Italian Greyhound Dog Breed

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Below are specs and facts on the Italian Greyhound dog breed.

The AKC considers the Italian Greyhound a toy sized dog and is visually similar to the standard Greyhound. This breed rarely stands taller than 13-15 inches and weighs 7-14 pounds. This small size in addition to their fragile bones make them poorly suited for households with large, rambunctious dogs or children that cannot yet properly and gently handle pets.

Italian Greyhounds are the ultimate lapdog and love showering their owner with adoration and affection. They will follow you from room to room, jump into your lap, allow you to carry them, and lick your face without hesitation. They are very good with children and other pets, but large high energy dogs and children that have not been taught to gently handle pets may cause this breed harm. Alertness is a prized trait in this breed, however, they are too reserved and even timid to be guard dogs. As an owner, you must be able to keep an eye on them; they are very athletic, can jump high and squeeze through small areas.

This can be considered a low maintenance breed. They need weekly brushing and special attention paid to regular teeth cleaning as the are susceptible to periodontal diseases. They will be calm and gentle indoors, however, their medium energy requirements can be met with daily walks or run and chase games in enclosed areas. Training can be fairly easy with consistency and a gentle yet authoritative command. Although you may have a soft spot for your little, cuddly friend, do not for one second let him/her manipulate you into letting them come first as they will immediately begin to not listen.

Italian Greyhounds are actually smaller/toy-sized versions of the standard Greyhound that have been selectively bred to be companions and small game hunters. They are a 2,000 year old breed that originated in ancient Mediterranean region; remains of small Greyhound-type dogs have been found in the ruins of ancient Pompeii, Italy. These dogs were highly in-demand sighthounds within Italy and other neighboring European countries and during the 17th century had even made it to England. During this time small dogs were extremely popular and this breed in particular was owned by several royal families from England to Russia. Famous artist of the period such as Giotto, Carpaccio, Bosch and many others included these dogs in their artworks. Their popularity did not begin its ascent until 1950 in America and after World War II this stock was used to replenished England's dwindling Italian Greyhound population. It was recognized by the AKC in 1886 and the Italian Greyhound Club of America was founded in 1954. In addition to the AKC, this breed is recognized by 10 plus additional kennel clubs.

Members of this breed have all the appearance of elegance that the standard Greyhound has but they are considered toy sized. They are slender and long, with hindquarters that are lean muscled. They are higher at the shoulders and the back curves, making the hindquarters lower with a tucked under appearance with a long slender tail that tapers to a point. The head is long and narrow and somewhat flat on top, while the neck is long, arched leading into a deep and narrow chest. The eyes of the Italian Greyhound are dark and the ears are folded and held back from the head. The soft skin is covered by short, shiny, hair that is also smooth to the touch.

There are seventeen colors that are standard for this breed and several more that are acceptable. The AKC considers the following colors to be standard: black, blue, fawn, sable, seal, blue fawn, cream, red and red fawn; white in combination with any of these colors is also standard. Black and tan, blue and tan, white, chocolate, and brindle are other typical colors. These dogs may have a black or blue mask, white markings, or one of the aforementioned masks along with white markings.

Blue & Fawn

White & Black

White & Blue

Blue

Seal

The AKC considers the Italian Greyhound a toy sized dog and is visually similar to the standard Greyhound. This breed rarely stands taller than 13-15 inches and weighs 7-14 pounds. This small size in addition to their fragile bones make them poorly suited for households with large, rambunctious dogs or children that cannot yet properly and gently handle pets.

Italian Greyhounds are very much lapdogs and are very affectionate and loyal to their owners. They actually adore their owners and will follow them anywhere and everywhere. They will also not hesitate to jump into your arms and on your lap, lick your face and anything else they consider as "showering you with love". This being said, if you will have to leave your pet alone for long periods of time or can't stand a dog on the couch, bed, and clothes -- this little guy is not for you.

Members of this breed are playful, bright little dogs capable of top speeds, just like other sizes of Greyhound, and enjoy running and chasing for exercise. This also means they should be kept on a leash in unenclosed areas. They are also capable of jumping quite high and squeezing through small areas so an eye must be kept on them even in the yard.

This breed is friendly to all other pets and children, but can be shy around strangers. Although alertness is one of their strengths this allows them to be capable watch dogs but their timidness makes them poor guard dogs.

Training this breed can be relatively easy but the owner has to understand how to balance gentleness with authority. Don't let their small, cuddly personality fool you they are intelligent and manipulative. Members of this breed are eager to please their owners and yet will not listen if the owner is inconsistent and weak; however, Italian Greyhounds are very sensitive and may get stressed out or their feelings hurt if the owner is too harsh. Breeders inform owners that Italian Greyhounds may be hard to housebreak; they must be frequently watch and confined when you are not present until they are trained. If you do not have the persistence and time to housetrain at a moderate difficulty then you may want to consider another breed.

