Italian Greyhound (Piccolo Levriero Italiano)

At most five kilos and 32 to 38 centimetres, yet the FCI standard calls the Italian Greyhound (Piccolo Levriero Italiano) an exact miniature of a large sighthound. Head, chest and hindquarters follow a racer’s lines in pocket size. Owners soon discover a true sprinter within the delicate body.

From pharaohs’ courts to Italian nobility

The standard traces the breed to small sighthounds at the pharaohs’ court. Via Laconia in Greece, documented on vases and drinking bowls, they reached Italy from the fifth century BC. Most widespread at Renaissance noble courts, they repeatedly appear in Old Master paintings. The current standard gives the role simply as racing dog.

A sighthound in miniature

Square-bodied, deep-chested and with a steeply sloping croup. At rest, little ears fold back on the neck; alert, they stand to the sides, the standard’s “butterfly ears”. The build is shared with the Whippet and the Greyhound in the same section, both considerably larger.

Lively, affectionate and docile

Those three words sum up the standard’s temperament. Indoors, the dog seeks closeness and warmth, often under a blanket. Outside, a sight-hunter remains: a fleeing rabbit can drown out recall. Short sprints in enclosed areas, search games and shared walks usually suffice; club coursing is possible.

Fine bones, thin skin

The standard requires fine bone and thin, close-fitting skin. Avoid jumps from high furniture, use runners on slippery floors and supervise games with large, rough dogs. Short coat needs little care but gives little warmth, making a coat sensible in cold and wet.

Teeth, immunity and a long life

McMillan and colleagues’ British analysis gave Italian Greyhounds a median 14,0 years, crossbreeds 12,0. Teeth deserve attention. A study found inherited enamel defects, amelogenesis imperfecta, in 14 per cent; 30 per cent of dogs with normal teeth carried the responsible ENAM mutation, for which a genetic test exists (Gandolfi et al. 2013). The same paper names periodontal and autoimmune diseases as common. Affected American dogs were considerably more homozygous in immune genes than healthy ones, with authors attributing this to a narrow breeding base and popular sires (Pedersen et al. 2015). Daily tooth brushing and questions about testing and parental relatedness are worthwhile.

A good fit for

People seeking a small, cuddly dog with an athlete’s body, including in flats, who provide safe running areas and warm beds. Beginners can manage well if they plan for hunting instincts.

Less suitable for

Homes with very young children unable to handle gently, and anyone wanting a robust all-weather playmate.

To see whether a little sighthound suits you, try the breed quiz, with more detail in our book “Welcher Hund passt WIRKLICH zu dir?” (book in German). For puppyhood, there is the free Puppy Starter Pack. Find a picture of your Italian Greyhound among our dog portraits or as a downloadable digital artwork.

Further reading

• Puppy will not sleep: what really helps on the first night
• Older dog, new rules: giving your senior their best years
• New Year’s Eve anxiety in dogs: what helps and what only sounds reassuring

Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI-Standard Nr. 200 Piccolo Levriero Italiano (Italienisches Windspiel) (fci.be, German version dated 24.06.2019); Gandolfi B et al., Simple recessive mutation in ENAM is associated with amelogenesis imperfecta in Italian Greyhounds, Animal Genetics 2013; Pedersen NC et al., A search for genetic diversity among Italian Greyhounds from Continental Europe and the USA and the effect of inbreeding on susceptibility to autoimmune disease, Canine Genetics and Epidemiology 2015; McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024.

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