Everything about Italian Greyhound totally explained
The
Italian Greyhound is a small
breed of
dog, specifically a member of the
sight hound family and member of the
toy group. They are sometimes called an "I.G.", "iggy" or "Italians" for short.
Description
Appearance
The Italian Greyhound is the smallest of the sight hounds, typically weighing about 7 to 11 lbs. Standing about 13 to 15 inches tall at the shoulder or withers.
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) Though they're in the "
toy" group by their weight, they physically occupy more space because of their slender bodies, so owners must be careful when sizing clothing or accommodations.
The Italian Greyhound's chest is deep, with a tucked abdomen, long slender legs and long neck. The face is long and pointed,like a full sized greyhound. Overall, they look like "miniature"
Greyhounds, though many Italian Greyhound owners dispute the use of the term "miniature Greyhound," in reference to the breed itself. By definition of the American Kennel Club - they're true genetic greyhounds, with a bloodline extending back over 2000 years. Their current small stature a function only of selective breeding over time. Their gait is distinctive and should be high stepping and free. They are able to run at top speed with a
double suspension gallop, and can achieve a top speed of up to 25mph.
The color of the coat is a subject of much discussion. In the
UK, the
USA, and
Australia, parti colored Italian Greyhounds are accepted, while the
FCI standards adhered to in
Europe allows white spots only on the chest and feet.
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The modern Italian Greyhound's appearance is a result of breeders throughout
Europe, particularly
Austrian,
German,
Italian, and
French breeders, making great contributions to the forming of this
breed. The Italian Greyhound should resemble a small
Greyhound, or rather a
Sloughi, though they're in appearance more elegant and graceful.
Temperament
The Italian Greyhound is affectionate and makes a good
companion dog. The breed is excellent for families and enjoys the company of people. While they're excellent with children, the breed's slim build and short coat make them somewhat fragile, and injury can result from rough play.
Although the Italian Greyhound appears fragile, they've some characteristics of larger dogs. Their large, strong lungs enables a bark that's deeper than one might expect from a small dog.
The breed is equally at home in the city or the country and doesn't require as much exercise as larger breeds, although they're fast, agile and athletic. The young dog is often particularly active, and this high level of activity may lead them to attempt ill-advised feats of athleticism that can result in injury. They enjoy running as fast as they possibly can, typically faster than other larger dogs.
In general the Italian Greyhound is intelligent, but they often have a "what's in it for me attitude," so patience and reward in training seem to work best. The are also known for their mischievous ingenuity; despite a high center of gravity, they can easily
walk upright on their hind legs to reach items up on tables.
Italian Greyhounds make reasonably good watchdogs, as they bark at unfamiliar sounds. They may also bark at passers-by and other animals. However, they often get along well with other dogs and cats they're raised with. They are not good guard dogs as they're often aloof with strangers and easily spooked to run.
Due to their slim build and extremely short coat, Italian Greyhounds are at times reluctant to go outside in cold or wet weather, so some owners lay old newspaper on the floor near an exit so their pets can relieve themselves. Some respond well to dog-litter training as well. This breed tends to gravitate to warm places, curl up with other dogs or humans, or burrow into blankets and under cushions for warmth.
As
gazehounds, Italian Greyhounds instinctively hunt by sight and have a high
predator drive. Owners of Italian Greyhounds typically keep their dogs leashed at all times when not in an enclosed area to avoid the risk of even a well-behaved pet breaking away at high speed after a small animal. Also, a short leash is highly suggested to owners due to reports of animals breaking their own necks when running a full lead mounted to the ground or a wall.
Like most small breeds, Italian Greyhounds have small bladders. Housebreaking progresses with training and patience, but still at a slower pace than with larger breeds.
Italian Greyhounds are known for their lack of bladder control in comparison to other dogs. This is thought to be due to the bladder muscle in the dog being far too weak and due to many generations of breeding without removing the undesirable genetic traits.
Italian Greyhounds eating habits are different than that of most dogs. The quantity of food and timing of when they eat is sporadic. They generally eat when they want to as opposed to at a fixed feeding time and they only consume needed portions. Unlike many other dogs and except in rare cases, overfilling an Italian Greyhound's food bowl won't result in overeating.
Grooming
Dogs of this breed have an extremely short and almost odorless coat that requires little more than an occasional bath. Shedding is typical as of other breeds, but the hair that's shed is extremely short and fine and is easily vacuumed.
The teeth of an Italian Greyhound should be brushed regularly. Their scissor-bite and thin jaw bones make them susceptible to
periodontal disease, which can be avoided with good dental care, which can be as simple as feeding your dog a
rawhide chew daily!
Health
Health problems that can be found in the breed:
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.
History
The name of the breed is a reference to the breed's popularity in Renaissance Italy. Mummy|Mummified]] dogs very similar to the Italian Greyhound (or small Greyhounds) have been found in Egypt, and pictorials of small Greyhounds have been found in
Pompeii, and they were probably the only accepted companion-dog there. As an amusing aside the expression 'Cave Canem' (Beware of the dog) was a warning to visitors, not that the dogs would attack but to beware of damaging the small dogs.
Although the small dogs are mainly companionship dogs they've in fact been used for
hunting purposes, often in combination with hunting
falcons.
The Italian Greyhound is the smallest of the family of gaze hounds (dogs that hunt by sight). The breed is an old one and is believed to have originated more than 4,000 years ago in the countries now known as Greece and Turkey. This belief is based on the depiction of miniature greyhounds in the early decorative arts of these countries and on the archaeological discovery of small greyhound skeletons. By the Middle Ages, the breed had become distributed throughout Southern Europe and was later a favorite of the Italians of the sixteenth century, among whom miniature dogs were in great demand. It is, in fact, due to its popularity in Italy at this time that the breed became known as the "Italian Greyhound." From this period onward the history of the breed can be fairly well traced as it spread through Europe, arriving in England in the seventeenth century.
Miscellaneous
Italian Greyhounds in the arts
The grace of the breed has prompted several artists to include the dogs in paintings, among others
Velasquez,
Pisanello and
Giotto.
The breed has been popular with
royalty throughout, among the best known royal aficionados were
Mary Stuart,
Queen Anne,
Queen Victoria,
Catherine The Great,
Frederick the Great and the
Norwegian Queen Maud.
Italian Greyhounds in popular culture
Nelly from the film Good Boy! is an Italian Greyhound played by "Motif" and "Imp".
The American rock band Shellac named their fourth album Excellent Italian Greyhound in reference to drummer Todd Trainer's pet Italian Greyhound, Uffizi.
Activities
Some Italian Greyhounds enjoy dog agility. The breed's lithe body and its love of action enable it to potentially do well at this sport, although not many Italian Greyhounds participate and their natural inclination is for straight-out racing rather than for working tightly as a team with a handler on a technical course.
Lure coursing is another activity well-fitted to the Italian Greyhound, and they seem to enjoy it tremendously. Although the Italian Greyhound is a very fast dog, it isn't as well suited to racing as its larger cousin.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Italian Greyhound'.
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