Quick Facts
Origin: Italy
Height: 13”-15”
Weight: 7-14 lbs
Color: One of a two toned combination of: Black, Blue, Fawn, Red, Sable, White with potential for one or more markings including: White markings, Black mask, Blue mask
Lifespan: 14-15 years
Temperament: Loyal, affectionate
Overview
Italian Greyhound is often called a miniature Greyhound. It is the smallest in the category of sighthound – which include hunting pups that use their eyes versus noses to find their prey. Exactly how long these pups have been around is up for some debate but they are featured in artwork dating back to 2,000 years ago.
IGs are great with families and other pets. They are easy to train while notoriously difficult to housetrain. They are very low maintenance to groom. If you want a pet who requires mild exercise but lots of cuddles, then this pup might be for you!
Celebrity Owners
Will Smith, Cesar Milan, Sasha Velour, Matt Damon, Seth Meyers, Sigourney Weaver
Fun Facts
N/A
Health
Italian Greyhounds are very healthy dogs. While these dogs are not fragile, their leg bones are prone to fractures from rough situations. Keep your pup out of harm’s way. Some health issues that may arise are:
- Periodontal disease: This oral disease is caused by inflammation and infections of gums and bones that support the teeth. Early stages of this are called gingivitis.
- Patellar luxation: Luxating simply means out of place or dislocated. Patella is a kneecap. A Luxating patella is a kneecap that chronically moves out of its normal position.
- Progressive retinal atrophy: Atrophy is a wearing or wasting away of a body part. In this case, it is the retina in the eye, which eventually leads to blindness.
- Epilepsy: The most common neurological disease in dogs, seizures affect about 1% of dogs.
Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.
Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.
Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.
Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:
- Brushing your dog’s teeth to prevent an undesirable buildup of plaque
- Feed your dog a diet where the high quality dog food has dental benefits
- Regularly give your dog dental toys and treats
- Use mouthwash, to help where brushing misses
- At the sign of any abnormalities, consult a vet. You can even do it virtually, from the convenience of your home.
Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.
Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.
Grooming
Because of their propensity towards dental issues, brushing your Italian Greyhound’s teeth daily is highly recommended. Your vet can perform more in-depth cleanings yearly. Their short coat should be brushed weekly to redistribute naturally occurring oils and pull off any dead hair.
Bathe your pup as needed when it gets dirty otherwise once every couple of months.
Keep your pup’s nails trimmed but not down to the quick. Hare footed dogs’ middle two nails should be slightly longer than the others. Keep your pup’s ears clean and clear of debris.
Cost
$500 – $1,200
Exercise
IGs need about an hour of exercise per day. Walks on a leash or playtime with family should keep your pup in shape. If you are taking your pup to a dog park it must have a separate area for small dogs. Rough play with bigger dogs can cause fractures.
In cold weather keep outdoor activity brief or provide a jaunty coat for your pup. Their low body fat and short coat make them susceptible to chill.
Nutrition
On average your IG should eat about 1 ½ cups of food per day. The exact amount of food will depend on your pup’s age and activity level. Always monitor your pup’s weight and frame to make sure they are not eating too much.
You should be able to just see your pup’s hip and rib bones. Like other small pups, excessive weight is unnecessarily difficult on your pup’s joints. Remember that treats count as food consumption too.
We’ve taken a look at some premium dog foods, high in nutrition here.
Training
IGs are very easy to train. If you use treats and positive reinforcement you should have no problems at all. However, housetraining is another matter entirely. This process can be a grueling one. Some Italian Greyhounds are never completely housebroken, and owners often have puppy pads inside to help with this.
It is important to understand this issue before taking on an IG. Owner’s inability to deal with not completely house-trained pets put many of these pups into shelters. If this sounds like something you would not tolerate, the Italian Greyhound is not for you.
Proper training is essential to ensuring the safety of your dog and those around you. Having your dog come when they should, and in general having them listen is something you want to address early in your pup’s life, as it will pay dividends down the line. There are many tried and true training programs to accomplish this training – faster and better than you might think!
Unless you’re living on a farm, or have the space, a yipping dog, or one that barks all day when you are gone could be an issue with the neighbors and/or landlord. Historically, dogs would bark to communicate with the rest of the pack when hunting and bark as a warning shot to predators eyeing up their flock. Barking is deep rooted in dogs and manifests itself in many ways and for a variety of reasons.
Just like any habit or instinct, there are effective ways you can train this issue away.
Supplements
A solid Glucosamine Supplement for hips and joints will go a long way to helping your furry friend.
Other helpful supplements include full-spectrum hemp oil or CBD oil. Fish oil skin and coat supplement.
Ensuring a comprehensive preventative vitamin and mineral plan is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Truth is, there are vitamins and minerals that your dog needs, but doesn’t produce naturally. While many of these vitamins and minerals can be found in your dog’s current diet and dog food, the question becomes, are there enough vitamins to ensure they aren’t deficient.
Poor nutrition can lead to some of the most common health issues, such as weak joints, compromised immunity, increased allergies, and low energy.
Vitamins play a vital role in your pet’s health and overall life expectancy. Here are some multivitamin and joint relief options.
As regulations around marijuana have eased, the emergence of CBD oils for humans and dogs have sprung up.
Just to begin to dispel the negative stigma, CBD extract comes from Hemp, marijuana’s cousin. Unlike its cousin, there are no psychoactive qualities in CBD oil. An emerging number of clinical and institutional studies have shown the wide variety of healing qualities in CBD, including pain management, and the containment of seizures and epileptic episodes.
Explore this remedy further to see all the health benefits that have transformed the lives of so many dogs to date.
The Good
Low grooming needs
Great for families
The "Ruff"
Difficult to house train
Prone to dental issues