Photo from @lola_greybull (IG)
Greyhounds and Pit Bulls are incredible dog breeds. If you plan to get a dog, these might have made it to your final list. However, you’ll most likely choose only one of them to be your company.
If you don’t have a final decision, why don’t you try to get a mix between them?
The Greybull Pit is the crossbreed between the Greyhound and American Pit Bull Terrier. It is quite an unusual combination, but the outcome is spectacular. Greybull Pits are large and very sporty dogs. However, they are mostly advised for experienced owners.
It is crucial to thoroughly know the details of any dog before you officially get him. This can prove to be a very stressful task sometimes, especially if we’re talking about a crossbreed.
So today I’ll cover everything you should know about the Greybull Pit.
Considerations About Crossbreeding
Before diving into the details of a mixed dog, it’s vital to understand how they are generated. Crossbred dogs are those whose parents are purebred of distinct breeds or aren’t purebred at all. The resulting puppy is a dog that shares some characteristics from each breed.
The most common scenario is when people mate two purebred dogs together. In our case, they’re pure Pit Bulls and Greyhounds. It isn’t impossible, but rather uncommon to find puppies of two Greybull Pits.
One of the most significant benefits of crossbred dogs is that they tend to be healthier. Purebred pooches may suffer from breed-specific genetic anomalies that can be passed through generations.
When you mix two breeds, there’s a higher chance these imperfections will be lost in the DNA exchange.
The most significant disadvantage is their unpredictability. Anything can happen in the gamete interchange. If you breed a large dog together with a small one, there’s an equal chance of the resulting puppy being tiny or extraordinarily massive.
And that doesn’t apply only for physical aspects. Other things, such as the temperament of the new dog, are hard to forecast as well.
What you should do to better know how your mixed dog will be like is to analyze their parents individually. The resulting animal is always the average of their ancestors’ characteristics.
Obviously, that isn’t a precise way to determine the features of the new dog, but it certainly helps a bit.
The Athletic and Fast Dog: The Greyhound
Let’s start by talking about the specific characteristics of the Greyhound. In fact, these dogs aren’t common in American homes. Their primary role is to participate in races. The majority of current pet Greyhounds are actually retired competitors.
More than a third of all the dogs nowadays are still on the grind. They are raised by trainers who prepare them specifically for Greyhound racing. Therefore, they can’t be included in domestic statistics.
These dogs have the ideal anatomy for speed. They have the perfect power-to-weight ratio, tall and powerful feet, deep chest, and many other features that, when combined, allow them to reach speeds close to 46 mph.
Greyhounds are the fastest dogs on the planet, hence why people love racing them. This is a relatively active breed. However, many other popular ones have higher energy than this.
If you were to get a Greyhound as a puppy, then maybe he would be much more playful. But remember that most people own retired athletes, which have an elevated age and literally have already run enough!
These dogs have a tendency to be incredibly friendly with anyone. They’re a good company for the family, kids, and tolerate other dogs and strangers without much problem.
Despite that, a major issue is that they tend to bark a lot. But in case you need to teach him some obedience lessons, he is highly easy to train as well.
Despite most of the benefits of this breed, some things prevent them from matching some owners’ profiles. Greyhounds are not advised for novice owners. They don’t adapt well to some situations, which might make them challenging dogs to deal with.
They also demand a high responsibility. Unless the dog is in a fenced and controlled area, he must never be let lead-free. This breed has a strong prey-drive instinct.
The dog may easily fall into the temptation of attacking a small animal. With their lightning speeds, nothing can stop them if you let them free.
The Misunderstood Breed: The American Pit Bull Terrier
The second part of the Greybull Pit mix is the American Pit Bull Terrier (or APBT). A lot of people simply call this breed “The Pit Bull,” but this can sometimes cause confusion.
Pit Bull is a generic term to refer to a type of dog descended from Bulldogs and Terriers. Inside this category, there are many breeds, like the American Bulldog, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and, obviously, the American Pit Bull Terrier.
Mixes between a Pit Bull and the Greyhound are uncommon, but the Greybull Pit is the most commonly found. Because of that, that’s the only one I’ll show you today.
If you want more information about other mixes, this article still remains valuable since a significant number of features are shared among various Pit Bull breeds.
Another widespread misconception about the Pit Bulls is that they’re dangerous. On the contrary, they’re incredibly friendly both with their families and with strangers.
Their relationship with kids is so fantastic that many people used to call them “the nanny dog.” Yes, this position was sometimes attributed to them. Nowadays, this practice is falling into disuse.
Nevertheless, the APBT commonly mistreats other pets. I believe that’s one of the factors why a lot of people accuse them of being dangerous. In the past, this breed was widely used in blood sports, such as bear and bull baiting.
