Overview
The Xigou, sometimes called the Chinese Greyhound, is a lean, long-legged sighthound with roots in northern China going back many centuries. It has a fine coat, a long muzzle and a deep chest, and it hunts by sight across open ground. Numbers are low and the breed is almost unknown in the West.
Handle it as you would any sighthound. It will be gentle and undemanding most of the time and completely single-minded when it sees movement.
Exercise and walking needs
Seventy-five minutes a day is plenty if some of it involves a hard run in a safe place. Sighthounds sprint and then rest; they are not endurance walkers.
Two moderate walks with one proper gallop in an enclosed field a few times a week suits the type.
Daily minimum75 minutes
Ideal2 walks a day
Off-lead timeSecure fields only
On the walk
- Sight chase: Anything that moves fast at a distance, a rabbit, a cat or a plastic bag, can trigger a full-speed chase. The dog does not hear you once it has gone.
- Recall: Treat it as absent outside a fence. Even a well-trained sighthound is faster than your reaction.
- Lead: Easy to walk until the chase instinct fires. A wide sighthound collar or a well-fitted harness stops it slipping free.
- Cold: Thin skin and little body fat. A coat in winter and a dry towel after rain are basics, not extras.
Tips for professional walkers
- Find an enclosed field for running; it is the single most useful thing for this dog.
- Avoid roadsides with open ground opposite where a chase could cross traffic.
- Watch for cuts on the thin skin after running through scrub.
Every dog is an individual. Treat this as a starting point and go with what the owner tells you about their dog. Anything to do with health belongs with the owner and their vet.
What to ask the owner
- Has the dog chased and caught anything, and how does it react to cats?
- Where does the owner let it run, and is there a field you can use?
- Is there a coat or harness the dog is used to, and does it tolerate being towelled?