Italian Greyhound - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
The exact origin of the Italian Greyhound is rather unknown, but we do have artworks dating back 2000 years that depicts dogs very similar to Iggys from the area of today Greece and Turkey. It was probably the Phoenicians who brought them to the Europe where they developed into companion dogs we know today.

2) Personality
This dog breed is affectionate, kind, playful and they love to please their owners. They also crave for attention, this is overall very social dog. The Italian Greyhound makes excellent choice for people who are looking for affectionate family companion.

3) Relax
The Italian greyhound is known as „the 40 mile per hour couch potato“. It is true, that they are extremely fast, just like all the sighthounds, and it would be very hard to find faster breed in their size category, but when they are not running, they will love to relax and nap in their pet bed. This is pretty calm dog breed, especially indoors.

4) Around kids
It is true, that this is affectionate and playful dog breed and they do not have problems with kids. But because of their slim and fragile body, i would not leave them alone with younger kids who have no idea how to correctly act towards dogs. They also typically have no problems with other animals, but it is better if they are in similar size.

5) Hunters
Dont be fooled by the small and cute Italian greyhound, this is still a hunter by heart with quite high prey drive. Just like other sighthound, they are hunting by using their eyes and extremely fast legs. That is why it is better to keep them on leash if you are in unknown area. You never know where they can see some small prey and when they start the hunt, it will be very hard for them to obey your commands.

6) Indoor dogs
Some people thinks, that Italian Greyhounds want to live outdoors, but that is not true at all. They love to have warm place inside your home and overall, they do not like and tolerate cold temperatures. Its normal to see them with sweaters or jackets during the winter.

7) Size
The Italian Greyhound looks like a miniature English Greyhound or Sloughi with average height between 13-15 inches which is 33-38 cm and weight between 7-14 pounds, which is 3-7 kgs. They are very slim, but muscular at the same time.

8) Many colors
You can find Italian Greyhounds in many colors, for example in red, grey, fawn, black, blue, white or cream. Italian Greyhounds may also be white with markings or a color with white on its chest and feet. So why are they greyhounds, if they are not only grey? Well some say that the English word does not reflect on the actual grey color, but means “fair dog.”

9) Health
The Italian Greyhound has good lifespan between 13-14 years. It is quite healthy dog breed, but just like all dogs, they do suffer from some health issues, most commonly from periodontal disease, patellar luxation, epilepsy, leg fractures and Progressive Retinal Atrophy.

10) Grooming
The grooming needs of Italian Greyhound are very low. They can take care about their short coat by themselves and even though they do shed a little, it is nothing terrible. Italian Greyhounds are prone to dental problems, so you should brush their teeth regularly. And of course you should check their ears eyes and nails regularly and clean them or clip them if needed.