Even though these practices are prohibited nowadays, some Pit Bulls still have serious problems accepting other dogs.
Apart from that, many irresponsible owners deliberately train their APBTs to be aggressive with other people. If we combine everything, we can realize why the preconception exists.
The tendency of misbehavior towards other pets require APBTs to be socialized as soon as possible. By giving the dog early lessons in his life, he will learn how to behave adequately with much more facility. He will not only accept other dogs but also overcome his tendencies of stubbornness.
And as well as the Greyhound, the American Pit Bull Terrier is effortless to train. It is a highly intelligent breed and does everything possible to please their owners.
However, this last group also needs to comply with their dog’s demands. And the most significant responsibility is to provide them with time to exercise.
There are some highly lazy APBTs, but the vast majority of them are completely the opposite. So it isn’t difficult to convince them to go out for a walk.
As well as the Greyhound, American Pit Bull Terriers aren’t advised for inexperienced people. They don’t adapt well to many situations, including apartment living and extreme weather.
Another strong positive aspect of the APBT is that they’re really easy to groom. I think you may have imagined this since they clearly don’t have much fur. Not only is it simpler to brush them, but they also get dirty less often, which means less need for baths.
They tend to drool a lot, which is lousy if you can’t stand your furniture being always full of saliva. But apart from that, American Pit Bulls are really strong and healthy dogs.
They may experience some problems throughout their lives, but those are common issues among all animals.
American Pit Bull Terrier + Greyhound = The Greybull Pit
So now you know the characteristics of those two breeds, let’s dive into the mix between them! The Greybull Pit is basically the average of its parents’ features.
It is a happy, sensitive, and active dog. Although their parents have vast backgrounds, this crossbreed is quite new, indeed.
Behavior and Trainability
The Greybull Pit is a highly friendly crossbreed. These dogs get along well with any person. Be the members of your family, kids, and even strangers, you won’t see your pooch creating confusion.
In fact, what may happen is he getting extremely excited to greet someone that comes to your house.
The dog is highly sensitive. He will hate being alone or distant from you. Among other considerations, that’s something essential to have in mind if you plan to leave him outside for long periods.
Any tension or special event that happens in your family is enough to affect his mood as well.
Mostly a characteristic of the American Pit Bull Terrier, the Greybull Pit perfectly knows how to deal with kids. He will take care of little children when needed, and always knows how to act with them.
The Greyhound is generally a dog-friendly pet, but the APBT isn’t. Due to that, the Greybull Pit may behave similarly. That’s a reason for some concern. But with proper training and socialization, you can quickly solve this issue.
This dog is easy to train overall. He is highly intelligent, so he will absorb lessons without any problems. Sometimes, however, he might be stubborn and resist your commands. Those cases can be easily solved if you reward the dog more often.
As per usual, the method of training advised is positive reinforcement. Being aggressive with your furry friend is not only cruel, but it simply doesn’t work, either.
Size, Required Space, and Appearance
That’s a thing you must note: the Greybull Pit tends to be a large dog. Obviously, it all depends on which side will stand out the most. If the Pit Bull prevails, expect something smaller, a medium-sized pet.
But if the dominant gene is the Greyhound’s one, then you’ll get a really substantial outcome.
The average height for females is around 17 to 18 inches. On the other hand, males typically grow from 19 up to 30 inches! They weigh between 30 to 85 pounds when fully grown.
Whether or not a house is a requirement to get this dog is a tricky subject. You know, the Greyhound can live in an apartment without many troubles. However, some American Pit Bull Terriers may struggle a bit to adapt to this scenario.
Everything depends on your Greybull Pit’s parents, specifically. It is kind of a gamble to predict how well he will adapt to living in a small space.
As a rule of thumb, I’d say you’re okay with this situation. I advise you to search for the dog’s family details before deciding anything.
Look at how the Pit Bull that originated him behaves. If he has records of being playful and demanding, maybe consider looking for another dog.
Common Health Problems
It’s never exciting to think about the health problems that our dogs may suffer. However, that’s a subject that can’t be avoided. You must be ready because, unfortunately, someday your furry friend will go through this.
Your attitudes to prevent health issues must be taken even before you get a Greybull Pit. It’s crucial to verify the breeder you plan to get your dog from.
You must ask yourself the basic yet most pressing questions:
Is the breeder reputable?
Do they have a clean history regarding animal mistreatment?
Does the place that the puppy lives have adequate conditions?
How is the disease history of the dog’s family like?…
This questioning will provide you with an overview of your future dog’s health. In case you find that his family had previous hereditary diseases, for example, maybe he will be more prone to them as well.
