The Italian Greyhound is a small breed of dog, specifically a member of the sight hound family and member of the toy group. They are sometimes called an "I.G." or "Iggy" for short.^[1] Shortcut: WP:-( Vandalism is indisputable bad-faith addition, deletion, or change to content, made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the encyclopedia. ... Shortcut: WP:-( Vandalism is indisputable bad-faith addition, deletion, or change to content, made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the encyclopedia. ... Image File history File links Italian_greyhund. ... Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) (English, World Canine Organization), is an international Kennel Club based in Thuin, Belgium. ... © The American Kennel Club (or AKC) is the largest registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. ... The Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC) is the peak body in Australia responsible for promoting excellence in breeding, showing, trialling, obedience, and other canine-related activities and the ownership of temperamentally and physically sound purebred dogs by responsible individuals across Australia. ... The Canadian Kennel Club (or C.K.C.) is the primary registry body for purebred dog pedigrees in Canada. ... The Kennel Club in the United Kingdom is a club aiming to improve the relationships between dogs and their owners. ... The New Zealand Kennel Club is an organisation responsible for dog pedigree registration services in New Zealand. ... The United Kennel Club (or UKC) is the second oldest all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States and the second largest in the world. ... This Chihuahua mix and Great Dane show the wide range of dog breed sizes. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. ... The Whippet shows the characteristic long legs, deep chest, and narrow waist of a sight hound. ... The Bichon Frisé is an example of a toy dog[1] that requires considerable grooming. ...

Appearance

An Italian Greyhound at Washington Square in New York City.

The Italian Greyhound is the smallest of the sight hounds, typically weighing about 7 to 11 lbs or so. Standing about 13 to 15 inches tall at the shoulder or whithers.[1] Though they are in the "toy" group by their weight, they physically occupy more space because of their skinny bodies, so owners must be careful when sizing clothing or accommodations. Image File history File links ItalianGreyHoundIce. ... Image File history File links ItalianGreyHoundIce. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... The Bichon Frisé is an example of a toy dog[1] that requires considerable grooming. ...

The Italian Greyhound's chest is deep, with a tucked abdomen, long slender legs and long neck. The face is long and pointed, somewhat like that of a Dachshund. Overall, they look like miniature Greyhounds. Their gait is distinctive and resembles the elegant trot of a horse. They are able to run at top speed with a double-suspension gallop, and can achieve a top speed of up to 25mph. The dachshund is a short-legged, elongated dog breed of the hound family. ... This article needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ...

The colour of the coat is a subject of much discussion. In the UK, the USA, and Australia, white spotted IGs are accepted, while the FCI standards adhered to in Europe allows white spots only on the chest and paws.[2] Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) (English, World Canine Organization), is an international Kennel Club based in Thuin, Belgium. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ...

The modern Italian Greyhound's appearance is a result of breeders throughout Europe, particularly Austrian, German, Italian, and French breeders, making great contributions to the forming of this breed. The Italian Greyhound should resemble a small Greyhound, or rather a Sloughi, though they are in appearance more elegant and graceful. World map showing the location of Europe. ... A breed is a domesticated subspecies or infrasubspecies of an animal. ... This article needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ... The Sloughi is a breed of dog, specifically a member of the sighthound family. ...

Example of a double-suspension gallop, note all four feet off the ground.

Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ...

Temperament

The Italian Greyhound is affectionate and makes a good companion dog. The breed is excellent for families and enjoys the company of people. While they are excellent with children, the breed's slim build and short coat make them somewhat fragile, and injury can result from rough play. Companion dog usually describes a dog that does not work, providing only companionship as a pet, rather than usefulness by doing specific tasks. ...

Although the Italian Greyhound appears fragile, they have some characteristics of larger dogs. Their large, strong lungs enables a bark that is deeper than one might expect from a small dog.

The breed is equally at home in the city or the country and does not require as much exercise as larger breeds, although they are fast, agile and athletic. The young dog is often particularly active, and this high level of activity may lead them to attempt ill-advised feats of athleticism that can result in injury. They enjoy running as fast as they possibly can, typically faster than other larger dogs.

In general the Italian Greyhound is intelligent, but they often have a "what's in it for me attitude," so patience and reward in training seem to work best.

Italian Greyhounds make reasonably good watchdogs, as they bark at unfamiliar sounds. They may also bark at passers-by and other animals. However, they often get along well with other dogs and cats they are raised with. They are not good guard dogs as they are often aloof with strangers and easily spooked to run.

