Top 10 Things You Should Know About My Italian Greyhound

Maybe you're not interested my dog necessarily, but if you plan to add an Italian Greyhound to your family, here are 10 things you should know. Consider yourself warned!

1. He's pretty.
Italian Greyhounds are elegant. Their sleek bodies are a miniature version of the regular Greyhound racing fame. Italian Greyhounds walk like a prancing horse, or a tiny deer. This trait is wonderful if you're looking to add a lively accessory to your living room. And when you walk him everyone wants to talk!

2. His poops are small.
Because Italian Greyhounds only weigh 10-20 pounds, thye are easy to clean up after. They're also cheap to feed and can be quite happy living in a small area.

3. He runs faster than my first car.
Beware - this is a racing dog. Italian Greyhounds are pretty happy as long as they get to walk every day. However, they like running better and if the skinny little monster gets out of it's leash - well, good luck. There's no way to catch this dog. You'll just have to follow it around until it tires of playing with you.

4. He only LOOKS like a diva.
Short, fine fur makes grooming and easy task. There are no nasty clumps of fur all over your house and the most hair I ever see is in the dryer after I wash his bed. The downside to the short hair is that he gets cold easily. I've tried to find a sweater that a) fits him, and b) doesn't humiliate him. I'll let you know when I succeed.

5. He's quiet.
Italian Greyhounds rarely bark. However, mine sings, or howls, quite a bit when he wants ot come in or go out and we haven't beckoned to his initial signal soon enough.

6. He's a snuggler.
My Italian Greyhound's favorite time of day is late in the evening when I lie down to watch TV. He'll burrow into my armpit or the crook of my leg. He's a very loveable companion.

7. He's dumb as a rock.
I have read that Italian Greyhounds are very intelligent, but I haven't found it to be true. I've also been told they're typically shy, and mine is not. So apparently my dog just has some sort of heightened social intelligence - at the expense of other valuable skills, like knowing better than to pee on his own leg. Yeah, he does.

8. He's got little stick legs.
Italian Greyhound owners need to be very careful about letting their [highly intelligent] dogs jump from high places, like a table or high bed. Although my dog plays rough with the neighbor Labrador, the breed is prone to broken legs, which can really drain the Christmas fund. To treat a broken leg you're looking at upwards of $1,500. Because this dog also likes to follow you around the house, you have to be careful not to step on his slender legs.

9. He pees in the house.
This dog is notoriously difficult to housetrain. Mine is 2 1/2 and I still don't trust him alone in the house. Invest in a crate, or cement floors.

10. He will turn you into a dog person.
I am really not a dog person. Really. Especially if you're a cat person like me, and you're pressured by your family to get a dog - this could be the one for you. Italian Greyhounds have the best qualities of cats and dogs - they're low maintenance like a cat, but loving and friendly like a dog.

Need to know more? Check out these resources:

Italian Greyhound Club of America
American Kennel Club
What You Need to Know Before Adding and Italian Greyhound to Your Family

This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by Burger King Corp.