These dogs are very friendly towards children and are sweet, affectionate and playful. This still not be the best choice for a rambunctious household and children that cannot yet be taught how to properly and gently handle them. They have fine, long bones and are generally easily susceptible to fractures.

Overall, these dogs are very friendly towards other pets. Members of this breed are usually companion dogs and shouldn't have much prey drive towards other household pets; however, if they are let off leash in an unenclosed area they may bolt off to chase tiny critters. They also do well with other dogs too but can be easily injured when playing with larger and more rambunctious individuals.

Italian Greyhounds are reserved around strangers. They are loyal to their owners and alertness is one of their key attributes so they can make acceptable watch dogs. However, they do not make good guard dogs as they can sometimes be timid.

Below are pictures and images of the Italian Greyhound.

This can be considered a low maintenance breed. They need weekly brushing and special attention paid to regular teeth cleaning as the are susceptible to periodontal diseases. They will be calm and gentle indoors, however, their medium energy requirements can be met with daily walks or run and chase games in enclosed areas. Training can be fairly easy with consistency and a gentle yet authoritative command. Although you may have a soft spot for your little, cuddly friend, do not for one second let him/her manipulate you into letting them come first as they will immediately begin to not listen.

This is a low maintenance breed that rarely sheds. Like most others, they require occasional bathing and nail trimming, and regular teeth and ear cleaning; teeth cleaning is especially important as they are prone to periodontal diseases. Besides that, a soft brush or towel used once weekly will suffice to keep their coats healthy and shiny.

These dogs have medium energy requirements that can be met with daily outdoor walks, training, and playtime such as running and chasing with their owner. Italian Greyhounds pick up on obedience and agility training quite easily and this is a great way to exercise and bond with your dog. These little dogs adore doing anything with their owners indoors or out. Their small size and long, fine bone structure could be a concern when playing with large dogs or rough children. Keep in mind this dog is capable of high speeds and if not kept on leash in unenclosed areas, may sprint away to satisfy its curiousity.

Their small size and lap dog personality make them ideally suited for indoors, even apartments. Members of this breed are peaceful, gentle and pretty easily trained. They prefer to be around their owner or family at all times and do not do well in a household where they are left alone for long periods of time. They are a not the best match for someone that must keep their dog outdoors.

Italian greyhounds have short, low maintenance coats. They also have very little body fat so this is not a combination that is ideal for cold weather. If you live in a cold area they should be kept indoors and exercised during the warmest parts of the day.

Some interesting facts about the breed:

• Italian Greyhounds in art: As these little dogs were popular among Italy's aristocracy, numerous IG dogs are portrayed with their owners in Italian Renaissance paintings.
• Italian Greyhound ugly Christmas apparel: Some clothing lines offer comically hideous holiday-themed sweaters and T-shirts with an "Ugly Italian Greyhound" logo, complete with the dog's image on the front.
• They're difficult to housetrain: Italian Greyhound puppies are known for being notoriously hard to housetrain--so much so that some owners say they teach their dogs to go outside to go potty.
• Celebrity Italian Greyhound owners: Perhaps the most famous IG is a dog named Frisbee, owned by late-night host Seth Meyers. Italian Greyhound dogs are also owned by stars like Will Smith, Matt Damon, Uma Thurman, and Sigourney Weaver.

Members of this breed are pretty healthy overall, however, they are a long standing purebred breed so it is important to familiarize yourself with all possibilities. Like many dogs, they can suffer from hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, eye problems. They are susceptible to autoimmune diseases such as thyroiditis, gum/tooth diseases, seizures, and sometimes alopecia. Gentleness is required with this breed as they have long delicate bones. They are generally sensitive to anesthesia and owners should discuss what this entails with the veterinarian before a procedure. The Italian Greyhound Club of America website has an excellent list of documented health issues for these dogs. Generally members of this breed live 12-15 years, however, it is not unusual to see Italian Greyhounds that surpass that by several years.

• Alopecia
• Drug Sensitivity
• Eye Problems
• Hip Dysplasia
• Patellar Luxation
• Thyroid Problems
• View all 6...

The following dog breed registries and organizations recognize the Italian Greyhound as a dog breed:

• American Canine Registry
• American Kennel Club
• America's Pet Registry
• Australian National Kennel Council
• Canadian Kennel Club
• Continental Kennel Club
• Dog Registry of America Inc.
• Federation Cynologique Internationale
• Kennel Club of Great Britain
• National Kennel Club
• New Zealand Kennel Club
• North American Purebred Registry, Inc.
• United Kennel Club
• American Canine Association, Inc.
• View all 14...

• Sources
• http://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/italian-greyhound/
• http://www.animalplanet.com/breed-selector/dog-breeds/toy/italian-greyhound.html
• http://italiangreyhound.org/About-Italian-Greyhounds
• http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/italiangreyhound.htm
• http://www.romprescue.com/2013/09/celebrities-italian-greyhounds/