Obviously, you should deeply research anything before to prevent premature conclusions.
But now, let’s see the group of diseases the Greybull Pit tends to be more vulnerable to:
Hip Dysplasia (HD)
I bet you’ve already heard this term a lot. Hip Dysplasia is a common condition, especially among large dog breeds. It is an anomaly in the canine ball-socket hip joint that makes it mistakenly placed. This is what allows dogs to walk and run with freedom.
The issue may cause a wide variety of problems among dogs, it depends on its progression. Symptoms include a decrease in activity, difficulty walking and jumping, pain, and other related troubles. The diagnosis can be made by identifying these difficulties or through X-ray.
An abnormal genetic condition is the main cause of HD. Surgery is the only effective treatment method. However, if the case is not worrying enough, there’s generally no need for this. Your dog’s veterinarian may simply prescribe some remedies.
Hypothyroidism/Hyperthyroidism
The Greybull Pit may experience some problems related to hormonal production. If the thyroid gland produces fewer hormones than usual, this is called hypothyroidism. If the scenario is the opposite, the condition is called hyperthyroidism.
What these diseases can cause are mostly changes in metabolism. Lack of energy, obesity, irregular heat cycles, and mental dullness are some examples of the effects of hypothyroidism.
On the other hand, hyperthyroidism may lead your dog to hyperactivity, excessive weight loss, frequent urination, and many other problems. This illness, however, is slightly rarer than hypothyroidism.
Both conditions are chronic, they can’t be cured. The good news is that they aren’t a big problem, though. You just need to continually provide your Greybull Pit with a hormone replacement pill. The major drawback is that he will need to use it until the end of his life.
Gastric Torsion (Bloat)
Perhaps that’s the most serious common health issue you need to pay attention to. Bloat is when food, fluids, or gases fill a dog’s stomach, making it expand. If you verify that your Greybull Pit suffers from this problem, seek treatment as soon as possible.
The clearest sign of bloat is an expanded stomach. The belly of your furry friend will look like a party balloon. Other symptoms include drooling, will to vomit, restlessness, and anxiety. Gastric torsion commonly happens quickly.
What causes bloat isn’t entirely clear yet. However, some attitudes may be related to this trauma. Things such as eating or drinking quickly and in excess, having one large daily meal, and mental stress may generate gastric torsion crises.
Depending on the severity of the case, different treatment methods will be deployed. The most usual way for vets to solve this problem is by inserting a tube into the animal’s throat and trying to release the pressure.
Bloat can prevent your Greybull Pit’s blood from reaching the heart, tear the wall of his stomach, send him into shocks, and, in more severe cases, even lead to death. Now you understand the importance of quick reactions.
Care & Exercise
Grooming a Greybull Pit is an easy task. As you can see, neither the American Pit Bull Terrier nor the Greyhound has long fur.
This characteristic makes them shed very little. Thankfully, this also applies to the Greybull Pit.
Another pro of this crossbreed is its low bathing frequency. Mainly thanks to their short fur, these dogs don’t get dirty quickly.
Therefore, the interval between the baths of your furry friend can be substantially longer in comparison to other breeds.
A significant drawback of Greybull Pits is that they drool constantly. That’s a problem inherited from the APBT. So if you can’t stand living with your stuff full of dog saliva, think carefully if you really want this mix.
As I said previously, the Greybull Pit is an active crossbreed. Your furry friend will frequently jump on you, desperately asking for a walk.
Depending on the dog, he may behave slightly differently, either being more demanding or lazy.
Regardless of circumstances, provide him with 30 minutes to 2 hours of exercise each day. Yes, this may seem a lot, but it’s required to maintain your pooch in good health.
If you need some help, hire a dog walker. But never leave him with a lack of exercise.
My Final Thoughts
If you love Pit Bulls and Greyhounds, the Greybull Pit may be a great dog for you. This crossbreed blends the best aspects of the American Pit Bull Terrier and the Greyhound, creating a friendly, active, and fast dog.
Understanding all the aspects of a dog breed is crucial before deciding who will be your new companion. For the Greybull Pit, you must make sure you have previous experience with other dogs. Despite being amiable, they do require some advanced expertise.
Apart from this crossbreed, there are many others involving Pit Bulls and the Greyhound. You just need to change the American Pit Bull Terrier for any other Pit Bull breed.
However, the Greybull Pit is the most common one, and it also serves as a base to understand the other combinations.
References & Citations
WagWalking.com
Dogtime.com
Wikipedia
Designermixes.org
Fetch by WebMD
American Kennel Club
Wamiz
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