Italian Greyhounds stand roughly 13 to 15 inches at the withers, which makes them the smallest of the sighthounds. The American Kennel Club files them as a Toy breed. The Federation Cynologique Internationale puts them with the hounds.
Leg fractures are what the breed is best known for. In a 2012 survey of 724 dogs by the American breed club (IGCA) and the Van Andel Research Institute, 15% had a fracture history, and the youngest case was three months old.
What Is an Italian Greyhound?
Sighthounds hunt by sight and speed instead of scent, and the Italian Greyhound is the smallest of them. It has short-sprint anatomy at a size that fits on a lap.
Names vary by registry. The FCI calls it the Piccolo Levriero Italiano (Italian Sighthound) in Standard No. 200, English-speaking clubs register it as the Italian Greyhound, and owners shorten that to “IG” or “Iggy”.
Where the dog gets filed depends on who you ask. The AKC and the Royal Kennel Club in the UK (formerly The Kennel Club) both put it in the Toy Group, while the United Kennel Club (UKC) lists it under Companion Dogs. The FCI keeps it in Group 10, Sighthounds, Section 3 (short-haired), and accepted it on a definitive basis on 22 October 1956.
So it’s one dog under different labels, and only the FCI keeps it with the hounds.
It isn’t a dwarfed Greyhound. AKC breed history states it is a separate breed, produced by selective breeding from ancestors it shares with the full-size Greyhound, and the AKC standard describes a dog that is smaller and more slender than the Greyhound in every proportion.
Nor is it a small Whippet. The Whippet is a separate and larger sighthound breed.
Where Does the Italian Greyhound Come From?
The breed comes from the Mediterranean region and took its name in Renaissance Italy, but the sources disagree on how old it is. The earliest dated find is from AD 79, while two breed standards trace it to ancient Egypt.
The AKC says small sighthound-type remains dated to AD 79 were found at Pompeii, and otherwise describes the breed’s start as a mystery. FCI Standard No. 200 claims descent from the small sighthounds of ancient Egypt, kept at the courts of the Pharaohs. The UKC repeats the Egyptian descent and adds that the Romans developed the breed after it reached the Italian peninsula around the 5th century BCE.
Neither standard cites evidence for the Egyptian link. AD 79 sits about 1,950 years back, so the popular “over 2,000 years” figure leans on those undated claims.
The breed turns up often on lists of ancient dog breeds, yet the dated evidence is thinner than those lists suggest.
The name comes from the breed’s popularity in Italy. The history section of the FCI standard places its greatest development in the Renaissance, at noble courts, and notes how often it appears in paintings by major masters.
Merriam-Webster dates the English term “Italian greyhound” to 1743.
The AKC names Anne of Denmark, Frederick the Great of Prussia, Catherine the Great of Russia and Queen Victoria among the breed’s royal owners.
AKC registrations began in 1886. The Italian Greyhound Club was founded in Britain in 1900 and a written standard followed. The UKC recognized the breed in 1948, the Italian Greyhound Club of America (IGCA) was founded in 1954, and the FCI accepted the breed in 1956.
The Italian kennel club ENCI records that the Second World War brought the breed close to extinction, with numbers recovering only from the 1950s.
Italian Greyhound Size, Coat and Colors
The major registries set the Italian Greyhound at about 13 to 15 inches (32 to 38 cm) at the withers, with the Royal Kennel Club stating 12½ to 15 inches. Weight limits differ and two registries state none. Color rules differ too.
| Registry | Height | Weight | Colors |
|---|---|---|---|
| AKC | 13 to 15 in (ideal) | Not stated | Any, except brindle and tan points |
| UKC | 13 to 15 in (any deviation a serious fault) | Not stated | Any, except brindle, tan points, albinism |
| FCI Standard No. 200 (2015) | 32 to 38 cm | Maximum 5 kg | Solid black, grey, isabelline |
| Royal Kennel Club (April 2025) | 12½ to 15 in (32 to 38 cm) | Ideal 3.6 to 4.5 kg | Black, blue, cream, fawn, red, white, or broken with white |
Size by registry
Weight is where the standards split. The FCI caps adults at 5 kg (11 lb), the Royal Kennel Club sets an ideal band of 3.6 to 4.5 kg (8 to 10 lb), and the AKC and UKC standards give no weight at all.
