Italian Greyhounds

Breed Information

Due to the many questions I receive regarding Italian Greyhounds being very delicate, I thought I'd write a few lines.

Italian Greyhounds are not as delicate as some will have you believe. Many breeders will not allow Italian Greyhounds off a lead, as they are frightened they will break a leg or acquire another injury. We DO allow ours to run in open country, which we find, strengthens bones and muscle tone making these risks much reduced. All our dogs have excellent recall and would only allow this when we feel confident they will come when called. Italian Greyhounds are dogs and like to act like dogs. We do discourage jumping on and off of high furniture and find that the stories of broken limbs usually occur when the dog lands from a height. All the stress on the from legs from a hight can leave a fracture on the wrist area. We also don’t allow tearing up and down the stairs, as Italian Greyhounds sometimes believe they can fly. Running around at speed is ment for outdoors not in our home. Italian Greyhounds are built for speed!
We do not to breed the very fine boned dogs - we prefer our puppies to have a little more bone structure and strength, therefore much less chance of injuries.

We also think they make a fantastic family dog and WILL home to people with children, although we always state that Italian Greyhounds suit the quieter family/home than a busy household of young boys kicking footballs around for example. A larger breed would probably suit these families more.
We only place a puppy to people that are home most of the day or work from home as they are not a breed that likes to be left all day alone, I think this goes for any breed.
Toilet training isn’t that difficult and our puppies all leave paper trained. IG’s do not like cold or wet weather and need to be taken out and encouraged to go before being allowed back in. Boys tend to be easier and quicker than girls we find. Warmth at night also reduces the need to toilet during the colder nights. They love to be warm and need a cot and a cosy bed at night, cat igloo style beds are perfect!!

I hope this answers some of the many questions people ask.

If you are a sensible family, this breed would be a perfect dog for you!!

The Kennel Club Breed Infomation

The Italian Greyhound is the smallest of all the sight hound breeds, being the most elegant, graceful, intelligent and above all a very affectionate little dog. The Italian Greyhound is highly affectionate, intelligent, and eager to please. They thrive when their affection is returned. They adapt well to most family households, including those with other pets and Children, although care must be taken to avoid injuries such as broken limbs.
 They have a long life expectancy of 13 to 15 years.

History