Trainability, a friendly personality, and a calm demeanor are among the most popular features we are looking for in a dog, especially if we are going to train them as a service animal. But what about traits like elegance, gracefulness, and remarkable appearance, that will make your paw friend special?
The
Italian Greyhound is a remarkable dog who possesses a lot of
qualities related to their temperament, personality, and appearance.
However, are these qualities sufficient for the dogs of this breed to
become good service animals or not?- This is a question we will
answer today!
History
It is believed that the breed can be tracked down 2000 years ago in the area of the Mediterranean basin. However, the breed as we know it today, goes back to the nineteenth century. Thanks to the work of two breeders-Giulia Ajò Montecuccoli degli Erri and Emilio Cavallini, the number of dogs of this breed started to drastically increase after the Second World War. During the time after the war, the breed was primarily bred in Italy, Germany, and France.
The Italian Greyhound (“Piccolo levriero Italiano” in Italian) is a type of small sighthound, which means that these dogs mainly rely on their sight and speed to hunt and not on their sense of smell.
Appearance and Lifespan
Although the dogs of the Italian Greyhound breed are the smallest sighthound dogs, they have muscular bodies with a recognizable body structure. It is characterized by a curved back, deep chest, long neck, and a rather small and narrowed head. These dogs’ ears are triangular and folded against their neck when they are calm and their eyes are almond-shaped and dark.
The weight that the breed representatives can reach is about 8-10 lbs / 3,6-4,5 kg, while their maximum height is about 12,6-14.9 inches / 32-38 cm.
The wonderful coat of these dogs is very short and can be seen in a variety of colors such as: Blue, Red, Fawn, Sable, Seal, White & Black, Cream, Blue Fawn, Red Fawn, White & Seal, etc.
The dogs of the Italian Greyhound breed can also have markings on their coats in the following color variations: White, Blue Mask, Black Mask, White Markings, Blue Mask and White Markings, Black Mask.
Talking about their coat, you may be glad to know that Italian Greyhounds are not heavy shedders. They do shed, but since their coat is thin and very short, it won’t be noticeable.
The average lifespan of these canines is approximately 12-15 years.
Temperament
The Italian Greyhound dogs are known to be very gentle, and affectionate toward their family. Their gentle and sensitive nature can make them great companions for other pets in the household if, of course, they are not aggressive. However, if you have a cat or an animal of a small species, you should be careful and make sure that your Italian Greyhound won’t chase them due to a prey instinct.
Thanks to their sweet and playful nature, dogs of the Italian Greyhound breed get along with children very well! If you have kids, you can expect your canine to become their favorite companion and playmate! However, you should remember, that these canines tend to be a bit sensitive which could make the interaction with very young children a bit difficult. Your paw friend may get frustrated due to rough handling, so keep that in mind.
When it comes to energy, these dogs are considered energetic, alert, and very playful. However, they are not known as hyperactive and their energy levels still vary from dog to dog.
These wonderful dogs are moderate barkers, so whether you want to train them to “speak” or be quiet, you may succeed.
If you get a dog of this breed, you need to make sure that they are physically and mentally stimulated. They need attention and will enjoy having you as an active member of their daily routine!
Due to their attachment to their beloved family members, sensitive nature and need for mental and physical stimulation, the Italian Greyhounds may develop separation anxiety if not provided with enough attention.
Thanks to their high intelligence and affectionate nature, these canines are easy to train- wonderful news for those who consider training or having their pet dogs trained as service animals!
Social Aspects
Playful, adaptable to various living situations, and loving, these dogs make great companions! When it comes to strangers, some representatives of the Italian Greyhounds may be a bit reserved or shy. That is why it is essential to socialize your paw friend from a young age.
Since these lovely dogs tend to get attuned to their family and are also very alert, they have the potential to become good watchdogs. However, they are too small and sensitive to have an intimidating appearance, so the role of a watchdog may not be the perfect one for them.
Can Italian Greyhounds Become Good Service Dogs?
Yes, they can! We always clarify that dogs are individuals and, as such, deviations from the standard breed characteristics can occur. However, if we consider the traits of these canines in terms of affection towards family members, trainability, and intelligence, they have great potential to become excellent service animals! Proper socialization is of course always required.
What Tasks Can the Dogs of the Italian Greyhound Breed Be Trained to Perform?
Psychiatric Service Dog Tasks
Their sensitive and loving nature makes these canines the right fit for people looking for PSD assistance. Alongside emotional support and companionship, the Italian Greyhound can be taught invaluable PSD tasks such as Deep Pressure Therapy, alerting to anxiety episodes, pawing, nose-nudging or licking the handler to interrupt repetitive behaviors, calming them down, alerting them to oncoming episodes or bringing them back to reality (the so-called grounding).
Guiding the owner to a safe place and helping them navigate the surroundings are also tasks that these dogs can deal with very well! Due to their small size and agility, they can navigate different types of environments, with ease.
Retrieve-based and Environmental Tasks
Do you need to have your medication brought to you directly? The Italian Greyhound won’t have any problems with this task! You can train these dogs to bring you various types of items that you will need when you have episodes or otherwise are unable to get them yourself.
You can also train your dog to pick up items off the floor in case you are unable to do it yourself. Remember to not give your canine tasks that require physical strength, as they, unlike the Standard Greyhound usually reach a maximum weight of 10 lbs / 4,5 kg. If you would like to have a more muscular dog, who can be trained in more physically demanding tasks, the Standard Greyhound might be a better fit for you. These canines reach a weight of up to 40 kg / 88 lbs for the males and 34 kg / 75 lbs for the females.
Medical Alert Tasks
Although these wonderful dogs mainly rely on their speed and sight when chasing prey, they can become excellent medical alert dogs. Their long and large noses make them suitable for this type of job.
Regardless of what type of illness you deal with-diabetes, epileptic episodes, low/high blood sugar levels, irregular heart rate, these dogs can be trained to recognize these and respond to them in a certain way. Scent training is of course more time-consuming than other types of service dog training such as PSD training, but if you invest enough time and effort it will all be worth it in the end!
Allergen Detection
If you or a family member is allergic to peanuts, gluten, soy, eggs, milk, or other types of allergens, a canine of the Italian Greyhound breed may be able to help you! By alerting their handlers to the presence of allergens, these dogs help prevent potentially life-threatening reactions.
The presence of an Italian Greyhound as a service dog can have a transformative impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities. These dogs can provide both emotional and practical assistance to their owners helping them cope with daily challenges.
When trained properly, these dogs can enable their owners to engage more fully in daily activities, participate in social interactions, and navigate the world with enhanced freedom and confidence.