Due to their slim build and extremely short coat, Italian Greyhounds are at times reluctant to go outside in cold or wet weather, so some owners lay old newspaper on the floor near an exit so their pets can relieve themselves. This breed tends to gravitate to warm places, curl up with other dogs or humans, or burrow into blankets and under cushions for warmth.

As gazehounds, Italian Greyhounds instinctively hunt by sight and have a high predator drive. Owners of Italian Greyhounds typically keep their dogs leashed at all times when not in an enclosed area to avoid the risk of even a well-behaved pet breaking away at high speed after a small animal. Also, a short leash is highly suggested to owners due to reports of animals breaking their own necks when running a full lead mounted to the ground or a wall. The Whippet shows the characteristic long legs, deep chest, and narrow waist of a sighthound. ... Prey drive is the instinctive behavior of a herbavore to flee or evade capture by a predator. ...

Like most small breeds, Italian Greyhounds have small bladders. Housebreaking progresses with training and patience, but still at a slower pace than with larger breeds.

Italian Greyhounds are known for their lack of bladder control in comparison to other dogs. This is thought to be due to the bladder muscle in the dog being far too weak and due to many generations of breeding without removing the undesirable genetic traits.

Grooming

Dogs of this breed have an extremely short coat that requires little more than an occasional bath. Shedding is typical as of other breeds, but the hair that is shed is extremely short and fine and is easily vacuumed.

The teeth of an Italian Greyhound should be brushed regularly. Their scissor-bite and thin jaw bones make them prone to periodontal disease, which can be avoided with good dental care. Periodontitis a disease involving inflammation of the gums (gingiva), often persisting unnoticed for years or decades in a patient, that results in loss of bone around teeth. ...

Health

Health problems that can be found in the breed:

• Epilepsy
• Legg-Perthes disease (degeneration of the hip)
• Patellar Luxation (slipped stifles)
• von Willebrand disease (vWD) (Bleeding disorder)
• Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)
• Color dilution alopecia (hair loss in dilute pigmented dogs, ie: blues, blue fawns, etc)
• Leg Breaks (most common under the age of 2)
• Cataracts
• Vitreous degeneration
• Liver shunts
• Autoimmune hemolytic anemia
• Periodontal disease, gum recession, early tooth loss, bad tooth enamel
• Hypothyroidism, Autoimmune Thyroid Disease (Hashimoto's disease)
• Deafness (in dogs lacking pigmentation)

Responsible breeders will routinely check their dogs for the onset of various inherited disorders, these commonly include (but are not limited to): CERF examinations on eyes, OFA patellar examinations, OFA thyroid function panels, von Willebrand's factor, OFA hip and Legg-Perthes disease x-rays, and others. Perthes disease is the idiopathic avascular osteonecrosis of the capital femoral epiphysis of the femoral head, also known as Legg-Perthes Disease and Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (LCPD). ... Luxating patella, or trick knee, is a condition in which the patella, or kneecap, dislocates or moves out of its normal location. ... Von Willebrands disease (vWD) is the most common hereditary coagulation abnormality described in humans. ... Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is a genetic disease of the retina that occurs bilaterally and is seen in certain breeds of dogs. ... Follicular dysplasia is a genetic disease of dogs causing alopecia, or hair loss. ... Human eye cross-sectional view, showing position of human lens. ... A portosystemic shunt (PSS), also known as a liver shunt, is a bypass of the liver by the bodys circulatory system. ... Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is one type of hemolytic anemias caused by excessive hemolyisis and it is identified by auto-antibodies that react with RBCs. ... Periodontitis a disease involving inflammation of the gums (gingiva), often persisting unnoticed for years or decades in a patient, that results in loss of bone around teeth. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Hashimotos thyroiditis is the most common form of thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease where the bodys own antibodies fight the cells of the thyroid. ... This article discusses the way the word deaf is used and how deafness is perceived by hearing and Deaf communities. ...

History

The name of the breed is a reference to the breed's popularity in Renaissance Italy. Mummified dogs very similar to the Italian Greyhound (or small Greyhounds) have been found in Egypt, and pictorials of small Greyhounds have been found in Pompeii, and they were probably the only accepted companion-dog there. As an amusing aside the expression 'Cave Canem' (Beware of the dog) was a warning to visitors, not that the dogs would attack but to beware of damaging the small dogs. The Renaissance (French for rebirth, or Rinascimento in Italian), was a cultural movement in Italy (and in Europe in general) that began in the late Middle Ages, and spanned roughly the 14th through the 17th century. ... A mummy is a corpse whose skin and dried flesh have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or airlessness. ... Pompeii is a ruined Roman city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. ...

