The Italian Greyhound also well known as the small Italian Greyhound is a breed of small-sized greyhound dogs whose origin is denoted in the name of this dog. These canines are the smallest greyhounds in the world, also being very mischievous, affectionate and, of course, very agile and athletic. In this article we will answer the question What is the Italian Greyhound like? covering a little about its history and origins, physical characteristics and temperament; but also, the essential care that must be taken with these puppies and some curiosities of the breed.
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History of the Italian Greyhound
The lineage of the Italian Greyhound is one of the oldest in existence. Even in ancient Egypt, small versions of these dogs were already known. As the mummified remains found in the tombs of the pharaohs attest, they were highly regarded at the time of the pyramids. Subsequently, miniature sighthounds gained popularity as companion dogs in European royal courts and is thus reflected in paintings of the time. The eagerness to miniaturize them led them almost to their extinction at the end of the 19th century, however careful breeding revitalized them and today the Italian Greyhound is once again thriving, without being in danger of extinction.
This breed is currently considered one of the 15 dog breeds of Italian origin. But the Little Italian Greyhound, also known as the Italian Greyhound or Piccolo Levriero Italiano is one of the many breeds that have their origin so far back in time, that it is impossible to accurately determine the true place where this beautiful breed originated.
The Italian Greyhound is one of the oldest breeds of dogs, there are even fossil remains of these dogs that affirm and prove their existence since 3,000 BC This tells us that this Little Greyhound existed and coexisted with human civilizations in Ancient Greece and in Ancient Egypt. It is the smallest greyhound that exists today and although there are many indications that make us believe that its true country of origin is Egypt, the canine federations and the names under which this breed is titled establish that the origin of these dogs it's Italy.
How many types of greyhounds are there?
- Afghan greyhound
- Arabian Greyhound (Sloughi)
- Greyhound azawakh
- Greyhound or Scottish Greyhound (deerhound)
- Spanish greyhound
- Italian greyhound
- English greyhound or greyhound
- Persian Greyhound (Saluki)
- Russian greyhound (borsoi)
- Whippet
Physical characteristics of the Italian Greyhound
These beautiful little greyhounds are all athletes despite their stature, very agile and very fast; That is why the FCI classifies them in Group 10: Sighthounds. Section 3: Shorthaired Sighthounds. In addition, as we already said before, this breed of dogs are the smallest greyhounds that can exist, so they are considered a small breed size. Therefore, in this section, the characteristics of the Italian Greyhound or small Italian greyhound breed of dogs will be detailed.
What is the body of an Italian Greyhound like?
The Italian Greyhound has a body that is less than or equal to the length of its height. The line of the back and loins is curved in shape and smoothly joins a strongly descending croup. Fine and narrow tail with low insertion that remains hanging, finished in a curve. The chest of these dogs is narrow and reaches to the elbows, they have a markedly ascending bottom line and lean and muscular shoulders, moderately oblique. The elbows of the Italian Greyhound are neither turned in nor out.
Esta raza tiene patas finas, delgadas y rectas, aunque se aprecia que los metatarsos son algo arqueados cuando se ven de lado. العاب مراهنات Tienen un buen ángulo articular en los cuartos traseros. Los pies delanteros son pequeños, delgados y casi ovalados, con dedos apretados y bien arqueados. Los traseros son similares a los delanteros, aunque un poco menos ovalados. El cuello de estos Lebreles es enjuto de gracioso arco y longitud igual a la de la cabeza, que se une abruptamente con la cruz.
The head of the Italian Greyhound
The head of the Italian Greyhound is long, approximately equivalent to the 40% of its height. The skull and muzzle are the same length and run parallel, separated by a smooth but defined stop. Their skull is flat and they have a pointed snout. The lips of these dogs are contiguous to the jaws. They have high set ears, folded back. The eyes are large and expressive; they are not bulging or very deep set. The teeth of the Italian Greyhound are scissor-shaped.
How tall is an Italian Greyhound?
