# Italian (miniature) Greyhound, anyone else here have one? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 20, 2010, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749 "2010-02-20T07:11:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749/1 "2010-02-20T07:11:42Z")
Wish I knew how to post pics (help)? ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749/2 "2010-02-20T08:43:29Z")
My brother calls [Italian](http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images18/ItalianGreyHoundNathanael8months.jpg) [Greyhounds](http://homepage.usask.ca/~schmutz/NelsonIGdilute.jpg) the things nightmares are made of. That’s the extent of my contribution to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749/3 "2010-02-20T16:51:38Z")
Is there something you want to know about them? I don’t own one but I’ve seen many at the vet. clinic. They seem to be sweet tempered but shy and anxious. Most of the time we see them they’ve broken a leg (or two). Their legs snap like matchsticks, they are much more delicate than Greyhounds. If you own one or want to get one and you plan on letting it get up on the bed or furniture, get doggie ramps and teach it to use them. Most of the time when they break their legs it’s doing something mundane like jumping down from the sofa. Also, if you live in cold climates you probably need to invest in some doggie sweaters, they get cold easily. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749/4 "2010-02-20T18:28:03Z")
I have a friend who raises them. They are nice enough dogs, but they do that “trembly” thing that little dogs do, which bothers me. They can also vary widely in temperament - most of her “pack” were very friendly to me, but two of them would sneak around behind me and bite me on the ankle whenever I came over… ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749/5 "2010-02-20T19:55:42Z")
I saw a woman walking two of them yesterday that were both wearing full body sweatshirts & sweatpants, covering everything but their paws & face. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749/6 "2010-02-20T20:34:11Z")
We currently have two. Japetus and Galileo. Heh, we’re funny. What do you want to know? ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749/7 "2010-02-21T03:16:23Z")
I had one for several years. He was very loyal (maybe too loyal- he **only** liked me), high strung and a little…umm…stupid. He lived to be 12 or 14. Healthy though, except he lost most of his teeth in his old-age. I really loved the little guy. I heard a story once that Melvin Belli, the famous divorce lawyer, was getting divorced and he and his wife were suing each other for the custody of the IG’"s. He was quoted as saying “I don’t know why she wants them. They don’t even like her.” The whole time I owned him, every time I walked him I was asked “Wow. Is that a deer or a dog?” so plan on answering that question for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749/8 "2010-02-21T04:03:02Z")
We have a chihuahua mix, but I’m convinced it’s about 10% chihuahua with a whoooooole bunch of Italian greyhound. She’s got the ears, the build, and the very thin coat. She’s also a complete sweetheart. I need to see about getting her some of those sweatshirt/pants combos. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749/9 "2010-02-21T04:08:17Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > My brother calls [Italian](http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images18/ItalianGreyHoundNathanael8months.jpg) [Greyhounds](http://homepage.usask.ca/~schmutz/NelsonIGdilute.jpg) the things nightmares are made of. > > That’s the extent of my contribution to this thread. Why?! They look adorable! ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749/10 "2010-02-21T06:07:25Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Why?! They look adorable! Not in person. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749/11 "2010-02-21T06:11:16Z")
You can’t convince me that’s not one of the most adorable widdle faces ever. Sure, they do kind of look like the canine form of Maris Crane but they’re still so sweet looking! ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749/12 "2010-02-21T06:14:29Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > You can’t convince me that’s not one of the most adorable widdle faces ever. > > Sure, they do kind of look like the canine form of Maris Crane but they’re still so sweet looking! To be more serious, I think my brother’s opinion has to do with the fact that those dogs are pretty much just skeletons with some skin on them for good measure. At least with Chihuahuas they’re heads are so big and ugly it takes the focus off their prominent skeletal structure. Italian Greyhounds have no such ugly-ass feature like Chihuahuas and thus they’re skeletal prominence becomes what you focus on. Which is the same thing you’d do for something in a horror movie. Like the [Alien](http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs12/f/2006/319/8/3/Xenomorph_Studies_by_PsychoDjinn.jpg) series. ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749/13 "2010-02-21T07:11:35Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > Is there something you want to know about them? No, I was just wondering if any other members have IG’s as pets. I’ve had babygirl for seven years and love her dearly. Everyone thinks she is just as cute as can be. her coat is brindle unlike the two pics in the above link. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749/14 "2010-02-21T07:49:56Z")
The ones from the early 80’s had transmission and clutch problems, but the newer, more modern ones seem to have a higher quality. The bathrooms are nice too, but hard to get into. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749/15 "2010-02-21T21:30:31Z")
The one’s I’ve met have, so far, been sociable and playful. They’re elegant little works of art too. ---
**Author:** ![Beerman1963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2acd7d/32.png) [@Beerman1963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beerman1963)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749/16 "2010-02-23T00:25:24Z")
Are they also called Whippets? Like that dog in the pics with they genetic disease that gives them huge muscle mass? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749/17 "2010-02-23T00:36:19Z")
> [@Beerman1963](#): > > Are they also called Whippets? > Like that dog in the pics with they genetic disease that gives them huge muscle mass? No, that’s a different breed, [in between the sizes](http://6.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kvjqchFbyT1qa7scyo1_500.jpg) of a regular and Italian Greyhound. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-miniature-greyhound-anyone-else-here-have-one/529749/18 "2010-02-24T01:59:15Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Sure, they do kind of look like the canine form of Maris Crane but they’re still so sweet looking! [hijack]How would you know? Did we ever see Maris, even once?[/hijack]