Although the small dogs are mainly companionship dogs they have in fact been used for hunting purposes, often in combination with hunting falcons. “Hunter” redirects here. ... “Tiercel” redirects here. ...

The Italian Greyhound is the smallest of the family of gazehounds (dogs that hunt by sight). The breed is an old one and is believed to have originated more than 2,000 years ago in the countries now known as Greece and Turkey. This belief is based on the depiction of miniature greyhounds in the early decorative arts of these countries and on the archaeological discovery of small greyhound skeletons. By the Middle Ages, the breed had become distributed throughout Southern Europe and was later a favorite of the Italians of the sixteenth century, among whom miniature dogs were in great demand. It is, in fact, due to its popularity in Italy at this time that the breed became known as the "Italian Greyhound." From this period onward the history of the breed can be fairly well traced as it spread through Europe, arriving in England in the seventeenth century.

Miscellaneous

Italian Greyhounds in the arts

Portrait of the aging Catherine The Great with an Italian Greyhound.

The grace of the breed has prompted several artists to include the dogs in paintings, among others Velasquez, Pisanello and Giotto. Image File history File links Vladimir Borovikovsky. ... Image File history File links Vladimir Borovikovsky. ... Las Meninas, painted in 1656. ... Categories: 1911 Britannica | Stub | Italian painters | Gothic painting | 1380 births | 1456 deaths ... Giotto di Bondone (c. ...

Vision des Hl. Eustathius by Pisanello

The breed has been popular with royalty throughout, among the best known royal aficionados were Mary Stuart, Queen Anne, Queen Victoria, Catherine The Great, Frederick the Great and the Norwegian Queen Maud. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 721 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3176 × 2641 pixel, file size: 731 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Italian Greyhound Saint Eustace Pisanello Chaperon... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 721 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3176 × 2641 pixel, file size: 731 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Italian Greyhound Saint Eustace Pisanello Chaperon... Members of the royal family shared amongst the Commonwealth Realms. ... Mary I (popularly known as Mary, Queen of Scots: French: ); (December 8, 1542 – February 8, 1587) was Queen of Scots (the monarch of the Kingdom of Scotland) from December 14, 1542, to July 24, 1567. ... Anne Queen of Great Britain and Ireland Anne (6 February 1665–1 August 1714), became Queen of England and Scotland on 8 March 1702. ... Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India from 1 May 1876, until her death on 22 January 1901. ... “Catherine the Great” redirects here. ... Frederick II (German: ; January 24, 1712 – August 17, 1786) was a King of Prussia (1740–1786) from the Hohenzollern dynasty. ... Queen Maud (nee HRH Princess Maud of Wales) (Maud Charlotte Mary Victoria) (26 November 1869-20 November 1938) was the Queen consort of King Haakon VII of Norway. ...

Italian Greyhounds in popular culture

• Nelly from the film Good Boy! is an Italian Greyhound played by "Montif" and "Imp". ^[2]
• The American math rock band Shellac named their fourth album Excellent Italian Greyhound in reference to drummer Todd Trainer's pet Italian Greyhound, Uffizi.

Good Boy! movie cover Good Boy! was a moderately successful movie produced by Jim Henson Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, starring talking alien dogs. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Look up shellac in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Excellent Italian Greyhound is the title of Shellacs fourth album. ... A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer. ... Todd Trainer is the drummer for the band Shellac. ...

Activities

Some Italian Greyhounds enjoy dog agility. The breed's lithe body and its love of action enable it to potentially do well at this sport, although not many IGs participate and their natural inclination is for straight-out racing rather than for working tightly as a team with a handler on a technical course. Dog agility is a sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. ...

Lure coursing is another activity well-fitted to the Italian Greyhound, and they seem to enjoy it tremendously. Although the Italian Greyhound is a very fast dog, it is not as well suited to racing as its larger cousin. Lure coursing is a sport for dogs that involves chasing a mechanically operated lure. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Italian Greyhound

• Clubs, Associations, and Societies
  • Italian Greyhound Club of America
  • Italian Greyhound Club of Canada
  • Italian Greyhound Society UK
  • Italian Greyhound committee (Norway)
  • Italian Greyhound National Club of Russia
  • Friends of the Italia Greyhound Australia
• Miscellaneous
  • Lifeline Italian Greyhound Rescue
  • Italian Greyhound Breed
  • Italian Greyhounds of Ukraine
  • Wiseguys Italian Greyhound Rescue
  • Wisconsin Italian Greyhound Rescue

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...

References