Breed profile pages commonly print a weight range that the AKC standard itself never states.
A Showsight Magazine judging guide says most Italian Greyhounds measure 14 to 16 inches, so plenty of pet dogs stand above the standard’s 15-inch ceiling. The UKC standard treats any height deviation as a serious fault.
The Royal Kennel Club’s buyer note says a dog may be larger or smaller than the standard’s figures. Height and weight in a standard describe a show ideal, not a pass mark for pets.
Coat, colors and shedding
The coat is short, fine and glossy over thin, supple skin, which the AKC and UKC standards describe as satin-like.
On color, the AKC and UKC accept anything except brindle and the tan points found on black-and-tan breeds, and the UKC also disqualifies albinism. The Royal Kennel Club lists black, blue, cream, fawn, red and white, plus any of them broken with white, and rejects merle.
The FCI is the strict one. It allows solid black, grey and isabelline (yellowish to beige) in all shades, with white tolerated only on the chest and feet. A pied dog is therefore correct under three standards and outside the fourth.
The brindle and tan-point disqualifications exist because, per a Showsight judging guide, a purebred cannot genetically carry either pattern.
For grooming, the Royal Kennel Club breed page lists weekly brushing and no shedding. The IGCA adds that coat care is minimal, but nails need grinding 1 to 3 times weekly to protect leg structure and help prevent breaks.
Color dilution alopecia
The Merck Veterinary Manual (reviewed February 2025) lists the Italian Greyhound among the color-dilute breeds where color dilution alopecia is commonly seen. It traces the risk to a recessive variant of the mlph gene.
Affected dogs are born with normal coats. Before age one, folliculitis and progressive hair loss appear, confined to the blue or fawn areas.
VCA Animal Hospitals classes the condition as manageable but not curable, mostly cosmetic, with itching in some dogs. Merck gives skin biopsy as the definitive diagnosis.
In the 2025 UK breed survey, alopecia tied with fractures as the second most reported condition, and the report links it to blue and fawn coats. If you’re looking at one of those colors, ask the breeder about hair loss in the line.
What Is the Italian Greyhound’s Temperament Like?
Italian Greyhounds attach closely to their own household and stay reserved with strangers. The UKC standard calls the breed intelligent and affectionate but sensitive, and the Royal Kennel Club standard adds that it may appear aloof.
The FCI describes it as lively, affectionate and docile. The FCI and UKC standards both disqualify aggression and extreme shyness, so neither counts as a breed trait to excuse.
At home the dog bonds strongly and stays playful well past puppyhood, according to the IGCA. Strangers and children get little interest unless the dog was socialized early and often to people and new places, children included.
Training goes quickly, since this is a fast learner and a problem solver. It just doesn’t tie obedience to affection, and that frustrates a lot of new owners.
Prey drive is what owners underestimate. The AKC calls the breed a coursing hound at heart with an instinct for pursuit, and the IGCA says it will chase anything that moves, cars included.
A dog can pull a leash out of your hand to chase a cat or squirrel across a road, per the IGCA, which recommends a martingale collar and free play only in a securely fenced area.
The IGCA flags very young or rambunctious children as a mismatch, along with large, active dogs, because of the breed’s fine bone structure and sometimes timid personality.
The chase instinct puts rabbits, hamsters and other small pets at risk too. Cat compatibility varies dog by dog.
Italian Greyhound Health Problems and Lifespan
Italian Greyhounds live longer than most dogs. They also break legs easily, get dental disease often and react differently to anesthesia, and all of that affects how the dog is handled at home and at the vet.
