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Breed Characteristics
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Italian Greyhound
| Other Names | French: Petit Levrier Italiane; Italian: Piccolo Levriero Italiano; German: Italienisches Windspiel; Spanish: Galgo italiano |
| Nicknames | IG |
| Country of Origin | Italy |
| Weight | 6 - 10 lbs. (3 - 5 kg) There are two weight varieties: 8 lbs (4 kg) maximum, and over 8 lbs (4 kg). |
| Height (at withers) | 12 - 15 in. (30 - 38 cm) |
| Coat | The Italian Greyhound has a short coat with a soft, natural texture. The undercoat does not offer them much protection during harsh weather, but it is easy to maintain with a simple wipe down. |
| Colour | The most common colours are grey, slate, black, and dark blue. |
| Litter Size | 4 - 8 puppies, average 6 |
| Life Span | 12 - 15 years |
| Origin & History | The Italian Greyhound is one of the oldest Greyhound lines and a similar dog has been found in the Egyptian tombs of over 6000 years ago. This breed was brought to Europe by the Phoenicians and was later developed and trained by the Romans. The Greyhound was found in the ancient artifacts of Pompeii, Italy and has since become a popular dog throughout the royal families in Europe. These dogs quickly became popular companion dogs but have also been used for hunting purposes. The Italian Greyhound has often appeared in old paintings and artifacts, and has historically been favored by Catherine the Great of Russia, Anne of Denmark, and Queen Victoria among others. The name of the breed is actually a reference to the breed's popularity during the Renaissance period in Italy. The Italian Greyhound has been known to be a companion at war; Frederick the Great of Prussia reportedly took his Italian Greyhound with him during the battle period in Europe because he liked it so much! His dying wish was to be buried with his Italian Greyhound in Sands Souci Palace. These graceful dogs have also been a part of the nineteenth century African cattle exchanges; they were at one time exchanged for 200 cattle during the trading periods. These dogs are the smallest of the family of gazehounds and most likely originated from Greece or Turkey. They have often been depicted in the natural arts and distributed throughout Southern Europe when miniature dogs were in high demand. |
| Personality | The Italian Greyhound is playful, keen, affectionate, intelligent and kind-mannered. It is generally submissive and wants nothing more than to please its owner. It is sensitive to the tone of one's voice and will not listen if it senses that it is stronger minded than its owner, however it will also not respond well to harsh discipline. Owners need to be calm, yet possess an air of natural authority. Can be reserved with strangers; socialize well. Adult dogs are not as fragile as they may appear. Generally they are not difficult to train provided their handler is consistent with them. This dog can be high-strung and timid if overprotected, and does not receive enough exercise, including a daily pack walk. It does best in a quiet household, although it does get along well with children and other dogs and cats, so long as the humans around it display leadership. In a stressful situation, do not try to reassure the dog by stroking or cuddling, as this intensifies the stress in the dog. In the dog world, when a dog is in an unstable state, and you try and give him reassurance with affection, the dog sees you as being in a weaker state than his own. This intensifies the instability. You need to give off a stronger, more stable energy the dog can feed from. Italian Greyhounds are very dependent and peaceful. This dog needs you to be his pack leader. Dogs that are babied and overprotected will be snappish if they are frightened. Do not allow your little dog to develop Small Dog Syndrome, where the dog believes it rules the home. This can cause a wide variety of varying degrees of behavior problems. Can be difficult to housebreak. This breed is extremely fast, very active and is able to climb. |
Care Requirements
| Health | Health problems that can be found in the breed: Epilepsy Legg-Perthes disease (degeneration of the hip) Patellar Luxation (slipped stifles) von Willebrand disease (vWD) (Bleeding disorder) Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Color dilution alopecia (hair loss in dilute pigmented dogs, i.e.: blues, blue fawns, etc.) Leg Breaks (most common under the age of 2) Cataracts Vitreous degeneration Liver shunts Autoimmune hemolytic anemia Periodontal disease, gum recession, early tooth loss, bad tooth enamel Hypothyroidism, Autoimmune Thyroid Disease (Hashimoto's disease) Responsible breeders will routinely check their dogs for the onset of various inherited disorders, these commonly include (but are not limited to): CERF examinations on eyes, OFA patellar examinations, OFA thyroid function panels, von Willebrand's factor, OFA hip and Legg-Perthes disease x-rays, and others. In research by the Ortheopedic Foundation for Animals, the Italian Greyhound was found to be the least affected by hip dysplasia out of 157 breeds. Tests were conducted on 169 individual Italian Greyhounds, of which none were found to have hip dysplasia and 59.2% scored excellent on their hip evaluations. |
| Grooming | The Italian Greyhound is one of the easiest dogs to groom. All that is needed to keep the fine, silky coat gleaming is a rubdown with a piece of toweling or chamois. Only bathe when absolutely necessary. After bathing make sure the dog is thoroughly dry and warm. Trim toenails regularly. This breed sheds little to no hair. |
| Exercise | Italian Greyhounds are active little dogs who need a good, daily walk. In addition, they love to run free and play. Be sure to make them heel on the lead. Dogs not only have an instinct to migrate daily, but to have a leader leading the way. Humans should enter and exit all door and gateways before the dog. In order for your dog to fully respect your authority you need to be their leader rather than the other way around. |
| Other Considerations | The Italian Greyhound is good for apartment life. They are fairly active indoors and will do okay without a yard. They are sensitive to cold weather. Owners will often put a shirt on them. The grace of the breed has prompted several artists to include the dogs in paintings, among others Velázquez, Pisanello, and Giotto. The breed has been popular with royalty throughout, among the best known royal aficionados were Mary, Queen of Scots, Queen Anne, Queen Victoria, Catherine the Great, Frederick the Great and Maud, Queen of Norway. The breed is also represented in popular culture. Nelly from the film Good Boy! is an Italian Greyhound played by "Motif" and "Imp". Figaro, owned by Lydia Schiavello from the television program The Real Housewives of Melbourne, is a sagacious little Italian Greyhound who loves to dress up. |