The Italian Greyhound is the smallest greyhound of all. It has a size that ranges between 32 centimeters and 38 centimeters at the withers, the males being slightly taller than the females. The height that adult male Italian Greyhounds usually have is between 35 centimeters and 38 centimeters and in the case of adult females their size ranges between 32 centimeters and 36 centimeters, although there are also cases of females that reach 38 centimeters and of males that barely exceed 32.
How much does an Italian Greyhound weigh?
The weight of Italian Sighthounds is 3.5 kilograms and generally 5 kilograms. Some specimens may minimally exceed the weight, reaching 6 kilograms at most. As we have mentioned before, this greyhound is the smallest of all both in size and weight.
What is the coat of Italian Sighthounds like?
The coat of the Italian Greyhound is short, smooth, soft and of a fine texture. This does not require much care in terms of brushing and does not tend to lose hair in large quantities when the shedding season arrives. They do not have an undercoat on their coat so added to the fine and short hair makes them dogs that do not tolerate the cold well. You have to take the latter into account and keep it warm at night and when you take it out on the street in times of low temperatures.
What colors are Italian Sighthounds?
The colors of the Italian Greyhound can be pure isabelo, black or slate gray in different shades. It is admitted that he has white spots on the chest and feet. Although there are speckled coats, these are not recognized by the FCI.
Temperament of the Italian Greyhound
These little greyhounds are the most energetic and smallest thing you will ever see; They are also very sociable, intelligent, but also very mischievous. That is why to better understand it, what is the temperament of the little Italian greyhound like? We will divide this section into two parts. On the one hand, the character of this little guy and on the other, how an Italian greyhound behaves.
How is the character of the Italian Greyhound?
The Italian Greyhound is an affectionate, docile and cheerful dog. Like all greyhounds, he is fast, energetic and with a lot of vitality. It is usually a cautious and very sensitive canine breed. They have a fairly high level of intelligence, are in the 70 most intelligent races, and tend to have a delightful degree of obedience. These greyhounds are extremely loyal to their family and enjoy their company to the fullest.
Behavior of the Italian Greyhound
The Italian Greyhound has a very good behavior inside and outside the home. They generally get along well with cats and other pets as long as they have had a proper socialization process. Don't forget to visit our article «How to properly socialize my dog?»If you have doubts about how to carry out this process. Remember that all greyhounds, if they are not well socialized, can lead to complications in living with pets of other species, especially cats.
These dogs also have a very good relationship with children. It is always necessary that they do not treat it as a toy and respect it accordingly, otherwise it is possible that it will avoid them. It is very sociable with other dogs, and it is recommended to have more than one copy of this breed, although, obviously, it is not a good playmate for much larger dogs, such as a Rottweiler or a Irish Wolfhound.
General care in an Italian Greyhound
For the care of the Italian Greyhound, it is important to be attentive and consistent. It is important that in case you have to challenge it for any reason, you have to be firm when doing it. In this section, we will detail which are the basic care for this breed of dog. Therefore, we propose the main ones, such as good brushing, correct training and education, the exercise that is recommended for these skilled runners and health.
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How to brush an Italian Greyhound?
The Italian Greyhound does not need much care, in fact it requires very little treatment of its hair. Its coat, being short and fine, suffers from very little shedding. It is more than enough to brush it once a week with a soft brush and polish it with a brushing glove.
As for the rest of the care of its body, tartar is a relatively frequent problem in this breed, so the teeth should be checked with some frequency, especially the posterior molars, and take it to a canine salon or a veterinarian so that remove possible tartar. There are several products, such as dentals for dogs, that are used to control this condition. It is a fairly robust animal when it reaches maturity, but until about eighteen months of age you have to be very careful in its training and especially if you have a companion dog that is larger than it, since it can easily break a leg.
How to train an Italian Greyhound?