Lifespan
Dogs Trust researchers (McMillan et al., Scientific Reports, 2024) put the breed’s median lifespan at 14.0 years, with a 95% confidence interval of 13.2 to 15.1.
The estimate rests on 389 dogs, of whom 70 had died, so the interval is wide.
Breed-club guidance runs both higher and lower. The IGCA calls 14 or 15 years not unusual, while the UK club’s 2025 survey report gives a typical lifespan of 12 to 14 years.
Read together, 14 years is the best-supported midpoint, and 12 to 15 years is a fair planning range.
Fractures and joint conditions
Leg fractures are the injury this breed is known for.
In the 2012 IGCA and Van Andel Research Institute survey of 724 dogs, 15% had a fracture history, mostly in the forelegs, and the youngest case was three months old.
The 2025 UK survey recorded fractures in 22 of 284 dogs, about 8%, tied with alopecia as the second most reported condition.
The gap probably reflects age. The UK dogs had a median age near 5, while the US survey asked about fractures in dogs of all ages, and neither sample was random, so treat 8% to 15% as a range, not a rate.
Luxating patella is the other one you’ll hear about. The kneecap slips out of its groove, which causes lameness and, over time, osteoarthritis. Joint problems, mostly this one, made the 2025 survey’s top ten.
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease hits young dogs, when poor blood supply weakens the femoral head. Dogs Victoria lists it among the breed’s reported conditions.
The 2012 US survey cannot size either problem, because a technical fault corrupted its questions on patellae, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease and several other conditions.
Dental disease
Periodontal disease was the most reported condition in the 2025 UK survey, affecting 42 of 284 dogs, and the report ties it to dental crowding and tartar build-up.
The IGCA recommends brushing daily with unflavored canine toothpaste once adult teeth are in, plus a professional dental exam every year.
Dogs that skip that care commonly develop gum disease, per the IGCA. Professional cleaning needs anesthesia, which carries its own breed-specific rules.
Eye, neurological and endocrine conditions
Progressive retinal atrophy is inherited, leads to blindness and has no cure. Dogs Victoria lists it, and ocular problems ranked fifth in the 2025 UK survey.
Epilepsy came sixth in that survey. The 2012 US survey found almost all affected dogs seized less than once a month.
Hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid, is also on the Dogs Victoria list, though the UK survey recorded endocrine problems only rarely.
Seizure reports disagree between the two surveys. The 2012 US survey recorded seizures in a considerably larger share of dogs than the 2025 UK survey recorded for epilepsy.
The samples differ. The US survey sat inside a hemangiosarcoma research program and recruited through the breed club’s website and email lists, while the UK survey was open to every UK owner, and neither report explains the gap.
Anesthesia sensitivity
Sighthounds respond differently to anesthetic drugs, and the Italian Greyhound is no exception.
An Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association presentation posted in 2022 lists a thin haircoat, a lean body, a tendency toward hypothermia and high anxiety as sighthound considerations, along with a higher normal packed cell volume (PCV) on blood work. It advises dosing to effect, considering oral sedation before the clinic visit for anxious dogs, and using sedation to keep them calm during recovery.
The Saluki Club of America adds that fat-soluble drugs such as thiopental stay active longer in lean sighthounds, which prolongs recovery.
Before any dental cleaning, spay or neuter, tell the clinic the dog is a sighthound. Ask which drugs the vet plans to use and how the dog will be kept warm.
How Do You Care for an Italian Greyhound Day to Day?
Fine bones and a thin coat set most of the daily routine, and the chase instinct sets the rest. That means protecting the legs, keeping the dog warm, giving about an hour of exercise and finding a use for the coursing drive.
Protecting the legs
Most leg breaks come from falls and collisions, so prevention targets those. The UK club’s puppy guidance is mostly common sense once you know the risk.
- Only the owner lifts a young puppy, and visitors sit on the floor to play, because puppies launch themselves out of unfamiliar arms.
- Don’t encourage jumping onto sofas or up into laps.
- Check the garden for drops such as decking, and keep young puppies away from larger dogs.
