Picking your Dog’s
breed is the most important factor in deciding which
puppy to purchase. As each breed is unique in size, temperament
and habits, certain breeds also may have special needs.
Displayed below is special information about the breed
you are interested in. Feel free to ask our breed specialists
any questions you may have regarding the breed you are
looking for.
Italian Greyhound, breed of miniature English greyhound that belongs to the toy-dog class. The Italian greyhound is believed to have originated in Asia Minor more than 2000 years ago by the inbreeding of small, full-sized greyhounds. The Italian greyhound came into the U.S. sometime in the late 1900’s.
Appearance
The Italian Greyhound has a long and narrow head; large, bright eyes; soft and delicate ears; a deep, narrow chest; a back that curves and droops at the hindquarters; and a rather long tail that it holds low. The dog is of various colors, including red, white, fawn, blue, and black, but is usually gold or silver fawn. The Italian Greyhound measures approximately 14 inches at the shoulder blades and will weigh up to 10 pounds.
Temperament
This dog makes an excellent house pet. It has a quiet dispositon, and an excellent temperment. The Italian Greyhound is very good with children, but, as with all toy breeds, small children should be supervised. Obedience training is recommended at an early age.
Height: 12-15 inches (30-38 cm.)
Weight: 6-10 pounds (3-5 kg.)
About 12-15 years.
Southern, AKC Toy
Temperament:
The Italian Greyhound is a gentle, submissive and affectionate dog. They become very attached to their masters and can be reserved with strangers. Playful and intelligent, generally these dogs are not difficult to train provided their handler is consistent with them. This dog can be high strung and timid if they are over protected, and do not receive enough exercise, including a daily pack walk. This is a pet for a quiet household where there are no lively children, although they do get along well with behaved children and other dogs and cats, so long as the humans around them 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 who are babied, and over protected will be snappish if they are frightened. Do not allow your little dog to develop small dog syndrome, where the dog believes he is the pack leader to humans. This can cause a wide variety of varying degrees of behavior problems. Can be difficult to housebreak. They are generally easy to get along with and take care of. This dog is extremely fast! Young Italian Greyhounds are very active. They can climb wire fencing and are very inquisitive - jumping from chair to table tops to nearby furniture. They do get along well with other Italian Greyhounds and some recommend that you have more than one of this fine breed.
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 dogs is thoroughly dry and warm. The teeth should be brushed regularly to keep tarter from building up, and the toenails should be kept trimmed. This breed sheds little to no hair.
Origin:
The Italian Greyhound is a very old Greyhound. Interestingly, a dog similar to the Italian Greyhound of today was found in a 6000 year old Egyptian tomb. Like the Greyhound, this breed was brought to Europe by the Phoenicians. The breed was later developed by the Romans. As evidence, a small Greyhound was found in an ancient lava flow in Pompeii. During the sixteenth century, this delicate dog became popular with European nobility, and is portrayed in many paintings of that time. The breed was favored by Catherine the Great of Russia, James I of England, Anne of Denmark and Queen Victoria, among others. Frederick the Great of Prussia liked his little Italian Greyhound so much, he even took one to war with him. When his Italian Greyhound died, he buried him with his own hands on the grounds of his Sands Souci Palace. In 1991, Frederick's family granted his dying wishes and transferred his remains to Sans Souci, and placed them beside his little Italian Greyhound. A nineteenth century African chieftain was so taken with these graceful dogs that he offered 200 cattle in exchange for a single specimen. The Italian Greyhound is an excellent companion dog.
