Living with an Italian Greyhound

An Italian Greyhound attaches itself to its people completely. They will follow you from room to room, sit on you rather than beside you, and burrow under whatever blanket is nearest. They are funny, clever, and persuasive.

The other side of that is real: they do not cope well with being alone all day. A household where somebody is usually home, or a second dog for company, suits them far better. They are sensitive to raised voices and to rough handling, and they do not respond to heavy-handed training.

A single thin coat and almost no body fat means they feel cold long before you do. In winter that means a coat outdoors, somewhere warm to sleep, and accepting that your dog will be in the bed, under the covers, whatever you had planned.

They will also refuse to go outside in the rain, which brings us to toilet training. Italian Greyhounds have an honest reputation for being slow to house-train, and cold wet weather makes it worse. Plan for it, be patient, and consider an indoor option for miserable days.

The breed's fine leg bones are genuinely vulnerable between about four and twelve months of age, and the usual cause of a break is an ordinary jump down from a couch or a bed, or a tumble during rough play with a bigger dog.

It is manageable with sensible precautions: steps or a ramp up to furniture, no unsupervised play with large dogs, and no encouraging leaps down from height while a puppy is growing. Most owners get through it without incident. The ones who do not usually wish somebody had told them.

Teeth. The breed is prone to dental disease and it is the single most common thing owners neglect. Daily attention to teeth from puppyhood, plus scaling under your vet's advice, will add years of comfort.

Anaesthetics. Sighthounds can react differently to anaesthesia than other breeds because of their low body fat. Tell any vet you see that your dog is a sighthound, before a procedure rather than after.

Eyes and inherited conditions. Progressive retinal atrophy is known in the breed. Ask any breeder you speak to, including us, what they test for and to see the results. A breeder who is vague about health testing is telling you something.

Exercise and fencing. They need a proper run, and they are quick enough that a sighthound in pursuit of something will not hear you. Secure fencing is essential, and most are never entirely reliable off lead in open ground.

Grooming. Close to nothing. A rub over with a cloth, nails kept short, and that is the coat dealt with.