- Keep the dog lean, since extra weight sits on slim bones.
- Pen a puppy only for safety when it is alone, because penned puppies tend to run wild when released.
The IGCA disagrees on furniture. It teaches puppies to jump off low objects first, until they can handle household furniture, while the UK club wants jumping discouraged until the dog is an adult.
The UK club adds that puppies should meet stairs and steps on a lead in a controlled way, and that adults should not race up and down them. It also states that no rule guarantees a puppy will never break a leg.
Cold weather and gear
The IGCA’s 2026 health statement says short hair and little body fat make the breed unsuited to prolonged exposure to extreme cold, though many live happily in northern climates. The risk is time outside, not geography.
Rain counts as much as temperature. The IGCA owner guide says the dogs do not seem to mind snow, dislike rain in the face, and still enjoy brief exercise in bad weather.
In practice that means a coat or sweater for cold and wet walks, short outings when conditions are poor, and a warm bed or blanket indoors, where the breed prefers a lap to the floor.
The IGCA gives no cutoff temperature, so watch the individual dog.
Exercise, recall and fenced yards
Guidance centers on about an hour a day. PDSA lists one hour as the minimum, the Royal Kennel Club breed page says up to an hour, and the UK club says it should be real exercise, not just running around the garden.
Owners often fall short. In the UK club’s 2025 survey, only 25% of dogs got 1 to 2 hours a day, and the most common single answer was 1 hour.
A fully enclosed garden is the UK club’s baseline, and PDSA recommends a confined area because a dog that spots prey is hard to call back.
For recall, the UK club’s trainers build it through games, such as calling the dog while setting down its food bowl, in sessions of a few minutes two or three times a day.
The Italian Greyhound Rescue Charity advises against dog walkers and day care, since the dogs spook easily and walk best with the person they trust most.
Activities that suit the breed
- The AKC lists the Italian Greyhound as eligible for lure coursing from its first birthday if registered, and a dog with a breed disqualification (brindle or tan points) cannot enter.
- Coursing Ability Test and Fast CAT are open to any breed, mixed breeds included, once the dog is at least 12 months old and enrolled with the AKC.
- Canine Good Citizen covers ten practical items, including accepting a friendly stranger and supervised separation.
- The AKC also names rally, agility, obedience, scent work and barn hunt among the sports where Italian Greyhounds earn titles.
Coursing means full-speed turns, so ask the vet before entering a dog with a fracture history.
How Do You Housebreak and Train an Italian Greyhound?
Housebreaking is the hardest part of Italian Greyhound ownership, and the IGCA says the owner has to manage it for the first couple of years. Puppies cannot hold it for long, and true bladder control starts only around 14 to 16 weeks.
- Choose one toilet spot, outdoors or on papers, and keep it the same.
- Take the puppy out very often, because it cannot wait long between trips.
- Praise the moment it goes in the right place.
- Limit crate time to 2 to 3 hours for a puppy, or use an exercise pen with a lid and papers on the floor.
- Keep supervising after bladder control arrives, because the IGCA warns that maturity swings can undo the program.
- Arrange mid-day breaks if nobody is home, since the IGCA calls house training very difficult in an empty house.
Paper training is an accepted first stage, and a guide to how puppy pads work covers the mechanics of that route.
Long crating teaches puppies to eliminate in the crate, a habit the IGCA calls very hard to break. Scolding teaches a dog to avoid the scolding, not to pick the right spot, according to the UK club’s trainer. Cold and rain make outdoor trips harder as well, since the IGCA says the breed dislikes both.
Sources split on training difficulty. PDSA calls the breed intelligent but inclined to do its own thing, while the UK club says it is no harder to train than other dogs, though skittish with a short attention span.
They agree on method: short, reward-based sessions, no aversive tools, and early, continuing socialization. The UK club ties practice to daily routines such as meals and doorways.
