Italian Greyhounds

If you want a dog to be an "OUTDOOR DOG", don't get an IG. IGs have very little body fat and don't have an "all weather" coat. Even with adequate shelter, IGs do poorly in that type of environment. They are very attached to people and are miserable if they don't have a lot of quality time with their family!

If you want a dog to be a "GUARD DOG", don't get an IG. IGs are generally aloof/reserved with strangers but do not have the size or temperament to be a "guardian". They will probably alert you to the presence of strangers, but that's about the extent of it!

If you are an extremely fastidious housekeeper, think twice about an Italian Greyhound. IGs can be VERY difficult to housetrain. They are world-champion stealth peeers and poopers, and there is a very small likelihood of your new off white carpet escaping puppyhood unscathed. Even "trained" adults can have occasional lapses (especially in cold and/or rainy weather.) If the very idea sends you into apoplexy, think long and hard. There are breeds out there that would rather explode than soil their master's home, but the IG isn't one of them! Housetraining issues are the number one reason given when people turn IGs into rescue.

If you have infants or young children, an IG may or may not be a good choice for you, for several reasons. If you have crawling children that put everything in their mouths, the housetraining issue is something to really consider. Toddlers are often clumsy and erratic in their movements, and can easily hurt an IG. Accident or not, a broken leg is still a broken leg and very expensive to fix. IGs normally do better in a home with older, considerate children. IGs are NOT canine babysitters and can't tolerate "roughhousing".

If you have visions of sitting in your easy chair with a dog quietly at your feet, think again! IGs are extremely affectionate and crave close physical contact with their people. They are more likely to be in your lap than at your feet. Similarly, if the idea of a dog on the furniture gives you hives, you should probably look at another breed. While I'm sure an IG could eventually be taught to stay off the furniture, they would be quite unhappy about it.

If you are looking for a dog to accompany you off leash in various settings, I implore you to think carefully about getting an IG or any sighthound. Sighthounds tend to have very high prey drive, and will take off after small furry creatures. During the chase they go "deaf" and won't even hear you calling them. Many IGs and other sighthounds have been hit by cars and lost because their owners trusted that they would not run off. The refrain is all too common, "But he was so attached to me I never thought he would leave my side..."e; or "I had done it a million times and he never did anything like that before!" Some sighthound owners (myself included) successfully engage in off leash activities with their dogs, but only after intense recall training and in controlled areas.

As a companion to the above, if you are planning to use an invisible fence, please reconsider. Sighthounds are so fast, they can be through the containment system before they even realize they have been shocked. It just isn't enough of a deterrent in the face of great temptation (a squirrel, the neighbor's cat, etc.) Not to mention the fact that IGs are small dogs, and could be at the mercy of larger animals that wander into the yard. Even if the invisible fence keeps your IG *in*, it doesn't keep the neighbor's 110 lb mutt *out*. I do know a few IG/whippet owners who successfully use invisible fences, but they are extremely dedicated owners and only use the system when they are *outside WITH the dog*.

If you expect a pet to be "low maintenance", you may want to consider a few things about IGs. Like many toy dogs, IGs are prone to dental and periodontal problems. It is very important to keep a handle on your IG's mouth. If unchecked, dental/periodontal problems can lead to serious health issues, including systemic infections and heart damage (not to mention very unpleasant breath.) Some IGs can get away with a yearly dental cleaning from the veterinarian, many others require daily brushing and cleanings every six months.

In addition to dental problems, there are several serious health issues in the breed. Some are PRA (causes eventual blindness), epilepsy, juvenile cataracts, luxating patellas, Legg-Perthes, autoimmune thyroiditis, vWD, color dilution alopecia and broken legs. Your chances of getting an IG with these conditions is lessened by buying from a responsible breeder, but these problems sometimes crop up even with the best breeders. (Compared to other pure breeds, in my opinion IGs are in the middle healthwise. Some breeds have fewer problems, some have more.)

Finally, if you expect perfect, automatic obedience, don't get an IG! While IGs learn quickly with positive training methods and can be wonderfully well-behaved house dogs, they do not obey like a mindless automaton. People who want top obedience competitors choose breeds that don't mind lots of repetition and can be trained to a high level of precision. While a Golden Retriever might practice the same exercise 50 times in a single session, an IG will do it twice and then look at you as if to say "Haven't you had your fun? Let's do something else already!"

If you have read all the way to this point, you may be wondering why anyone would want an IG if all these things are true. Italian Greyhounds are gentle, sweet, affectionate, sensitive, highly intuitive and exceptionally attuned to their owners' moods. They have a dry mouth and require minimal grooming with little or no "doggy odor". They get along with most dogs but tend to prefer the company of other IGs. They are wonderful and infuriating. A true IG person will never be without one (or two, or three!)