Rampur Greyhound
| Size at withers | 60–75 cm |
|---|---|
| Weight range | 23–30 kg |
| Life expectancy | 11–13 years |
| Size class | Large (25–40 kg) |
| Normal resting vitals | Heart rate 60–110 bpm · Respiration 10–30/min · Temperature 38.3–39.2 °C |
| Coat | Very short, smooth coat |
| Temperament | Powerful, patient, restrained aggression; historically used for hunting jackal and wild boar |
| Common health issues | Sighthound-typical; joint concerns in old age |
| Exercise needs | Very high — needs long runs; not an apartment breed |
| Climate & housing suitability | Adapted to climates with extremes of both heat and cold. |
| Owner notes | Bred by the Nawab of Rampur in the late 19th century as a cross of the Afghan Hound and English Greyhound. Endangered breed. |
Origin and purpose
Sighthound; documented. Origin: Uttar Pradesh (Rampur).
Bred by the Nawab of Rampur in the late 19th century as a cross of the Afghan Hound and English Greyhound. Endangered breed.
What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the owner's job is to give it somewhere to go.
Temperament and training
Stated temperament: Powerful, patient, restrained aggression; historically used for hunting jackal and wild boar
Reward-based training from the day the puppy arrives, with the socialisation window (roughly three to sixteen weeks) treated as the priority it is — what happens in those weeks shapes the adult dog more than anything you do later. Short, frequent, positive sessions. See Parts IV and IX.
Feeding
Growth is the thing that matters. Large-breed puppies must be fed a diet formulated for large-breed growth and must NOT be overfed or supplemented with calcium — growing too fast is a direct route to the joint disease this size of dog is already prone to. A lean puppy is a healthy puppy. As an adult, two measured meals a day, and keep the dog lean for life: excess weight is the single biggest accelerator of hip and elbow disease and arthritis.
Exercise and enrichment
Stated requirement: Very high — needs long runs; not an apartment breed
This is a genuinely high-energy dog and the commonest reason such dogs are rehomed is that their owners underestimated this. It needs hard daily physical exercise AND a job to think about; a walk around the block is not exercise for this breed. An under-exercised dog of this type becomes destructive, noisy, and anxious — behaviour problems that are, correctly understood, an exercise deficit.
Coat and grooming
Very short, smooth coat. Weekly rub-down.
Climate and living conditions
Stated suitability: Adapted to climates with extremes of both heat and cold.
Sighthound note: dogs of this type carry very little body fat and metabolise some anaesthetic agents differently, which means anaesthesia carries particular considerations. Tell any vet who has not treated a sighthound before, ideally in advance of any procedure. They also chill easily and bruise readily.
Ageing and senior care
Life expectancy: 11–13 years. This dog is a senior from around 7 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Large dogs age faster than small ones. Arthritis and cancer are the dominant concerns; do not dismiss a limp in an older large dog as 'just age' — bone cancer presents exactly that way. Senior care →
Before you take one home
- Sighthound: confirm the breeder or vet is aware of the anaesthetic considerations, and plan for secure fencing and lead-walking near roads.
- Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.
