The Italian greyhound is a diminutive dog with delicate features that is gaining in popularity as a household companion. He is the smallest of a group of dogs known as sight hounds or dogs that relied on their vision to hunt for small moving prey.

Italian greyhounds no longer have to hunt for their dinner, but the desire to give chase to something that has caught their eye still remains.

His Origins:

Italian greyhounds (lovingly called IGs) are an old breed and may have originated somewhere about 2,000 years ago. Archaeologists have discovered greyhound skeletons in the countries that are now known as Turkey and Greece. IGs are also depicted on many of the early decorative art in this region.

They made their way throughout Europe, and they can thank their popularity in part to their miniature stature. The Italians were quite smitten with the breed and by the seventeenth century, the breed had made its way into England.

About Italian Greyhounds: Body, Mind, and Training

They are truly greyhounds just much smaller due to selective breeding. The average Italian greyhound is only 10 pounds in weight but can range anywhere from 7 pounds to 14 or 15.

While they are not an excessively fragile dog, they do have finer bones than many dogs. This doesn’t make them suitable for rough playing. In addition, Italian Greyhounds are known for being sensitive in personality. This sensitivity doesn’t always blend well with loud households or small children.

His sensitive nature can also pose challenges when trying to train the dog. IGs can be taught to work with you, but they are not a breed that has originated to work for people or to always be obedient. A skilled trainer or an owner invested in working with their dog needs to remain light and happy, keep training fun, and work to motivate the dog to learn.

Italian Greyhounds don’t handle rough or harsh training well, and training fraught with frustration, punishment, or anger will quickly shut the dog down to learning.

Health Concerns:

IGs are a fairly hardy breed, but there are three things that owners need to be aware of:

1. Dental disease: It is of utmost important that owners of Italian Greyhounds establish a good dental care routine with tooth brushing. Many of them may develop dental disease at an early age without proper care.

Also, beware of extra teeth. It is fairly common for a young puppy to retain his puppy teeth while his adult teeth break through. These puppy teeth will need to be removed if they do not fall out themselves.

2. Bone fractures: Because IGs do have finer bone structures, fractures of the forearm, particularly in a young, active puppy are not uncommon. Keep a close eye on young dogs to avoid injury.

3. Drug sensitivities: One of the biggest issues can come with anesthesia for medical procedures. IGs can be sensitive to some anesthetics, but they do fairly well with isoflurane.

As with any other breed, there are a few additional health issues that might arise in some Italian greyhounds. Do a little research to make sure you know all the problems that affect the breed.

For More Information:

To learn more about Italian greyhounds, look at kennel club websites like the American Kennel Club (www.akc.org) and breed clubs like the Italian Greyhound Club of America (www.italiangreyhound.org). There are comparable groups in other countries as well, if you are located outside the United States.