Italian Greyhound
Piccolo Levriero Italiano

The tiny Italian Greyhound is a sighthound in miniature. It has always been kept as a companion animal rather than for hunting other animals. It may be that this breed was the one that inspired the Roman motto cave canem, or 'beware the dog'. It was not to warn guests of the mighty mastiffs that they kept as guard dogs, but to be mindful not to step on their tiny pets.
Italian Greyhound Standards
- 13-15"
- 7-8 lbs
- small, toy sighthound
- small ears and long tail
- short, glossy coat
- black
- blue
- cream
- grey
- fawn
- red
- white
- may have white markings
History of the Italian Greyhound
The name Italian Greyhound can be misleading, as it is a reference to the breed’s popularity in Renaissance Italy, not its place of origin. In fact small sighthounds have existed for thousands of years as a companion dog. Paintings, reliefs and sculptures show them in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Valued as a high status adornment they have been popular with nobility and the wealthy. By the 19th century a highly crazed miniaturization began, causing serious danger to the breed and leaving it close to extinction due to health concerns. In 1890s they were taken up and saved by serious breeders that restored the health and size of the breed to the Italian Greyhound we know today.