Greyhound dog

History of origin

Greyhound without any doubt can be called one of the most ancient breeds of dogs. Ancient Egyptian figurines, paintings of Greek vases, Roman frescoes – all this suggests that these little greyhounds were known and loved several millennia ago.

Initially, they were bred to hunt small game, but the dogs turned out to be so beautiful and graceful that they quickly became pets. In ancient Rome, Italian greyhounds were in fashion among the patricians, they were kept as a luxury item and spent a lot of money on them. This is evidenced by numerous images, as well as all kinds of expensive things that have come down to us that surrounded dogs: pillows, precious collars, dishes, etc.

Centuries passed, the Empire fell, but the Italian greyhounds did not go into the past along with the greatness of Rome. They still remained loved by the nobility, as we are told by the images of these dogs on the great canvases of the Renaissance. By that time, the breed was already known throughout Europe. So, for example, the Queen of France of Italian origin, Catherine de Medici, was, in modern terms, a breeder of Italian greyhounds. She adored the breed and appeared everywhere in the company of these dogs.

Bred tiny greyhounds and her namesake Catherine II. The first greyhounds were sent to her as a gift from England, since then the Empress has been constantly accompanied by several dogs of this breed. And she sometimes presented her favorites with puppies of Italian greyhounds.

However, due to the fact that they tried to keep the breed pure by inbreeding (closely related crosses), it gradually began to degenerate, and by the beginning of the XNUMXth century, Italian greyhounds were threatened with complete extinction. Then the breeders tried to add the blood of little whippets to them to fix the appearance of the greyhounds and toy terriers in order to maintain their small size (according to some reports, this somewhat spoiled the character of the greyhounds, so the toy terriers were later abandoned). And in the middle of the last century, the Italian greyhound took the form that we can admire to this day.

Breed description

This graceful dog outwardly does not differ in any way from the larger representatives of the greyhounds, especially the Greyhound, of which it is a miniature variety (the second name of the breed is the Italian Greyhound). She has a graceful, but at the same time muscular, lean body, which should fit into a square: the length of the body is equal to the height at the withers, which does not exceed 40 cm. The weight ranges from 5 kg, but about 4 kg is considered optimal. The muzzle is narrow, long, the eyes are large, the ears are semi-erect, set high. The tail is long, thin, always lowered and bent at the end.

Greyhounds run very well and can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h. They also have excellent eyesight, but the sense of smell is slightly weaker than that of other hunting dogs.

The coat is short, close to the body, shiny, with no undercoat. The colors are monochromatic, of three types: gray (blue), black and isabella (cream), a white spot on the muzzle and underside of the body is acceptable. The nose must be black in any case.

Photos

Character

Quivering doe – this is how this breed can be characterized, moreover, this applies to both appearance and mental organization. These mobile friendly dogs are very sensitive and vulnerable, they are painfully experiencing any troubles or changes, but they simply flourish in a calm family atmosphere.

Greyhounds are rarely aggressive (only when they are very frightened), they are very devoted to their family and are ready to fulfill any desire of the owner. These smart greyhounds never use their intelligence to harm – they will not spoil things or gnaw on the baseboard in your apartment. Well, except that if you leave your dog alone for a long time, he can do a little mischief to attract attention.

Greyhound is an active dog, she needs constant movement, so at home she will not lie quietly on the rug. Greyhounds also like to bark, so you should not start this breed in a family with small children or the elderly.

Greyhounds are friendly to other animals, but they are afraid of large dogs, so it would be better if your pet makes friends of equal size.

In general, beautiful, smart and easy to care for, the Italian greyhound is an excellent companion dog for the whole family.

Care and maintenance

Perhaps, for a city apartment, a greyhound is one of the best breeds. It is small, but at the same time it is a real hunting dog, it has absolutely no smell and almost no shedding. It does not need to be combed out, only wiped with a damp cloth from time to time. A dog of such dimensions also eats a little.

But you will have to walk with her for a long time, because although it is a small, but real greyhound that needs movement. Therefore, if you are not a fan of an active lifestyle, it would be better to opt for another breed. At the same time, you can let this dog off the leash only where she cannot run away from you, because this hunter is able to get so carried away by the excitement of chasing some cat that she simply gets lost.

Natives of warm countries, Italian greyhounds are very sensitive to cold, so they are certainly not suitable for outdoor keeping. Moreover, even in an apartment it is better to equip her with a warmer place – for example, a soft mattress next to the battery, and for a walk in the cold season, you need to put on a jacket on her.

Education and training

Greyhounds are very smart dogs, always ready to please their two-legged friend. However, do not forget that, first of all, these are hunters. No matter how many centuries greyhounds live next to people as companions, by nature they will always remain greyhounds. And all hunting dogs are distinguished by extreme independence of judgment. So, from the first minutes of acquaintance, behave confidently and calmly with the puppy, as the leader of the pack should – and this independent hunter will also take into account the opinion of the leader. But in no case do not resort to shouting, rudeness or force, with this you will achieve only one thing – a sensitive Italian greyhound will become depressed and may even get sick. However, these obedient dogs rarely give their owners a reason to lose their temper.

So, if your family has a peaceful atmosphere, and you stay calm and confident with your pet, you will not have problems with education.

Health and disease

Like all greyhounds, the main problem of greyhounds is the musculoskeletal system. The fact is that these dogs love to run and jump very much, but they do not always calculate their strength correctly, so they often have muscle and ligament sprains, as well as limb fractures. To avoid this, carefully monitor your pet on the street, not allowing her to get too carried away with outdoor games. However, it is also impossible to completely limit it in movement, because this will lead to obesity and neuroses, so you will have to find a middle ground that will allow the Italian greyhound to get the necessary physical activity, but at the same time not to get injured.

It is also not uncommon for Italian greyhounds to have problems with the eyes, as well as early loss of teeth. Well, do not forget about the emotionality of these dogs – severe stress can cause them all sorts of nervous diseases.

Word to the breeder

Irina Ivanova, breeder of the St. Petersburg kennel “Angelo Celeste” says this about these dogs: “Levretki are so smart that they don’t even need training, you can always agree with them, and they will understand you. It is this kind of communication that makes the Italian greyhound a true friend of a person, these gentle creatures will always accompany you – both at home and on a journey.

However, it would be better if you get several Italian Greyhounds at once – they feel more comfortable in the company of their own kind. And if you can go with them to nature more often, then they will be completely happy.

А breeder of the kennel “Amoroso Vero”, Saratov, Olga Polyakova adds to the above: “Levretki attract not only with their appearance – clear, clean outlines of the body, reminiscent of an old figurine, but also with tenderness, impeccable manners, devotion and fidelity. For more than 2000 years, humanity has admired the elegance and grace of this wonderful little dog. Greyhounds have become a living decoration of the house, devoted little friends of the family, bringing a lot of joy to their owners. Very affectionate, smart, fast.

For those who want to adopt a greyhound puppy, I would suggest not to give in to emotions, carefully consider your decision, it should not be spontaneous. Study the breed a little, talk to different breeders, read literature. When purchasing a greyhound puppy, you need to understand the breed characteristics that this is a small greyhound, that is, a fast-running dog that can enthusiastically catch up with someone. Puppies are very active, run and jump a lot, their movements are very fast. In addition, it is necessary to walk enough with a greyhound.”

Popular questions and answers

We talked about the maintenance of Italian greyhounds with a zoo engineer, veterinarian Anastasia Kalinina.