Recently met an italian greyhound. What a lovely  toy breed very taken anyone have any comments to make ?

They are a bit too tiny and "shivery" for me. I do love whippets though :-)
I would imagine they are very sweet natured though.

Never even seen a italian greyhound however I do like whippets, an old boyfriend of mine his parents had a whippet and he was a gorgeous gorgeous dog......Just to add it was a while ago I had that boyfriend he was not "old old" oh I will shut up this is making no sense.

I quite like the tiny in contrast to my big dogs one extreme to the other i can see what you mean about shivery but I still rather liked her. My other toy breed is deff a pomeranian not shivery lol

I've had a few through classes and I really, really like them.  They are quite different in personality to whippets.  (Although whippets do seem to vary quite a bit!). 

The IGs I've had through have been incredibly FAST, busy, energetic, happy, easily motivated by food, and just fun dogs.  I do worry about their little legs getting broken though :( 

They are a 'true' sighthound, so I think perhaps they're misplaced in the toy dog category.

I believe in europe they are catagorized as sighthounds not toy. This one was very friendly obviously adored its owner and rather "busy" very happy to say hello to my gsd mor ethan once licking noses :)
Yes their legs do look very vunerable

My daughter has always said her next dog will be an IG because they take up less room (on the sofa and in the bed) than her whippet but reading some of the above comments I wonder if she won´t find one a bit delicate for her.  And yes, they do seem to me to be a bit shivery.  Her whippet feels the cold dreadfully but he never looks a shivery dog. 

I quite fancied one of these at one stage, very elegant.  I quite like chinese cresteds too.  I think with both breeds they are so easily "damaged" ig legs and cresty skin that they tend to get wrapped in cotton wool which does lead to a lot of them being quite nervy shy shivery dogs but I have met one or two who were very well socialised and very nice so I suspect a lot of it is down to the owners rather than a breed trait.  I am pretty clumsy though so did end up ruling both out!

We have one that does our fun agility class, brilliant to watch her springing miles over the jumps like a tiny fawn. Used to be a chap in my old park in London who had 4 or 5 of them, such graceful little dogs, but one or other of them always seemed to have hurt a leg, they seem very fragile.

> Recently met an italian greyhound. What a lovely  toy breed very taken anyone have any comments to make ?

Loads!

I LOVE them and it has come on me suddenly. I thought they were fragile, shivery etc until I judged up north and met the breed record holder and her younger siblings. They are funny, fast, lively and feel gorgeous to the touch. The most elegant and exquisite creatures but with a wicked sense of humour.

Think their legs are vulnerable but they are not delicate - had a friend that had IGs and Rotties the used to run together in the fields and the IGs stood their ground although had they been mine I would have been terrified.

Strangely although I judge hounds and floor stood ones at that when I took my hands on exam I was given a LG to go over, bit of a shock and I had a great deal of trouble going over it as it seemed determined to love me to within an inch of giving in.

A lady who lives local to me has about two or three of them. I met her in the park one day. One of hers was a bit too much like a toy for my liking. They are very striking animals to look at. As you know I am looking at a small breed as a friend for Nando in the next year or so, and I had considered them but I agree that they look too delicate an dI can't imagine Nando being the best dog for them to mix with.

Toolz like that yes that probably described this one. Not looking for small atm housefull and love what I have but would consider inthe future . May need to research how vunerable they really are legs wise. So that's toy breed and future sorted one pom and one IG :)

Think the IG must be one of the tallest toys if not the tallest but they do have the greyhound build so although they look fragile and elegant they are sturdier than most toys but the legs are open to damage as they are in the whippet so care, particularly when they are pups, is required as exuberant rushing about can lead to damage.

> open to damage as they are in the whippet so care, particularly when they are pups

Sorry disagree with you here, Whippets dont have problems with damage to their legs. We have had Whippets for 47 years & in all that time have had 1 fractured toe which only happened last year.

Yes there has been trouble with IG legs in past years but I understand careful breeding is resolving this.

Sorry disagree with you here, Whippets dont have problems with damage to their legs

One can only speak for experience but it is of course possible my experience is different to yours and you may well be right.

Just to add - there don't seem to be many breeders of IGs around, so finding a pup could also be trickier than with some other breeds.

I have only met some at shows but think they are absolutely magical looking. The only thing I don't like which I have seen in some is that the rear legs look weirdly over angulated to the point that the back end ends up looking a bit hunched.... not sure how to explain this! I would also worry about one being hurt in the company of my large greyhounds!