Generally the Italian Greyhound is not a difficult dog to train, as long as the owner is affectionate and consistent with him. Sometimes it is a somewhat mischievous dog, and makes treats or batons with full awareness of what it is causing. Our recommendation in these cases is that you have to know how to see the funny side of these actions, but at the same time you have to set limits firmly but never with aggression. Each family will know what are the freedoms that can be given to the dog in each home. Severe punishments and harsh words in the Italian Greyhound are unnecessary and more than solving a problem, we will only make them very painful and feel sad and hurt for most of the day.
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How to train an Italian Greyhound?
As we already said, Italian sighthounds are highly energetic and very athletic dogs; so training or educating him will not be such an easy task. It is important to take him out for a walk a day, it can be a short period such as 15 to 20 minutes, since with that you will be able to set an established time for the outings. Another way, is to feed it every day at the same time, it is important so that it can have its daily routine. After lunch time is up, you can take it out a few more times; an example might be one hour after you've eaten in the morning, and another at night. In this way, you will educate your Italian Greyhound to maintain an active day and a daily routine. The important thing is to be consistent and teach him things with love.
Recommended exercise for Italian Sighthounds
The Italian Greyhound is a dog that, like all greyhounds, needs a lot of exercise. Being sighthounds, they are very active dogs, who have a lot of energy and who love to run and do it extraordinarily fast. It is a very good option to leave them loose in preferably fenced places to avoid that the dog is in danger of escaping, getting lost or even by the same city traffic that can be very dangerous. The Italian Greyhound is a dog that also likes walks on a leash. Inside the house it is usually quiet as long as they are given the necessary time to burn energy. The recommended training time for Italian Sighthounds is between an hour and a half or two hours a day.
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How fast does an Italian Greyhound usually reach?
The Italian Greyhound makes up the group of the 20 fastest breeds that exist today. Being an agile and small dog, with very little weight it reaches great speeds. They get to run at a maximum speed of 40 kilometers per hour, with a double suspension gallop. Although it is far from being the fastest among greyhounds, it is one of the dogs that maintains its maximum speed for the longest amount of time.
Italian Greyhound health and diseases
It may be that at first glance as it is so small, they think it is fragile or even that they do not live that long; however it is a greyhound that can have an excellent quality of life as long as it is properly cared for. However, the Italian Greyhound is prone to certain diseases such as hypothyroidism; that can cause excessive fatigue in the dog, or also depression; Another problem they may have is patellar luxation or some eye problems, such as vitreous degeneration (especially in older dogs). Fortunately, a few years ago, in Europe and the United States, genetic transmission tests have been required, which is helping to eradicate many diseases.
They can also have anxiety attacks, or that you have to be careful with food. The most advisable thing is to go at least once a year to the animal health specialist to verify that the dog is in perfect health.
How long does an Italian Greyhound live?
This small breed of greyhound has a life expectancy of between 12 and 15 years. This will also be marked by the basic care given to this dog, such as a good, balanced and quality diet; the routine walks you need to release all the energy these little sighthounds have; and especially the medical check-ups that they have to do 1 time a year with the vet to rule out any disease or health problem.
Uses of the Italian Greyhound
The Italian Greyhound is known above all as a companion dog, but it can also be seen in dog races, a practice in which it was and is widely used due to the high speeds it reaches. Other activities in which it is usually frequented is hunting hares and partridges.
The Italian Piccolo Levriero; a miniature athlete
In practically everything, the Italian Greyhound or Piccolo Levriero Italiano is a miniature greyhound, even in its gait. He has the same efficient stride, though obviously not comparable to his larger "cousin" when it comes to pace. Being raised as a companion dog for thousands of years, its hunting instincts are relatively weak but it has plenty of conditions to perform this role well.
At the same time, its size makes it perfectly adapted to urban life, although not so much its physical needs to exercise. It is a dog susceptible to cold, due to its short, straight and shiny coat, the lack of an undercoat and its small size, so we must always be aware of this and protect it with a coat in bad weather. He is a calm and very affectionate dog with those he knows well. شرح لعبه البوكر
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It has seemed very complete and describes the race phenomenal.
very good
Thank you very much Lourdes!