The Italian Greyhound
The Italian Greyhound originated in Italy and was bred for human companionship. They were quite common in the 16th century and were often owned by European nobility due to their small size and sweet, timid character. Today these dogs still make great companions and are perfect for families that have a quiet laid back lifestyle.
The Italian Greyhound is a quiet, docile dog that has an energetic and playful side to them. They are a loving breed that is not the slightest bit independent as they thrive and need to be near their owners as much as possible. It is said that Italian Greyhounds should be at least 2 per household, meaning if a person owns one, that they should purchase another as these dogs get along with each other very well.
This breed has an extremely slim body with a slender neck and a long muzzle. The Italian Greyhounds coat is short and glossy but is hard to the touch. They have small floppy ears, a long lean tail, and delicate toned legs. These dogs can sprint at high speeds just as the Greyhound can.
Breed Group
Toy
Size
Males: 12-15 inches high
Females: 12-15 inches high
Weight
Males: 6-10 lbs
Females: 6-10 lbs
The 2 categories for Italian Greyhound weight is over 8 lbs and under 8 lbs.
Color(s)
This breed will come in a blue, fawn, black, cream, slate, gray or red. There will be small white patterns on their paws and chest. Most commonly seen is the slate with patches of white or the fawn with patches of white.
Coat
The Italian Greyhound has a short, glossy coat that is of a harder texture. They are a low fur shedding dog and will need very minimal grooming. A hounds brush is suggested to keep their coat glossy. During the colder seasons, the Italian Greyhound will need a doggie coat when going outside because their fur is simply to short and fine to protect them from the elements.
Life Expectancy
About 12-15 years.
Personality
The Italian Greyhound is a calm, gentle little dog that can be quite shy! They are very docile dogs and enjoy a relaxed home environment where there is less traffic and noise. This breed gets along well with people, dogs, and smaller pets but are reserved when meeting any of these for the first couple of times. Once this dog is accustomed to a stranger they will warm up quickly.
Although these dogs are considered a Toy breed, they will chase smaller animals just by instinct so when walking, always have them on a leash just in case and when they are off-leash, the park or outdoor area should be fenced in. This breed is notoriously difficult to housetrain because they have a small bladder, so they will need to be taken out at least every hour to get used to your house rules.
Care
The Italian Greyhound is a low maintenance breed when referring to their grooming requirements because they have such a short coat. They will need to be brushed about once every week or two to remove the dead fur. A hound’s glove will be useful as well because this will leave their coat shiny. This breed is prone to epilepsy, luxating patella’s, and fractures because their bones are quite fine. They may also be prone to hypothyroidism, eye problems such as cataracts and Progressive Retinal Atrophy, and Legg Perthes syndrome.
Training
This breed is intelligent and bright so training should not be difficult provided their owner is consistent and repetitive. These dogs are sensitive and will need a gentle training method to fully understand and respect their owner’s commands. Housetraining has been known to be more difficult with this breed due to their small bladder. Consistency and monitoring their pee breaks will be needed for the first month or two to ensure they have this house rule understood.
Activity
These dogs will need to be taken out on regular walks and even to dog parks so they can run around off-leash and socialize with other dogs at the same time. Leash walks will not tire these dogs out so they will need an area to run that is completely fenced in. The Italian Greyhound will do well in an apartment because they don’t take up much space. A backyard would be preferable so they can have an outdoor area to run around in.