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Italian Greyhound Personality traits and Temperament
They are very active dogs with a zest for life. Even though small they are highly athletic and needs plenty of exercise. They love running and if not provided with a yard, would be happy enough to run inside the house, much to the annoyance of owners. They are unaware of their size and believe that they are bigger dogs. They often love to jump around and amuse themselves by leaping off furniture. This may often result in broken bones or dislocated joints.
They are very loyal and affectionate dogs. They are attention hogging dogs and demand the owners’ attention. If left alone for too long they can get destructive and can suffer from panic attacks.
They have a gentle personality and do well around children, but they are ideally not the breed to have in a household with a lot of small kids. Due to their small size and delicate structure they can easily get hurt. They don’t like the noise levels that a toddler can make and is not very happy when toddlers take up all their masters’ affections. They are also reserved with other pets in the house and need early socialisation.
Even though they are small dogs, they have a deep bark and will always announce the presence of a stranger. Therefore they make very good watchdogs. They hate cold and even getting wet, so giving them a bath is a task in itself. They are fast dogs and make good jogging partners. Keep them on a leash as they are prone to take off after stray dogs and cats.
Grooming, Haircuts and Shedding
They are short coated breeds and the coat is smooth and silky. They are low shedders and coat needs minimum maintenance. Brushing can be done weekly once or when the coat gets real dusty. Bathing is done only when essential, especially if the dog has rolled in something smelly.
Teeth should be brushed at least twice weekly but a daily brushing is recommended. Nails should be trimmed as and when needed especially if they make a clacking sound while walking.
Size and Characteristics
Price Range: this dog for sale may cost between $500 – $700
Life expectancy: the life span is generally of about 12-15 YEARS
Weight: 7 – 15 pounds
Height: 13 – 15 inches
Colors: Red Fawn, Black, Sable, Blue Fawn, Blue, Tan, Fawn, Chocolate, Red, Yellow, Slate Grey, Grey
How to Train this dog
They are intelligent dogs but are not that easy to train. These dogs do not cooperate with training unless they find it to their liking. Therefore bribes like snacks and toys would be needed. Training these dogs can test an owner’s patience so try not to lose your temper while training them. They also have short attention spans so training is all the more difficult. House training is also very difficult. Providing a dog door is always a good alternative. Punishment can make the dogs aggressive and it might backfire.
Health Issues and Food
Diet: Can be maintained on high quality dry food, raw food or balance home cooked meals. Avoid feeding too many treats.
Allergies: Very allergy prone. They can be allergic to a variety of foods, contact agents and even inhalants. Ear infections are also seen as a result of allergies. This breed may be sensitive to certain anaesthetics and insecticides.
Health problems: They are plagued by numerous skeletal problems like hip dysplasia, Legg- Perthes disease and patellar luxation. Dogs are also prone to many eye problems like cataracts, vitreous degeneration and progressive retinal atrophy. Other problems include deafness, hypothyroidism, epilepsy, Von Willebrand’s disease, etc.
Mixed breeds
Italian Grey Min Pin is a cross between an Italian Greyhound and a Miniature Pinscher. They re small in size with a maximum size of 15 inches and weight of up to 18 pounds.
Puggit is cross between a Pug and an Italian Greyhound. They need regular exercise to suitably work out its athletic frame. A walk or run in an off-leash park will enable it to indulge its hunting instincts.
Feruss is a mix of Italian Greyhound and Poodle. They are not good with extreme hot or cold weather due to short wiry coat. They are ideal dogs for indoor activities.
Best female and male dog names
You can name your Italian Greyhound as Jake or Joey (only 2 names) if he is a male and Madison or Bella if she is a female.
How to adopt this dog
You can also browse a specific site to adopt a Italian Greyhound
Pictures and Videos
Photo Credits: Lilly M,Jim or Katie McClarty