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Italian Greyhound

The breeds · companion

AKC Toy · UKC Companion · FCI standard 200

Italian Greyhound.

FCI 200 utilization: racing dog (Group 10 Sighthounds, Section 3 short-haired, without working trial). AKC: very similar to the Greyhound, but much smaller and more slender in all proportions, of ideal elegance and grace. UKC: a small sighthound mostly valued as a loving companion, descended from the small sighthounds of ancient Egypt, further developed by the Romans, prized by nobility. RKC: a miniaturised sighthound dating to ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire, with the exquisite quality of Dresden china. IGCA: noble companions some 2,000 years ago, perhaps a small-game hunter; Renaissance status symbol; lure coursing today. Wikipedia: the smallest of the sighthounds, kept mostly as a companion dog..

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

14YRMedian lifespan13.2 to 15.1, measured on real dogs.
0INHeightall null. An ideal from the standard, not a range.
7–14LBWeight, all linesbreed 7 to 14 lb.
1HRSExercise, every dayRKC: up to 1 hour per day. AKC breed page: energy level 3 of 5. IGCA: lure coursing gives them a chance to rev up their small but powerful engines.. The constraint most homes get wrong.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

12.6 to 15 in

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1976

Breed-wide ranges; no source splits by sex. Center blank, the AKC and UKC ideal is a range. The span covers AKC, UKC, FCI and Wikipedia.

Weight

7 to 14 lb

Breed clubAKC

AKC page header is a summary, not the standard; the FCI 5 kg cap (11 lb) sits inside the AKC page range. FCI prints only a maximum, so no FCI low.

Coat

AKC: skin fine and supple, hair short, glossy like satin and soft to the touch. UKC: short, glossy, satin-like, fine in texture. FCI 200: short, silky and fine, no fringes; skin fine and tight. Color: AKC and UKC any color and markings except that brindle and the black-and-tan tan markings disqualify; FCI self-colored black, grey and isabella in all shades, white tolerated only on chest and feet.

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1976

Three registries agree on coat; color rules differ and are given in text.

Shedding

Shedding 3 of 5 (AKC breed page trait score)

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Heat tolerance

5 of 5 · AKC: skin fine and supple, hair short, glossy like satin. UKC: short, glossy, satin-like hair. FCI 200: hair short, silky and fine all over the body without the slightest trace of fringes. IGCA: due to short hair and little body fat they are not suited to prolonged exposure to extremely cold temperatures, but many live happily in northern climates.

DerivedAKC breed standard, 1976

Derived from the standard's coat description (short single coat = 5 on the ruled scale). The cold-sensitivity statement is the IGCA's, and is not scored.

How long they live, and what they cost

Measured on real dogs, with the sample and the spread. Never a guess.

Median lifespan

14 years (13.2 to 15.1)

MeasuredMcMillan KM, 2024

McMillan et al. 2024 / Dogs Trust. UK population; only 70 deceased dogs, so the interval is wide. Teng 2022 (VetCompass) does not include the breed.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

RKC: up to 1 hour per day. AKC breed page: energy level 3 of 5. IGCA: lure coursing gives them a chance to rev up their small but powerful engines.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC is a UK registry band, not a study; mapped by the library rule.

Energy

3 of 5

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Grooming load

2 of 5 · RKC: grooming once a week; coat length short; sheds: no. AKC breed page: coat grooming frequency 1 of 5, shedding level 3 of 5. AKC standard: skin fine and supple, hair short, glossy like satin and soft to the touch.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band mapped by library rule. RKC 'sheds: no' and the AKC shedding score of 3 do not agree and both stand. IGCA: regular dental care is the larger grooming item (see top_disorders).

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

FCI 200 utilization: racing dog (Group 10 Sighthounds, Section 3 short-haired, without working trial). AKC: very similar to the Greyhound, but much smaller and more slender in all proportions, of ideal elegance and grace. UKC: a small sighthound mostly valued as a loving companion, descended from the small sighthounds of ancient Egypt, further developed by the Romans, prized by nobility. RKC: a miniaturised sighthound dating to ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire, with the exquisite quality of Dresden china. IGCA: noble companions some 2,000 years ago, perhaps a small-game hunter; Renaissance status symbol; lure coursing today. Wikipedia: the smallest of the sighthounds, kept mostly as a companion dog.

Breed clubFCI-Standard N° 200, 2015

FCI, AKC, UKC, RKC, IGCA and Wikipedia.

Primary game

Hare and rabbit (Wikipedia: the original function of the Piccolo Levriero was to hunt hare and rabbit). IGCA: perhaps a small-game hunter in the Roman Empire. No registry standard states quarry.

EditorialWikipedia

Editorial; no registry names quarry.

Also used on

Lure coursing (AKC lists the Italian Greyhound as an eligible breed; dogs one year or older). IGCA: lure coursing and the show ring. Wikipedia: kept mostly as a companion dog.

Breed clubAKC

AKC eligible-breed list and IGCA; rulebooks not read.

Search pattern

Hunts by sight, not smell (AKC lure coursing page, which says this of sighthounds in general). Wikipedia: bursts of speed up to 60 km/h (35 mph). FCI 200 gait: gallop fast with sharp spring. Voice, single or brace work: not stated.

Breed clubAKC

Sight behavior from the AKC sighthound page; speed is editorial. The AKC statement is about sighthounds in general, not this breed in particular.

Field trial standard

AKC lure coursing: Italian Greyhound is an eligible breed; dogs one year or older; a 600+ yard course with a mechanized white plastic lure; judged on how well they perform the functions for which they were bred. IGCA lists performance and sports events and a versatility program.

Breed clubAKC

AKC page and IGCA site read; the AKC lure coursing rulebook was not read.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Hip dysplasia

0.6% · OFA current all-data (accessed Oct 9 2026): 0.6% dysplastic of 504 evaluations (normal 99.4%; mild 0.2, moderate 0.4, severe 0.0)

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

OFA rank 220. OFA-evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock, with normal results over-represented; the true population rate is likely higher. OFA all-data is undated. Wikipedia calls the breed the least affected by hip dysplasia of the breeds it cites.

Most common disorders

IGCA (Teri Dickinson DVM): the biggest problems are the teeth and gums, with severe periodontal disease at an early age if teeth are not cared for and tooth loss from 1 to 3 years; forearm (radius and ulna) fractures, common between 4 and 12 months; idiopathic epilepsy, with onset at 2 to 5 years; sensitivity to barbiturate anesthetics and organophosphate insecticides, as in the larger sighthounds. Wikipedia: congenital deafness and cervical intervertebral disc disease named as breed-related. AKC national breed club recommended tests: patella evaluation, ophthalmologist evaluation, thyroid evaluation.

Breed clubItalian Greyhound Club of America

Parent-club health article (an opinion piece by a veterinarian, not a survey) plus Wikipedia; no VetCompass paper read.

More

akc bands

AKC breed page trait scores (1-5): Energy Level 3; Mental Stimulation Needs 3; Trainability Level 4; Barking Level 3; Watchdog/Protective Nature 3; Good With Young Children 3; Openness To Strangers 5; Good With Other Dogs 5; Shedding Level 3; Coat Grooming Frequency 1; Drooling Level 1; Affectionate With Family 5; Playfulness Level 4; Adaptability Level 4.

Breed clubAKC

Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 10 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called
IG, Iggy, Piccolo Levriero Italiano, Italian Sighthound

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