Dog Breed
Italian Greyhound
:quality(90)/f/92981/1000x667/9b81223292/italian-greyhound-primary.jpg)
- Full Name
- Italian Greyhound
- Your PupScore
- Take the best dog breed quiz to get your Pup Scores!
- Life Span
- 12 - 15 years
- Weight
- 7 - 15 pounds
- Description
Mischievous, Affectionate, Agile, Athletic, Companionable, Intelligent
- Origin
- Italy
- Bred For
- Lapdog
- Family Considerations
- Overall Ease of Breed
- Personality
- Home and Environment Considerations
- Physical Characteristics
Child Friendly
2/5
Is the Italian Greyhound good with children?
Unfortunately, the Italian Greyhound is not automatically well suited with children and we would not recommend for homes with very small children unless early socialization with children is taken seriously.
Stranger Friendly
3/5
Is the Italian Greyhound friendly with strangers?
The Italian Greyhound is about average in how friendly they are with strangers. They can be timid or protective, but with proper training and socialization can be fine for any household.
Dog Friendly
2/5
Is the Italian Greyhound friendly with other dogs?
The Italian Greyhound is not naturally friendly with other dogs, but with a good amount of early socialization as a puppy they can learn to get along with most breeds of dog. Proper training is required before letting the Italian Greyhound go off-leash or to dog parks.
Likes to Cuddle
5/5
Does the Italian Greyhound like to cuddle?
The Italian Greyhound loves physical affection and cuddles. If you're looking for a cuddle partner you may have found the one!
Playfulness
4/5
Does the Italian Greyhound like to play?
The Italian Greyhound will almost always be ready for play! The Italian Greyhound is great for a family with children, or otherwise, an environment that is always ready for play.
Service Dog Ability
1/5
Does the Italian Greyhound make a good service dog?
Historically, the Italian Greyhound has never been used as a service dog and really would not be a good fit.
Ease for Novice
3/5
Is the Italian Greyhound good for first-time owners?
The Italian Greyhound is not the easiest breed for first-time owners, but can certainly still work out if the owner is willing to put the time into training and exercise.
Training Potential
3/5
How well can the Italian Greyhound be trained?
The Italian Greyhound is about average when it comes to training potential. The Italian Greyhound can be seen in competitions and can have advanced training, but it would require much dedication and oftentimes professional training.
Amount of Shedding
2/5
Does the Italian Greyhound shed a lot?
The Italian Greyhound does shed, but less than average.
Ease of Grooming
2/5
Is the Italian Greyhound easy to groom?
The Italian Greyhound requires a good amount of grooming work. It is possible to do it yourself, but you need to plan on dedicating weekly grooming sessions at the minimum.
Exercise Need
2/5
Does the Italian Greyhound need a lot of exercise?
The Italian Greyhound requires some daily exercise, but daily walks should be enough. The Italian Greyhound appreciates going outside and on daily walks, but they will be ok without anything overly athletic.
Intelligence
3/5
How smart is the Italian Greyhound?
The Italian Greyhound has average intelligence. They are smart and witty, but do not need to be constantly challenged mentally, as some other breeds.
Amount of Barking
4/5
How much does the Italian Greyhound bark? Does the Italian Greyhound bark too much?
The Italian Greyhound barks a lot. This is important to consider with your living situation- will it be ok when you leave them at home alone or will they disrupt the neighbors? The Italian Greyhound will oftentimes bark just to express their thoughts... even just to be heard!
Guard Dog Ability
3/5
Is the Italian Greyhound a good guard dog?
The Italian Greyhound is not typically used as a guard dog, although they can be alert and oftentimes notify you if there is a stranger at the door or otherwise something to be concerned over.
Tolerates Being Alone
1/5
Is the Italian Greyhound good at staying alone? Is the Italian Greyhound independent?
The Italian Greyhound considers their owner part of the "pack" and hates being left behind. This can be a good thing for someone looking for an emotional support dog who is loyal and always by their side, but bad if the dog will need to be left at home alone for extended periods.
Good for Apartment Living
5/5
Is the Italian Greyhound a good apartment dog?
The Italian Greyhound is an excellent dog breed for an apartment. Some daily exercise is still important, but if they get that then the apartment will be more than enough for them to call home.
Size
1/5
How big is the Italian Greyhound?
