Hounds of the Hunt Guild of An Tir

"We don't know for certain where or when the term greyhound
originated. It probably dates to the late middle ages. It may
come from the old English "grei-hundr," supposedly "dog
hunter" or high order of rank. Another explanation is that it is
derived from "gre" or "gradus," meaning "first rank," so that
greyhound would mean "first rank among dogs." Finally, it has
been suggested that the term derives from Greekhound, since
the hound reached England through the Greeks. A minority
view is that the original greyhound stock was mostly grey in
color, so that the name simply refers to the color of the hound."
(Edmund de Langley, Mayster of Game, AD 1370)

Dogs in general were looked down upon in the Middle Ages,
but on the other hand greyhounds were highly valued. Vincent
of Beauvais, in the mid- thirteenth century, identified three
types of dog: hunting dogs, with drooping ears, guard dogs,
which are more rustic than other dogs, and greyhounds, which
are "the noblest, the most elegant, the swiftest, and the best at
hunting."

In Medieval times Greyhounds almost became extinct but it
was the clergy men who protected the hounds and then breed
them for nobility. Nobles favored white and spotted dogs that
could be spotted and recovered more easily if they became lost
in the forest.

Good hunting hounds were highly prized and were often made
gifts to kings and noblemen. They were considered the dog of
the aristocracy. You could tell a gentleman by his horses and
his greyhounds.

The greyhound was used as an emblem, often in tombs, at the
feet of the effigies of gentlemen, symbolizing the knightly
virtues (faith), occupations (hunting) and generally the
aristocratic way of life. Where tombs are concerned, the
greyhound always was associated with knighthood (along with
the lion, symbolizing strength). Ladies were generally
associated with the little lap-dog (symbol of marital faithfulness
and domestic virtue).

King Howel of Wales made killing a greyhound punishable by
death. The value of a Greyhound exceeded that of a serf, and
the punishment for causing death of a Greyhound was
equivalent to the punishment for murder.

The Forest Laws was established by King Canute of England.
The Laws were established to reserve large areas of the country
for hunting by the nobility. During the Kings reign only nobility
were allowed to own greyhounds and if a commoner was found
to own a greyhound the owner was severely punished and the
dogs toes mutilated to prevent it from hunting. Commoners that
owned greyhounds in defiance favored dogs that were hard to
spot eg, black, red, fawn or brindle.