Italian Greyhound

150 Pages·2012·16.204 MB·English

by  Mazzanti, Dino

316_cover 11/16/11 10:30 AM Page 1
The World’s Largest Series of Dog-Breed Books I A K E N N E L C L U B B O O K®
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Consider the awe-inspiring beauty of the
Italian A Italian
perfect Grecian urn or a canvas rendered
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by one of the Renaissance masters and L
Greyhound
you have the allure of the miniature I Greyhound
A N
wonder we call the Italian Greyhound.
This graceful greyhound in miniature N
defines elegance in a Toy dog, more U

slender, of course, than the much larger
G
race dog whose name he shares. Having
R O
passed centuries on the divans of
European nobility, the Italian Greyhound E
continues to ornament the homes of Y H
loving fanciers around the world,
TRAINING PUPPY CARE H
enchanting them with his affectionate,
Y
vivacious ways. As an involved and active O
member of a loving family, the Italian
U
Greyhound thrives in the right home. E
This book provides the much- N
R
needed factual information about Italian
D
Greyhounds and their history, character-
istics and standard, as well as puppy G
EVERYDAY CARE HEALTH CARE selection, feeding, obedience training D
and preventative health care. The new in
o
owner will welcome the author’s M N
experience and advice about puppy-
a
z
proofing the home, housebreaking and z
a A
preventing puppy problems. In addition n
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to an authoritative, comprehensive text, i
this book presents over 135 photographs I
SHOWING HISTORY in full color, which prove to be as infor- L
mative as they are attractive.
A
www.kennelclubbooks.com PUBLISHEDBY: Kennel
Kennel Club Books® Club T
A Division of BowTie, Inc. Books®
US $14.95 / CAN $16.95
40 Broad Street
I
Freehold, NJ 07728
A–Z A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO
C N Cover Design Patent: US 6,435,559 B2 195
UP EA The book number on the spine of this book represents OWNING AND CARING FOR YOUR DOG
its alpha-numeric position for display on the retail shelf.