The Italian Greyhound is one of the smallest dog breeds- suited well for apartment living and very convenient for travel.
Tolerates Heat
3/5
How much does the Italian Greyhound tolerate hot weather? When is it too hot for a Italian Greyhound?
The Italian Greyhound can tolerate some heat, but should not be over-exposed to hot weather. In general, they can live in hot weather climates, but would do best with air conditioning or at least a fan in their home, especially where they sleep.
Tolerates Cold
1/5
How much does the Italian Greyhound tolerate cold weather? When is it too cold for a Italian Greyhound?
The Italian Greyhound does not tolerate cold weather at all, and we would not recommend having a Italian Greyhound if you live in a cold weather climate.
Potential to Run Away
1/5
Does the Italian Greyhound try to run away?
The Italian Greyhound is very unlikely to run away. Of course, precautions should always be taken, and every dog is unique, but with a Italian Greyhound it is very likely they will naturally follow you, even when they are off-leash.
General Health
4/5
Is the Italian Greyhound a healthy dog? The health of a Italian Greyhound should be measured not just by how many years they live, but also by how many health issues they've had. It is important to know which health conditions your breed is prone to- hip problems, eye problems, bloating, and arthritis are all common dog health problems.
The Italian Greyhound is very healthy, but it is still important to feed the Italian Greyhound high-quality food and to live a healthy lifestyle.
Energy Level
2/5
How energetic is the Italian Greyhound?
The Italian Greyhound has some energy and requires daily walks, but overall the Italian Greyhound has less energy than average.
Amount of Drooling
1/5
How much does the Italian Greyhound drool?
The Italian Greyhound does not drool at all.
Prey Drive
2/5
Does the Italian Greyhound have a large prey drive? Does the Italian Greyhound like to chase birds, cats, and other small animals?
The Italian Greyhound has some prey drive, so should not be left alone with very small animals such as birds, mice, or gerbils, but with some gradual introduction should be fine living with a cat in the same home.
Athleticism
2/5
Is the Italian Greyhound atheltic?
The Italian Greyhound can have athletic moments, and bursts of speed, but does not have the endurance as other highly athletic dog breeds. They would do great for occasional jogs, but probably not the best for long-distance runs or anything more athletic than that.
1 of 3
:quality(100)/f/92981/696x451/f42d6a3a66/italian-greyhound-secondary-2.jpg)
:quality(100)/f/92981/2560x1802/9cea4eebd9/italian-greyhound-secondary-1.jpg)
:quality(100)/f/92981/1940x1000/3e699f533c/italian-greyhound-secondary-0.jpg)
Dog- Toy
- Italian Greyhound
The Italian Greyhound is a purebred dog that falls within the larger Toy dog breed group.
Toy group: Toy dogs are primarily characterized by their very small size. But don't let that fool you- if anything their personality and tenacity is higher than the average dog. In fact, even their protective instincts are above average! In fact, because of that it is crucial they get socialization with children and other dogs from an early age.
Perhaps out of all dog groups, the toy dog group is the most difficult to put sub-groups into, since the sub groups also include larger dogs, and fall under other groupings. For example, the Pomeranian is a Toy Spitz dog, but there are also large Spitz dogs such as the Samoyed.
Because the toy dog is both small and primarily bred for home companionship, they make excellent additions for a wide range of families. There are also practical benefits with toy dogs- they are great for apartment living, and traveling. Toy dogs are also loyal and love to cuddle, making them the ideal lap dog.
Italian Greyhounds for adoption
Similar Breeds
%2Ff%2F92981%2F500x473%2Fc92fbb724d%2Fchihuahua-primary.jpg&w=1500&q=75)
%2Ff%2F92981%2F3008x2000%2Fc959fb3712%2Fchinese-crested-primary.jpg&w=1500&q=75)
%2Ff%2F92981%2F1200x1200%2Fa7f0cfe501%2Fbrussels-griffon-primary.jpg&w=1500&q=75)
%2Ff%2F92981%2F729x487%2F62e60c6b0d%2Fbiewer-terrier-primary.jpg&w=1500&q=75)
%2Ff%2F92981%2F1293x944%2Fc782c96bb0%2Ftoy-fox-terrier-primary.jpg&w=1500&q=75)
%2Ff%2F92981%2F729x486%2Fa5dc77bb3e%2Fshih-tzu-primary.jpg&w=1500&q=75)