Editing Sighthound (section)

==Appearance==
[[File:Sighthound head.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Dolichocephaly|dolichocephalic]] head proportions of a typical sighthound]]

These dogs specialize in pursuing prey, keeping it in sight, and overpowering it by their great speed and agility. They must be able to detect motion quickly, so they have keen vision. Sighthounds must be able to capture fast, agile prey, such as [[deer]] and [[hare]]s, so they have a very flexible back and long legs for a long stride, a deep chest to support an unusually (compared to other dogs) large heart, very efficient lungs for both [[Anaerobic exercise|anaerobic]] and [[Aerobic exercise|aerobic]] sprints, and a lean, wiry body to keep their weight at a minimum. Sighthounds have unique anatomical and physiological features, likely due to intentional selection for hunting by speed and sight; laboratory studies have established reference intervals for [[hematology]] and serum biochemical profiles in sighthounds, some of which are shared by all sighthounds and some of which may be unique to one breed.<ref>"Clinical pathology of Greyhounds and other sighthounds" S. Zaldívar‐López L.M. Marín M.C. Iazbik N. Westendorf‐Stingle S. Hensley C.G. Couto ''Veterinary Clinical Pathology'' Volume 40, Issue 4, first published: 24 October 2011</ref>

The typical sighthound [[Dog type|type]] has a light, lean head, which is [[dolichocephalic]] in proportion. This shape can create the illusion that their heads are longer than usual. [[Gray wolf|Wolves]] and other [[Canidae|wild dog]]s are dolichocephalic or [[mesaticephalic]], but some [[Dog|domestic dog]]s have become [[brachycephalic]] (short-headed) due to [[artificial selection]] by humans over the course of 12,000 years.<ref name="Roberts">{{Citation |last1=Roberts |first1=Taryn |last2=McGreevy |first2=Paul |last3=Valenzuela |first3=Michael |date=July 2010 |title=Human Induced Rotation and Reorganization of the Brain of Domestic Dogs |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=5 |issue=#7 |page=e11946 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0011946 |pmid=20668685 |pmc=2909913|bibcode=2010PLoSO...511946R |doi-access=free }}</ref> Dolichocephalic dogs have a wider [[field of vision]] but smaller overlap between the eyes and therefore possibly poorer [[depth perception]] in some of their field of view than brachycephalic dogs; most, if not all, dogs have less visual acuity than their antecedent, the wolf.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Miller |first1=Paul E. |last2=Murphy |first2=Christopher J. |date=December 15, 1995 |title=Vision in Dogs |url=http://redwood.berkeley.edu/bruno/animal-eyes/dog-vision-miller-murphy.pdf |journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association |volume=207 |issue=#12 |pages=1623–1634 |doi=10.2460/javma.1995.207.12.1623 |pmid=7493905 |access-date=2012-12-24}}</ref> There is no science-based evidence to confirm the popular belief that sighthounds have a higher visual acuity than other types of dogs. However, there is increasing evidence that dolichocephalic dogs, thanks to a higher number of [[retinal ganglion cell]]s in their “visual streak”, retain more heightened sensitivity than other dog types to objects and rapid movement in the horizontal field of vision.<ref>{{Citation |first1=Paul |last1=McGreevy |first2=Tanya D. |last2=Grassia |first3=Alison M. |last3=Harman |date=December 2004 |volume=63 |number=#1 |title=A strong correlation exists between the distribution of retinal ganglion cells and nose length in the dog |journal=Brain, Behavior and Evolution |pages=13–22 |doi=10.1159/000073756|pmid=14673195 |s2cid=24772865 }}</ref>

[[Image:Saluki dog breed.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Saluki]]]]