italian greyhound?

Question

im thinking about getting a dog in a few weeks. ive been thinking about it for about a year. ive read so many books i cant even count. my question is are italian greyhounds good apartment dogs? i heard they are but i would like your opinion. dogbreedinfo.com says that they are.

Answer 1

Hi , My family has had a Italian Greyhound for the past 7 years. He is a great dog and we love him very much. He has not had any broken legs and he used to play roughly with our deceased Husky. Though I have heard it can be a issue.
The housebreaking thing is a HUGE issue and the number one reason many IG's are given up by their owners. Our dog is ONLY reliably housebroken if you are looking at him. He is paper trained so it's not a huge issue.. just something that you should be aware of. Another BIG issue with IG's is that they have extremely needy personalities.Many ( including ours) suffer from separation anxiety. He cannot be home alone with out screaming ( very loud) and basically going crazy. I have discussed this with other owners and it can be a common problem. Our IG NEVER stays by himself he is always near a family member . They love to get and give affection and if they are awake they EXPECT you to notice them. They are very sweet and smart lively little dogs. They are active in short bursts... not hyper nuts !They also love to sleep on something warm and soft. Comfort seekers ! If you get your IG make sure it get's used to being left home alone from the begining.This might not be a great dog for you if you intend to crate him for hours ... try looking on yahoo groups for a IG message board . Ask REAL ACTUAL owners opinions. Buying from breeder is very important ... visit the breeders home and observe the iG...A rescue might work too cause many are given up in their first 8 months... just don't buy from a puppy store.
Overall we love our dog...We have had many dogs and he is the most devoted , sweet , kind friend... Just can't describe how loving this breed is.
Overall they are fantastic dogs how would work great in apartment with a the right informed owner.

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Answer 2

Italian Greyhounds are the toy breed in the Greyhound/sighthount line. Greyhounds are the largest...Whippets are midsized and IGs are the toy. When we were looking at finding a dog, I researched sight hounds extensively. We were also in an apartment, so I had the same concerns you have posted.

Italian Greyhounds are very sweet, and attractive dogs...some of them have wonderful personalities...but in my opinion, the negatives outweigh the positives.

Negatives are as follows:

Extremely fragile. One big jump down from your bed, and leg breaks are likely to occur.
IGs are VERY difficult to housebreak. I have many friends who own IGs, some of which have NEVER been able to housebreak their dogs.
IGs are very sensitive to the cold.

If you like the look of the Italian Greyhound, you need a dog that does well in an apartment, and you do not want the above concerns, I would suggest looking at getting a Whippet. Whippets end up in the 25-35 lb range, so they are a bit bigger than IGs, but they are a bit easier to train and they are sturdier. We adopted a Whippet, and she did very well in our apartment.

Word of caution: If you get a sighthound, Never, EVER allow your sighthound off leash, unless you are completely surrounded by an 8 foot fence. Whippets can jump a 6 foot fence from a standstill, Greyhounds can jump higher. Whippets can run 35 miles per hour...not sure how fast Greyhounds are...but still, by the time your dog realizes you are calling it, your dog will be out of range.

Answer 3

Italian Greyhounds are really sweet, affectionate and beautiful small dogs. They can be kind of high strung, but they are lovely, attractive little dogs with affectionate personalities. Yes, they make good apartment dogs but understand that they are very high energy dogs, and they are reported to be difficult to house train. They are not like standard Greyhounds who are easy-going and quiet. You can crate train them, but do not leave them in a crate all day while you are at work- that is too long.

Some IG's bark a whole lot, others bark not much at all- that varies a lot.

Leg breaks are not unusual and they can be expensive to treat.

They need plenty of attention, and exercise, as do all pet dogs, but more than some other breeds, so you'll need to be prepared to take your dog out for exercise rain or shine.

Last but not least, please do not get your puppy from a mass breeder or puppy mill. You may have health or socialization problems but you also perpetuate unhealthy breeding practices by doing so. I recommend that you check Petfinder to see if there are any Iggies available for adoption in your area. If not, contact the breed groups in your area to see if they have any in rescue.

Good luck to you!