I am thinking of taking on an Italian Greyhound. I have years of experience with lurchers and whippets and wondered if anyone could point out the pleasures and or pitfalls of the Italian Greyhound. Osborne@delomosne.co.uk

Hi!
I'm a transplanted American here since last November...(yup there were a whole 17 of us on that transatlantic flight...amazing what Love makes us endure!-- well, love and a sleeping pill or two lol) and an x-saluki breeder of 20 plus years. I have many friends in the US with Iggys. I have always loved them personally, but from what I have seen people go through at shows I don't think I would tackle owning one.
Firstly they are very very happy pups with a real thirst for climbing up anything and everything. They break legs, pasterns etc a lot, from doing something as simple as jumping off the couch! I have also noticed that at shows it seems the owners/handlers are always cleaning up after them. They have a habit of redecorating their spaces in things that are yellow and brown and quite smelly.
Of course, that may not be true in England. There are fabulous dogs here, and I have only met one IG since I came and he seemed much sturdier than the American counterparts.
Just be smart, do your research and add a lot of love. I know there are a lot of things I put up with salukis do that others would cringe at.
Picking a breed is sort of a love it or leave it thing, don't you think?
Love ya,
Suzi

I have an Italian Greryhound and if you are not concerned about your dog bouncing on you, the furniture and walls you could not want a more loving companion. You have to be a bit careful of the legs whilst they are puppies as they have no sense of fear and will kamikaze from a great height if they get the opportunity. My boy is clean indoors and will ask to go out. He has a great personaility and is very friendly with people and other dogs. However birds, squirrels beware - he hunts them with a passion and brings them in regularly. I would suggest you contact the Italian Greyhound club for more information on the breed

Hi Guest
I have 3 Italian Greyhounds, mum, dad and 7 month old daughter from my first litter, who I have kept to show.
I must say, they are NOT for the faint-hearted! They are really wild as pups, and it is terrifying to see them leaping off furniture and out the back door onto the patio at 100mph! Breeders will tell you that you must not let them jump off furniture etc, but you try stopping them!

It's interesting what you say, Suzi, about the US Italians frequently breaking their legs- mine are mainly descended from US lines, and I've always thought that was where they got their strong bone from, as our lines have had (touch wood!) very few leg breaks, and then not just from something simple like jumping off furniture.
I have always thought that to build up bone density, the puppies must be allowed to run and jump, no matter how scary it is to watch. Many breeders keep their Italians in cages- these are the ones you seem to hear about breaking their legs.

I also have a Whippet and Lurcher, and Italians are NOTHING like these lovely laid back dogs! They are noisy, very active, difficult to housetrain (although with endless patience, mine are now very good), and very demanding. They are also loving, great fun and seem to absolutely love life! They are very versatile- my bitch does agility and obedience, and I'm toying with the idea of taking my dog racing!

I don't know of any litters available at the moment, but it would be a good idea to contact the breed club for any further information.
Good Luck, Liz

Hi, Liz,
Thanks for your info about your Iggys! Sounds like you have a wonderful bunch.
I don't know enough about the English IGs to say whether you got good bone from them. I have several friends who are judges who own them, but they are single dogs and mostly Specials in breed. Those are fantastic!
Re: those who keep them in crates...YES...I agree. I love crates and couldn't have lived with 15 salukis indoor without them, especially at feeding times. But I did note a lot of the folks with toy breeds seem to go nuts and have bunches of dogs (I guess they think cause their little and don't take up much space they can have 40 housedogs) and all our crate bound except for times in the yard to pee and poo. What a horrible life for a dog of ANY size.
You are correct about exercise too. As a horse person, I took a lot of time learning about bone-remodling and if you do NOT stress the bone during developement, you get much weaker bone. Period. Good for you for shutting your eyes and letting your kidlets play!
Love ya,
Suzi

Hi suzi, Just a difference of opinion ( not argueing or being awkward!!) if you DO stress the bone in Irish Wolfhounds, great big horrible problems can very easily arise, and frequently do.As an example, up to at least six months, no violent exercise, no up and down stairs, no jumping from furniture, no long distance walks, and I believe the routine is much the same in all the giant breeds, although sometimes easier said, than done:D

Hi Phil & Suzi.....
perhaps the difference in advice and viewpoints are because of the speed/length of growth in toy and giant breeds?
IG's legs are thin, but even with speed and bouncing around, the pressure of weight and density isn't that bad. With a large breed puppy, since there is so much more growth to do, there's a normal weakness that needs time to fill in and develop. The weight of the dog with pressure on the longer bones is just more than they can take.
Just a thought????


