 1928?
Best in Show at Crufts
The breed has taken the Crufts title three times, most recently in 1956.
Q 22Which English king's coat of arms features a Greyhound?
Henry VII
The dog sits on the sinister side of the Tudor king's arms.
Q 23Historically, what was a pair of coursing Greyhounds called?
A brace
Three for hunting made a 'leash', otherwise known as a 'couple and a half'.
Q 24Who invented the mechanical hare that made modern track racing possible, in 1912?
Q 14A 2024 UK study found what life expectancy for the breed?
11.5 years
That is below the purebreed average of 12.7.
Q 15Greyhound-like dogs appear in drawings from Çatalhöyük in which modern country?
Turkey
The site dates to about 6000 BC; similar dogs appear on Egyptian tombs from the Middle Kingdom.
Q 16Which Roman-era writer described the vertragus, the first recorded European sighthound?
Arrian
The word is Celtic in origin, and the Vindolanda tablets show Roman troops in Britain knew the dog.
Q 17In the Middle Ages, who alone could own Greyhounds?
Rulers and nobles
The dog became a heraldic symbol of the ruling class in England, France and the Czech lands.
Q 18The earliest conclusive Greyhound bones, from the 8th–9th century, were found in which country?
Czech Republic
DNA from the Chotěbuz fort dog differed from modern Greyhounds by only four deletions and one substitution.
Q 19The name Greyhound is thought to come from which Old English word?
Grighund
The 'grig' has nothing to do with the colour grey; the breed comes in dozens of colours.
Q 20The Greyhound is the only dog mentioned by name in which book?
The Bible
The King James Version lists it among 'three that are stately of stride'; newer translations say 'strutting rooster'.
Owen Patrick Smith
He opened the first professional track with stands at Emeryville, California, in 1919.
Q 25Where was Britain's first modern greyhound race run, in July 1926?
Belle Vue, Manchester
Seven dogs chased an electric hare in front of 1,700 people; forty tracks were open by the end of 1927.
Q 26The first attempt to race greyhounds behind an artificial lure was made in 1876 at which London spot?
Hendon's Welsh Harp
Six dogs ran a 400-yard straight; the idea did not catch on for fifty years.
Q 27The totalisator was first introduced to British greyhound racing in which year?
1930
On-course bookmakers and the tote made betting the sport's central ingredient.
Q 28Which hare-coursing event ran at Great Altcar, Lancashire, from 1836 to 2005?
The Waterloo Cup
The Hunting Act 2004 made hare coursing unlawful in England and Wales, ending it.
Q 29The coursing cup's founder, a Liverpool hotelier, created which horse race the next year?
The Grand National
William Lynn of the Waterloo Hotel organised the first Grand Liverpool Steeplechase in 1837.
Q 30Which Irish coursing dog was the first to win the Altcar classic three times?
Master McGrath
Nearly drowned as a pup, he was later taken to meet Queen Victoria at her request.