Italian Greyhound


The Italian Sighthound is an Italian breed of small sighthound. It may also be called the Italian Greyhound.

History

This dog has long been popular with nobility and royalty. Among those believed to have kept it are Frederick II, Duke of Swabia; members of the D'Este, Medici and Visconti families; the French kings Louis XI, Charles VIII, Charles IX, Louis XIII and Louis XIV; Frederick the Great of Prussia; Anne of Denmark; Catherine the Great and Queen Victoria.
The dog has often been represented in painting, notably by Giotto, Sassetta and Tiepolo.

Characteristics

The Italian Sighthound is the smallest of the sighthounds. It weighs no more than and stands at the withers. It is in the sighthound group of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, but in the toy group of the American Kennel Club and The Kennel Club.
It is deep in the chest, with a tucked-up abdomen, long slender legs and a long neck that tapers down to a small head. The head is long and pointed. The gait should be high-stepping and well-sprung, with good forward extension in the trot, and a fast gallop.
Recognised coat colours are black, blue and isabelle in any shade; there may be white markings, but on the chest and feet only.

Health

The Italian Greyhound has a median lifespan of 13.5 in a 2004 UK Kennel Club survey. A 1993 US breed club survey gives an average lifespan of 9 years but more than a quarter of the dogs had "accidents" recorded as cause of death.
Health problems that can be found in the breed:
The Ortheopedic Foundation for Animals has found the Italian Greyhound to be the least affected by hip dysplasia of 157 breeds studied, with an incidence of 0.