BTW: I'm dreaming someday for a breed type that will fill a gap in extreme sizes and temperaments between IGs and Whippets. Something around 15-22 pounds, much calmer than IGs, and not as fragile. :) I like the IGs, but they are just too tiny. :)

Toodles, I know just the dog for you, a liitle Lurcher :)

Hi Phillipa¬
Got cha! You are ABSOLUTELY correct in pointing out the dangers in giant breeds. I agree wholeheartedly with you. However, I do have a friend who has 40 plus Irish Wolfhounds, and while she does not allow them to do stairs, she has about 40 fenced acres for her dogs to run in. It is very hlly and wooded with a shallow stream running through. She allows all the dogs out together daily and I have never seen sounder dogs. Her dogs at 14 years old (yep 14 and I wouldn't have believed it because I always said I wouldn't have an IW they die too young) can still LEAP into the back of her pickup for rides around the property!
UNFORTUNATELY, she is a bit nutty, won't sell any of her dogs nor let anyone use them for breeding...She just plain lives with them, while on the side doing a lot of IW rescue. She's had a couple litters over the years, and yep they all stay there too.
Have tried lecturing her about how these are wonderful examples of the breed and she should get them out, but she only sends one out with a handler maybe two or three times per year. When I say she's nutty, well, Anne takes stunning care of all of them, they are all perfectly behaved, and she is the biggest secret in the breed.#
I think that preventing injury is imperitive, but letting them get a normal amount of exercise and being dogs helps too!
So see we don't disagree at all lol!
Love ya,
Suzi

Hi again suzi, Wow, forty plus, wouldnt like her food bill :D She obviously does them proud, and what wondeful ages they make. I agree with you too, exercise is very important to giant breed puppies, but when at home they can play till their bodies feel they need to rest, but so many new owners, no matter what you tell them, will insist on the principle that a giant puppy, needs giant loads of exercise. Sometimes ( for reasons best known to them no doubt) they just wont listen :(

Hi Again,
If you are looking for a long haired whippet, they do come that way! Look like mini-borzoi!
There was a BIG scandle with the AKC several years ago, when a breeder started producing them, but INSISTED they were just long-haired whippets...that long and wire-haired whippets had always been there in the pedigree, but they only cropped up now and again. At first he could show them as AKC, as they WERE registered as whippets...but then the other whippet folk had a fit, and is it any wonder? This person also just "happened" to breed shelties lol!
Anyway, the AKC said no more long-haired whippets in the ring or in the pedigree period, however, told the owners if they wanted to start a "new" breed and go through getting a registry set up, establish a stud book, eventually apply for recognition in the Misc. Class...that would be fine.
Don't know whatever happened, but there are still adverts in the American Dog World mag for them. I think they are quite wonderful no matter where they came from. Most just happen to be sable and white...so you figure it out lol!
The Bedlington/Whippet cross is also wonderful. I have several friends in the US who have them, one of which imported one from Scotland. Couldn't ask for a smarter, cleaner, more loving pal!
Love ya,
Suzi

Phil,
I think Lurchers are great, but so far, (from what I understand) they're more of the whippet size.
PPPPLease tell me that the mini-wolfhounds also come in mini-whippet varieties :D :D :D :D I still like the rough coat more than the "nekked dawg" look though ;)

Hi again Toodles, What you want is a whippet x bedlington. Look like mini wolfhounds or deerhounds, but come up smaller than a whippet. Sooooooo pretty and all sorts of colours. :D

They sound perfect for what I'm looking for. :) Ok, now I have a firm breed goal for someday in the distant future--if I don't go with a terrier type. Of course, I could have both :D :D :D Thanks, Phil :)

If you have a bedlington Whippet Lurcher then you have both the terrier and sighthound in one, sounds just your cuppa :D

I think the Cirneco Del etna is a lovely breed, like mini Pharoah hound, and about small whippet size. Have only met one, Milena, and she is adorable, lovely temperament, quiet but confident.

Barbara,
I saw the photo that Leigh put up for us a while back. I promise you, if I ever do manage to move to Italy, I'll look for a breeder. Fairford/Livorno Hmm, which will mama military decide it to be next year? :D :D :D

Hey, if you like, I'll even keep a pup for six months and send it on to you via pet passport program. Much better than quarantine and I'll guarantee it having some basic manners :) :) :) :)

That is what Milenas owner did. I think Maureen is hoping to have a litter from her next year. She has seen a lovely young male, when she was in Amsterdam, but he is still a baby.