Any Italian greyhound owners out there?

[UpTheIrons]

I'd love to hear about your experiences with this breed. I've read a ton of the same information on the web, like their difficulty to housebreak, fragile bones, sensitivity to the cold, and their attention seeking nature. I'd love any tidbits you can share with me!

 

[Xandra]

I don't think we have any Italian greyhound owners on here! But someone must have worked with a couple at some point.

I've recently become quite interested in them as well. I think you'd have to be very careful that you got a dog from someone with similar standards as your own (eg, I would feel uncomfortable buying from a breeder that bred dogs whose legs snapped jumping off the bed or that they couldn't housetrain or that were shivery and timid). An undersized whippet might be a better idea.

Hopefully someone familiar with the breed replies.

ETA lol this one really hates the snow:
YouTube - Italian Greyhound

 

[Dekka]

I am friends with a breeder of iggies. She races them, they are not quite as fragile as some would believe. Hers all run with a large pack of dogs, and from what I have seen they boss the whippets and sheltie around lol.

They are VERY cold sensitive, even in nice weather they often need a light coat.

I can't help you with the housebreaking issue, that convo has never came up.

 

[Tazwell]

I'm fostering a pair of IGs. 3-5 year old sisters. Very, very skittish dogs, but I'm sure they weren't raised in a good environment. They aren't houstrained, and one of them even lifts her leg like a male!

Once they settle down, they make really personable, sweet companions and lapdogs.

Want them?

 

[UpTheIrons]

Shame there isnt any IG owners on here But thanks everyone for the replies!

 

[Dekka]

Well many of us don't need to have owned them to have a fair bit of experience. (and in some cases having known many gives one a better feel for the breed than owning and interacting with only one)

 

[Laurelin]

We had one at the shelter that a friend fostered and I spent a lot of time with. He was 7 years old and his owner had died. I have to say he was the softest tempered and most skittish dog I have ever met. He was very very sweet but it took him a LONG time to warm up to people. Poor thing was terrified in the shelter but did much better at her house. I have never met another dog that was as timid as he was though.

 

[JacksonsMom]

I've met about 4 IG's and all were fairly skiddish and quirky. But neat little dogs. Every one I've met has LOVED people.

 

[Gempress]

Some good friends of ours had two IG. They weren't skittish at all. They were quite friendly and very quiet. The only issue was that, just like a full-sized sighthound, they could never let them off-leash. They're very fast and because of their small size, it's easy to lose them.