Small and really fine a portrait of the Italian Greyhound!
Today we will tell you everything about the appearance, character, possible diseases, temperament, life expectancy and keeping conditions of the Italian greyhound.
The Miniature Greyhound is a special dog that is second to none. In this article you will find out why he is not a dog for everyone.
Nice that you are here and have fun reading!
Italian greyhound wanted poster
We start with a clear profile of the small Italian greyhound:
Size Male: 33-38cm Female: 32-36cmWeightMale: 4-5 kg Female: 3.6-5 kgColorsBlack, grey, slate gray and isabellaLife expectancy12 – 15 yearsOriginItalycharacter/temperamentDelicate, sensitive, intelligent, eager to moveFCI groupGroup 10: SighthoundsSection 3: Short-Haired Sighthounds
Look
The Italian Greyhound looks like a Greyhound in miniature. The words graceful and noble perfectly apply to the little Italian.
The long, stretched one anatomy with a deep chest is typical for greyhounds and is also expressly desired for greyhounds.
The Italian Greyhound has a long, narrow head with triangular rosette ears and dark, almond-shaped eyes.
Legs and tail match the body, long and filigree.
Its fur is silky and close-lying. One special feature is that the Italian greyhound hardly or not at all sheds hair and is therefore also an option for allergy sufferers.
The coat colors may be black, grey, slate gray or isabella with small white markings on chest and feet.
With a height from 32 – 38 centimeters in one Weight of a maximum of 5 kilograms, the greyhound is one of the small dog breeds.
History & Origin of the Italian Greyhound
The History of the Italian Greyhound goes back more than 6000 years. Contrary to expectations, the first greyhounds are not known from Italy, but from ancient Egypt.
His ancestry is to the Egyptian Greyhound Tesem attributed. Nevertheless, its origin is assigned to Italy.
From around the 5th century BC seafarers brought the greyhound to Italy.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, people liked to bring one or the other Italian greyhound home as a souvenir, which spread the breed throughout Europe.
Nature & Character of the Italian Greyhound
The Italian greyhound is a real charmer. His sensitive nature, paired with high intelligence, make him one demanding companion and companion dog.
The Miniature Greyhound character is described as affectionate and cuddly.
In fact, these small dogs love and need close contact with their humans and do not like being left alone.
The temperament is huge in contrast to the size of the Italian Greyhound! It has a high urge to move and needs a lot of exercise.
Since the little Italian likes to be in company, you should at best get a second dog of the same breed.
Important
Since the Italian Greyhound is a very delicate dog, it is best to keep it with dogs in the same size category.
The little dog could literally snap under a careless Bullmastiff.
attitude & upbringing
Even if it’s a small dog, the Italian Greyhound needs one consistent and loving upbringing.
The close contact with his family is everything for the wind chime! An attitude without a family connection is definitely out of the question.
Since the little dog is very sensitive to cold, he prefers to stay in warmer areas and loves to cuddle inside in front of the fireplace.
When playing with children or fellow animals, always make sure not to injure the delicate animal!
The Pose of the mini dog is conceivable on a large property with a garden as well as in a city apartment.
In any case, it is important that you give your wind chime enough exercise and variety offer!
The wind chime also has a strong hunting instinct, which you should put a stop to from the start.
This is what your wind chime needs:
You should regularly give the little hunter the opportunity to run free in a safe environment. The greyhound likes to live out its high urge to move on short sprint distances.
Health & Care
The Italian Greyhound is right easy-care. It sheds little to no and requires hardly any grooming.
As with all dog breeds, you should always keep an eye on its state of health and take care of the claw care conscientiously.
Unfortunately the Italian greyhound prone to some diseases such as epilepsy, undescended testicles or a luxated patella.
The small dogs often suffer from dental problems, which is why daily dental care is extremely important!
With good care and a species-appropriate diet, the Italian greyhound has one Life expectancy of up to 15 years.
Is the Italian Greyhound right for me?
The Italian Greyhound is a special dog that is not for everyone.
To find out if the Italian charm bolt suits you, you should ask yourself the following questions:
- Why do I want to get a dog?
- What is my life like (quiet, rather boring, lively, action-packed, active, adventurous, etc.)?
- Do other animals already live in my household and if so, which ones?
- Are the children in the house old enough to take care of the small dog’s fragility?
- Am I more of a lumberjack type or sensitive and empathetic?
- How much time do I have for a dog?
- Do I have sufficient financial resources available?
The Italian Greyhound is for those who have plenty of time and good empathy.
The clingy dog does not like it when you leave it alone.
3 fun facts about the Italian Greyhound
There are many different greyhound breeds and they all have one or the other special feature.
We have a few interesting fun facts about the Italian greyhound researched for you:
- Frederick II, King of Prussia is said to have owned up to 40 Italian greyhounds at peak times. His love for the little dogs was immortalized in a statuette by Johann Gottfried Schadow.
- In other countries, the greyhound is also represented in two colors! However, the German breeding standard of the DWZRV Windhundeverein only provides for single-colored greyhounds.
- The «Napoleon Syndrome» is also in this mini dog. The often exaggerated self-confidence means that the Italian Greyhound wants to assert itself even in front of large dogs, which often leads to dangerous situations. After all, it is a filigree dog with a maximum body weight of 5 kilograms! If you encounter significantly larger dogs, you should take good care of your greyhound!