Italian Greyhounds

The Italian Greyhound, or Piccolo Levriere, is one of the oldest dog breeds in the world. Drawings of sighthounds resembling the modern day Italian Greyhound are found on Pompeiian frescoes dating back 2000 years. They are also painted on ancient Egyptian artwork from roughly 6000 years ago. They were bred to hunt hare and rabbits, but were kept mostly as a companion dog. They were popular amongst European royalty, including Queen Victoria and King Louis XIV. Today, Italian Greyhounds are enjoyed by thousands in the United States and around the world. They have been recognized by the American Kennel Club since 1886 and their popularity as a family pet has grown in the last five years. They are true sighthounds, but are very content with being lap dogs, provided they get enough daily exercise. Sighthounds use their keen sense of sight, speed, and strong prey drive to hunt down small animals. Please refer to my podcast with Gary Flynn where we talk about different hunting dog breeds.Italian Greyhounds are the smallest member of the sighthound family weighing between 7 and 14 lbs. Sighthounds include well known breeds such as Greyhounds, Whippets, Afghan Hounds, Irish Wolfhounds and Salukis. All of these breeds have bodies that are built for speed with long slender legs and deep chests. The Greyhound is the fastest dog breed in the world reaching speeds of up to 45 miles per hour. The Italian Greyhound can reach up to 35 mph. They look like cheetahs running through the savanna. Whereas the Greyhound is faster than the Italian Greyhound, its endurance is not as great. My guest, Cheryl Bendik, is a proud pet parent of two Italian Greyhounds, Mia and Luna. Cheryl was intrigued by the breed when she met two of them who belonged to her son’s girlfriend at the time. She kept wanting to borrow them until her son convinced her to get her own. Cheryl contacted a breeder but had to wait quite some time for one. In the meantime, Cheryl decided to adopt one. As fate would have it, as soon as she adopted Luna, Mia was born two weeks later! Luna is a Beagle/Italian Greyhound mix. Her most noticeable feature is her floppy Beagle ears, but she has the body of an Italian Greyhound. Mia and Luna are eight months apart and have a very close bond. When they were little, they both loved to run around and zip in and out of each other looking like a chocolate and vanilla swirl ice cream cone. Luna was placed in a kill shelter in Columbus by a family with small children. She was then transported up to Vermilion, Ohio where Cheryl adopted her. She had a scar on her head from a previous injury and was very fearful of children and small women with blond hair. She also did not like noisy toys. She still is leary of noisy toys and young children with erratic movements. She lost her fear of small blonde women later in life. Thank goodness Luna ended up in her forever home with Cheryl!Luna has the temperament of an Italian Greyhound and the prey drive of a Beagle. Cheryl says Luna’s nose is always to the ground like a Beagle’s and has brought home several “presents” after a romp in the backyard. Chipmunks, baby rabbits and squirrels are her preference. One day, Luna emerged from the bushes with a 5 point deer antler in her mouth. Cheryl’s daughter thought Luna had killed a deer (an impossible feat!), but it was only an antler from a deer in rut (breeding season). Cheryl kept that antler as a fond memory. Mia enjoys chasing after small animals like her pal Luna does. She likes to catch small critters and deposit them inside the house. She also likes to birdwatch as they fly around above her. When they were younger, Mia would go tell Cheryl in her own way that Luna had escaped. Luna was notorious for running away in pursuit of a squirrel, chipmunk or rabbit, expressing her true Beagle nature. Mia would guide Cheryl to Luna. The two of them would lay down and start howling the way Italian Greyhounds do and Luna would come running back. Common nicknames for Italian Greyhounds are “Iggy” and “IG”. Cheryl advises prospective pet parents if you don’t want a dog next to you or behind you all the time, then an Italian Greyhound is not the breed for you. They are even referred to as “Velcro Dogs”. Their sweet, gentle and loving temperament makes it very easy to cuddle up with while enjoying a favorite book. Italian Greyhounds require a lot of exercise. Cheryl has walked Mia and Luna daily in all kinds of weather since she brought them home. Even when Cheryl was recovering from meniscus surgery, she had family members walk “the girls”. All dogs require daily walks. For some breeds, if they don’t get their walk in, and an outlet is not provided to release pent up energy, they can go a little crazy. Italian Greyhounds would fit that description. Caring for Italian Greyhounds is fairly easy. The biggest challenge