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HHeeaadd::Narrow and long, tapering to nose, with a slight
EEaarrss:: Small, fine in texture; thrown back
suggestion of stop.
and folded except when alerted.
SSkkuullll:: Rather long, almost flat.
EEyyeess:: Dark, bright, intelligent, medium in size.
NNeecckk::Long, slender and
gracefully arched.
NNoossee:: Dark. It may be black or brown or
in keeping with the color of the dog.
MMuuzzzzllee::Long and fine.
SShhoouullddeerrss:: Long and sloping.
CChheesstt::Deep and narrow.
FFoorreelleeggss::Long, straight, set well
under shoulder; strong pasterns,
fine bone.
CCooaatt:: Skin fine and supple,
hair short, glossy like satin
and soft to the touch.
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Physical Characteristics of the
Italian Greyhound
(from the American Kennel Club breed standard)
BBooddyy:: Of medium length, short coupled; high at withers, back curved and drooping at hindquarters,
the highest point of curve at start of loin, creating a definite tuck-up at flanks.
TTaaiill::Slender and tapering to a curved end,
long enough to reach the hock; set low,
carried low.
HHiinnddqquuaarrtteerrss::Long, well-muscled thigh; hind legs
parallel when viewed from behind, hocks well let down,
well-bent stifle.
CCoolloorr:: Any color and markings are
acceptable except brindle markings
and the tan markings normally
found on black-and-tan dogs.
SSiizzee:: Height at
withers, ideally 13
inches to 15 inches.
FFeeeett:: Harefoot with well-arched toes.
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Italian
Greyhound
By Dino Mazzanti
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I T A L I A N G R E Y H O U N D
9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . History of the Italian Greyhound
Discover the origins of this elegant miniature sighthound, believed to derive not
from Italy, as its name reveals, but from Greece and Turkey. Trace the breed from
these ancient lands to the British Isles and from there to the US and beyond.
20 . . . . . . . . . Characteristics of the Italian Greyhound
Find out if the Italian Greyhound is the right dog for you. A happy, long-lived
companion and alert watchdog, content in a city or suburban setting, the IG is an
intelligent and personable pet. Be aware of the breed’s limitations, in size,
durability and possible congenital problems, before adopting an IG.
30. . . . . . . . Breed Standard for the Italian Greyhound
Learn the requirements of a well-bred Italian Greyhound by studying the descrip-
tion of the breed as set forth in the American Kennel Club’s breed standard. Both
show dogs and pets must possess key characteristics as outlined in the standard.
34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Your Puppy Italian Greyhound
Be advised about choosing a reputable breeder and selecting a healthy, typical
puppy. Understand the responsibilities of ownership, including home preparation,
acclimatization, the vet and prevention of common puppy problems.
60 . . . . . . . . Everyday Care of Your Italian Greyhound
Enter into a sensible discussion of dietary and feeding considerations, exercise,
grooming, traveling and identification of your dog. This chapter discusses Italian
Greyhound care for all stages of development.
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C O N T E N T S
Training Your Italian Greyhound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
By Charlotte Schwartz
Be informed about the importance of training your Italian Greyhound from the
basics of house-training and understanding the development of a young dog to
executing obedience commands (sit, stay, down, etc.).
Health Care of Your Italian Greyhound . . . . . . . . . 107
Discover how to select a proper veterinarian and care for your dog at all stages of
life. Topics include vaccination scheduling, skin problems, dealing with external
and internal parasites and common medical and behavioral conditions.
Your Senior Italian Greyhound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Consider the care of your senior Italian Greyhound, including the proper diet for
a senior. Recognize the signs of an aging dog, both behavioral and medical;
implement a senior-care program with your vet and become comfortable with
making the final decisions and arrangements for your senior Italian Greyhound.
Showing Your Italian Greyhound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Experience the dog show world, including the basics of conformation showing
and handling. Go beyond the conformation ring to obedience trials, agility
trials, lure coursing and more.
KENNELCLUBBOOKS®ITALIANGREYHOUND PHOTOGRAPHSBYMARYBLOOMANDISABELLEFRANÇAIS
with additional photos by Norvia Behling, T. J. Calhoun, Richard Branchaud, Doskocil,
ISBN 13: 978-1-59378-316-7
A. Jemolo, Carol Ann Johnson, Bill Jonas, Mikki Pet Products, Alice Roche,
Shot on Site Photography and Alice van Kempen.
Copyright © 2002 • Kennel Club Books®A Division of BowTie, Inc.
40 Broad Street, Freehold, NJ 07728 USA ILLUSTRATIONSBYRENÉELOW.
Cover Design Patented: US 6,435,559 B2 • Printed in South Korea
The publisher wishes to thankCecilia Amen, Patricia Campbell, Sandy Cornell,
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, Kerri Gelish, Mary Hudson, Sondra Katz, Richard & Pat Klinger, Joan Proto, Gundrun Rosenbush,
by photostat, scanner, microfilm, xerography or any other means, or Laura Thompson and the rest of the owners of the dogs featured in this book.
incorporated into any information retrieval system, electronic or
mechanical, without the written permission of the copyright owner.
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8 ITALIAN GREYHOUND
For a diminutive dog, the Italian Greyhound is an
athletic, lithe sighthound who is equally
comfortable posing on a pillow as he is chasing a
rabbit or participating in coursing events.
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HISTORY OF THE
ITALIAN GREYHOUND
The Italian Greyhound is one of
the oldest miniature sighthounds
in existence, believed to have
originated more than 2,000 years
ago. The Italian Greyhound’s
appealing lines and unmatched
loyalty have helped sustain its
popularity for thousands of years.
The breed was favored for many
generations by the nobility on
various continents. In fact,
remains of miniature Greyhound-
like sighthounds have even been
recovered in Egyptian tombs.
These Greyhound-like skeletal
structures found throughout the
Mediterranean basin help support
the nearly world-wide theory of
the breed’s origin.
Despite popular belief, the
breed did not originate in Italy,
but may have actually developed
in the countries known today as
Greece and Turkey. The breed
derives its name from Italy partly
because it was frequently
portrayed in paintings and statues
by famous Italian artists. It took
until the 16th century before this
miniature gazehound became
readily available in southern
Europe. The breed was admired
for its beauty, small stature and
loyalty. Many of these same fine