Dog Breeds > Italian Greyhound
The Italian Greyhound
The Italian Greyhound is an affectionate pet and very good companion. This little pet would brighten up your day and your family.
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Fascinating Facts
The Italian Greyhound, also known as Piccolo Levriero Italiano is one of the oldest dog breed that exists even during the ancient times. A 6000 year old Egyptian tomb was found with carvings similar to the Egyptian Greyhounds. 2000 years ago, this breed was portrayed in various Mediterranean arts.
Quite a few renowned historical figures are known to have owned an Italian Greyhound – Catherine the Great, Queen Victoria and Anne of Denmark. Even Frederick the Great of Prussia (Germany) has been known to own and brought one to war. When he died, he asked his subjects to be buried with his Italian Greyhound.
Physical Appearance
The Italian Greyhound stands 12 – 15 inches and weighs about 6 – 10 pounds. This breed has narrow and long head with pointy muzzle. The nose is dependent on the color of the coat; black for black coat and brown for brown coat. The eyes are medium sized and dark. The small ears are folded behind the head however when the Italian Greyhound is alert, it leans on the right side.
This breed has narrow and deep chest, straight front legs and thin and low-set tail. The coat is short, glossy and tight. The color of the coat ranges from black, gray, cream or white, blue and red. There are times that you will see any color with white spots in any part of the body or white with any shade in any part of the body.
Grooming
The coat of the Italian Greyhound is one of the easiest coats to groom. The gleaming coat should always be run with wet chamois or rubber gloves to maintain top condition. Bathe when only necessary.
Mood
The Italian Greyhound is observant, intelligent and active dog. This breed is also affectionate, sweet and calm mannered pet. This breed is very passive and submits itself to the will of its masters. They like to please and entertain their human companions. This breed is also a sensitive dog; they respond well to mild and gentle commands. If they sense that their masters employ harsh and rough methods, they would act on their own or display foul temper. This breed gets well along with other dogs and animals especially cats but if they are disciplined roughly, they would chase and bark on them.
With Children
The Italian Greyhound is an affectionate and friendly breed that would surely become your children’s good friend and playmate. Make sure that you supervise the small children when playing with the Italian Greyhound so that no harsh or rough discipline would be rendered on the dog. There are times that this breed bites because of the foul things that the kids do to it.
Training & Exercise
Training an Italian Greyhound is easy because this breed is naturally intelligent. They respond well to kind and mild mannered training disciplines. Food reward training method is another way of improving the dog’s focus.
The exercise is a vital part of the Italian Greyhound’s development. Daily walk and jogging would keep them satisfied for the rest of the day.
Health & Life Expectancy
The life expectancy of the Italian Greyhound is about 12 – 15 years. This breed can have PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy), slipped stifles, bone fractures and even epilepsy. This breed is also prone to cataracts, hypothyroidism and liver shunts.
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