Italian Greyhound vs Whippet, Greyhound and Miniature Pinscher
Which of these four fits mostly depends on size and how much of a sighthound you want. The Italian Greyhound is the lap-size one. The Whippet has the same build at medium size, and the Greyhound is the calm large dog. The Miniature Pinscher is small but not a sighthound at all.
| Breed | Size | Group | Main health concerns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italian Greyhound | 13 to 15 in, under 5 kg (FCI) | Toy (AKC), sighthound (FCI) | Leg fractures, periodontal disease |
| Whippet | 18 to 22 in, about 25 to 40 lb | Hound (AKC), sighthound (FCI) | Heart and eye conditions |
| Greyhound | 27 to 30 in, 60 to 70 lb | Hound (AKC), sighthound (FCI) | Periodontal disease, osteoarthritis |
| Miniature Pinscher | 10 to 12.5 in, about 8 to 10 lb | Toy (AKC), pinscher type (FCI) | Patellar luxation, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease |
Energy is a surprise here. The UK club’s breed guide says Italian Greyhound energy can exceed both the Whippet’s and the Greyhound’s. A Greyhound is content with two short walks a day, while the smaller dog wants much more stimulation.
Dental disease is a sighthound problem, not only a small-breed one. In a 2016 VetCompass study of 2,715 Greyhounds, 39.0% had periodontal disease (O’Neill et al., Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, 2019).
Dogs Trust’s 2024 breed table puts the Italian Greyhound’s median lifespan above all three comparison breeds. Choosing the smallest sighthound does not cost lifespan.
The Miniature Pinscher looks similar at a distance, but the FCI files it with pinschers and schnauzers rather than sighthounds. The UKC history cites a theory that it descends partly from Italian Greyhound crosses.
The gait standards run opposite ways. The UKC lists hackney action as a fault in the Italian Greyhound and calls hackney-like gaiting characteristic of the Miniature Pinscher.
The Miniature Pinscher Club of America names patellar luxation, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, epilepsy, thyroid and heart problems among its concerns. Risk shifts with the breed, not with size.
When Is an Italian Greyhound the Wrong Dog?
An Italian Greyhound is the wrong dog for households that cannot supervise it, warm it, exercise it daily and pay for veterinary care. The breed’s own clubs say it is not for everyone.
Young or rambunctious children are the first problem. The IGCA cites fine bones and a sometimes timid personality, and PDSA adds that bone fragility during growth makes the breed a poor match for young children and other pets.
An empty home is another. House training is very difficult when nobody is there by day, and the Italian Greyhound Rescue Charity rejects day care and dog walkers as a fix. The UK club also asks for a fully enclosed garden.
First-time owners shouldn’t take on two at once. The Italian Greyhound Rescue Foundation asks them to adopt one dog at a time, since the breed is more demanding and harder to potty train than many.
Some breed profiles call it easy for beginners, but the rescue organizations and clubs are more cautious.
The breed is easier than expected in one area. The IGCA says it adapts to city or country living and enjoys apartment comfort, and the Royal Kennel Club lists a small house as enough.
What owners tend to like
- A strong bond with its own family
- It adapts to flats and houses alike
- Minimal coat care
- It’s playful and athletic enough for sports
What counts against it
- Fracture risk, highest in puppies
- Sensitivity to cold and rain
- Housebreaking that is slow and closely supervised
- It’s reserved with strangers and a poor fit for very young children
- Anesthesia that needs breed-aware handling
The UK club’s pre-purchase test has five questions: affordability, lifelong commitment, an enclosed garden, an hour of daily exercise, and company for most of the day. A no to any of them means waiting.
Buying an Italian Greyhound: Cost, Breeders and Rescues
Running costs start at 70 pounds a month by PDSA’s minimum, and the UK club puts realistic spending near 25 pounds a week for food, vet fees and insurance, rising with age. Puppy prices are set by individual breeders, and club guidance stresses waiting and travelling for a well-bred puppy over chasing a price.
Fracture treatment is the number that catches people out. The UK club says it likely runs above 3,000 pounds in specialist care.
