Italian Greyhound

Italian Greyhounds have a playful, intelligent, and alert nature. They have been known to enjoy dog sports such as lure coursing, racing, agility, tracking, and both rally and standard obedience as sport which gives them physical and mental stimulation whilst providing a fun way to bond with their families. Italian Greyhounds can also bond with people as animal-assisted therapy dogs.

Due their small size, 9-10inches, the Italian Greyhound is attractive to children, as with all dogs, extremely close supervision is needed to prevent accidental injury to the child or dog and avoid the possibility of the dog's subsequently developing fear-based defensive aggression.

Italian Greyhound History:

The Italian Greyhound has roots dating back over 2,000 years to Greece and Turkey. In Egypt Mummified Italian Greyhounds have been found and pictures of the breed were found in the ruins of Pompeii.

The Romans in the 6th century brought Italian Greyhounds to Italy. They quickly became popular with royal families all across Southern Europe. The name “Italian Greyhound” stems from the breed’s immense popularity in renaissance Italy. By the 1600’s, Italian Greyhounds had made their way to England. They faced extinction in Britain after World War I, but the numbers were increased with help from some of the American Italian Greyhounds.