PDSA’s lifetime estimate counts purchase, neutering, vaccinations, microchipping, food, insurance, grooming and worming, and leaves out treatment for illness or injury. Because owning a dog is expensive over a full lifetime, the UK club calls insurance a must for this breed.
The UK club’s advice on breeders is short.
- A reputable breeder does not ask for a deposit.
- You should see the puppy with its mother in the home.
- Available health tests should be done on both parents, with the line studied before mating.
- Litters are rare, so expect to wait and travel.
The Italian Greyhound Rescue Foundation warns about puppy sites that take deposits, refuse video chat, or demand payment by Zelle, wire or gift card.
The IGCA’s 2026 health statement recommends Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) evaluations of the patella, thyroid and eyes. OFA’s Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) program issues a number once a breed’s required results are on file.
- The patella needs one veterinary evaluation after 12 months.
- The thyroid test is a blood draw, yearly from age 2 to 4, then every other year to age 8.
- Eyes go to an ophthalmologist, yearly until age 10.
The IGCA also recommends DNA tests through UC Davis for progressive retinal atrophy, primary closed angle glaucoma and familial enamel hypoplasia, plus brucellosis testing before each breeding. UK buyers can use the BVA/KC/ISDS eye scheme and the Royal Kennel Club’s Health Test Results Finder.
Buyers rarely ask for this paperwork. In the UK club’s 2025 survey, only 19% of dogs had been DNA tested for inherited conditions.
Rescue is the other route. The Italian Greyhound Rescue Foundation, run under the IGCA, spays or neuters every dog, offers no trial period, does not ship dogs, and screens adopters before a dog is placed.
It often steers first-time adopters toward a dog a few years old, skipping the puppy stage of chewing and toilet training. In the UK, the Italian Greyhound Rescue Charity (registered charity 1104157) rehomes pedigree and crossbred Italian Greyhounds.
Italian Greyhound FAQ
Do Italian Greyhounds bark a lot?
No. The breed is not inherently vocal, though some dogs bark when they see or hear prey.
Dogs that are anxious around unfamiliar people, animals or situations bark more, so early socialization lowers the risk, according to Dr Rebecca MacMillan, quoted by PetsRadar.
Is an Italian Greyhound mix a good idea?
It’s a gamble. A cross can take its temperament, size and health from either parent, and no breed standard describes it, so ask for the health test results of both parents.
Crosses also need homes, and the Italian Greyhound Rescue Charity in the UK rehomes pedigree and crossbred Italian Greyhounds.
Should an Italian Greyhound wear a collar or a harness?
A martingale collar is the breed club’s default, since a sighthound’s narrow head can slip out of a plain buckle collar.
Go with a harness if the dog has a collapsing trachea, a problem seen in toy breeds that makes pressure on the neck from a collar unsafe.
How much should an Italian Greyhound eat?
Feed by body condition, not by the bag. The Italian Greyhound Rescue Foundation says a healthy dog shows a faint hint of a couple of ribs, a couple of vertebrae, the hip points and a lean tuck at the waist.
Puppies need three meals a day until at least 6 months because their stomachs are small, and adults do well on measured portions twice daily, according to the IGCA and the rescue foundation.
What Should Be Ready Before an Italian Greyhound Comes Home
Get insurance sorted first. Next come the floor-level handling rules and an enclosed space with no drops or hazards, and after that a coat, a warm bed and a fixed toilet spot.
Insurance leads because the cost of one fracture dwarfs routine spending. The UK club’s 3,000 pound treatment estimate equals about 43 months of PDSA’s 70 pounds a month minimum.
Handling rules come second because they cost nothing and apply from the first day. Warmth and the toilet routine follow, since both keep adjusting as the dog grows.
The trade-off is a household organised around supervision. There’s no day care, and there’s a daily hour on a lead or in a fenced area, which some people will find tiresome.
This position was checked on October 25, 2026. It holds until the IGCA revises its health statement, last approved February 16, 2026, because new test recommendations would change what buyers ask for.
