What is a small greyhound called? Simple and Effective Tips

• Toy Group; AKC recognized in 1886 • Ranging from 13 to 15 inches tall (typically 8 to 18 pounds) • Companion, small game hunter

The Italian Greyhound is extremely slender and barely over a foot tall, but has all the grace and sweetness of his taller Greyhound relatives. There is debate as to whether they were originally bred for hunting small game or meant to be simply a companion. In all likelihood, both are true, as they are adaptable to city and country life. Playful and intelligent, the Italian Greyhound is generally easy to train and prefers to spend most of his time with his owner. They like attention and affection, and are a peaceful, gentle friend to adults and children. Italian Greyhounds are an active breed that loves to run and play and requires daily walks. Their small size makes them ideal for an apartment and his short, smooth as satin coat makes him one of the easiest breeds to groom.

In fact, the Whippet is an English Greyhound in miniature, hence the layman frequently confusing the two breeds. A medium-sized sighthound, it gives the appearance of elegance and fitness, denoting great speed, power, and balance. The Whippet is the fastest domesticated animal of his weight, capable of speeds up to 35 m.p.h. A very versatile breed, they can appear in a wide variety of colours and markings. Although keen when racing or coursing, they are quiet and dignified in their owner’s living room.

• Hound Group; AKC recognized in 1888.• Ranging in size from 18 to 22 inches tall (typically 20 to 40 pounds) • Race dog; rabbit courser

Features:

Exercise Requirements: <20 minutes/day Energy Level: Very energetic Longevity Range: 12-15 yrs. Tendency to Drool: Low Tendency to Snore: Low Tendency to Bark: Low Tendency to Dig: Low Social/Attention Needs: High

Differences Between the Whippet vs. Greyhound vs. Italian Greyhound

Rarely do these breeds slow down and line up in a row so we can spot their subtleties, so maybe this chart showing the differences between each type of dog will help.

Credit: fotojagodka / Getty / jagodka / TrapezaStudio / Adobe Stock

Yes! They could be triplets! But as similar as they might be, heres the skinny on how they differ.

Short-haired coats, broad barrel chests, tucked tummies, thin curled tails, and deep soulful eyes are all qualities this trio have in common. Heres what might vary:

Whippets show off various colors and patterns, including cream, fawn, grey, black, and blue, as well as brindle markings. They might also have a wisp of alternating tone from forehead to snout, which might be thick or narrow.

Greyhounds flash color styles ranging from bright white to midnight black and everything in between. While sometimes their masks are a different shade than body color, theyre usually solid, but theres frequently a different hue across their chests.

Italian greyhounds coats can be solid or bi-colored in a spectrum of cream, fawn, gray, yellow, red, seal, blue, chocolate, black, or blue. Their masks are more often black, but sometimes have thin strips or even rings of color on their muzzles.

Comparing the greyhound vs. Italian greyhound size or an Italian greyhound vs. whippet size is simple. Just remember:

Italian greyhounds are miniature dog breeds, weighing only 7–14 pounds and averaging about 13–15 inches high. Snuggle with her in matching sweaters!

Whippets tip the scale at 25–40 pounds and stand 18–22 inches tall. You might not be able to smuggle them into an overhead compartment, but theyll travel nice and toasty in other doggie carriers.

Greyhounds are the largest of the three, standing 27–30 inches tall and weighing 60–70 pounds. This means when its cozy time, youll need a large dog bed with a warming function.

Why are we talking about keeping these pups so warm? Because Mize says sighthounds are particularly sensitive to the cold. (We would be too with such little body fat!) Theyre also generally more affected by anesthetic procedures than other breeds. Here are some of her additional health notes:

Whippets are susceptible to a type of, likely heritable, heart disease called mitral valve disease.

Because of their deep chested conformation, greyhounds are susceptible to a very serious, potentially deadly condition called gastric torsion, commonly known as bloat. “There is a surgical preventative surgery to minimize risk of development of this condition,” Mize says. “Id recommend chatting with your veterinarian about it should you consider adding a greyhound to your family.”

Italian greyhounds have such fine bone structure that Mize says can make them more susceptible to bone fractures. “So care must be taken to avoid dangerous situations to avoid such an injury,” she adds. “For example, this might not be the best pet for a rowdy household with very active children.”

Quality backyard fencing is a must if you want a whippet, greyhound, or Italian greyhound. Theyre famous for immediate sparks of energy. Even the delicate Italian greyhound can sprint up to 25 mph if something in the bushes catches her eye. While the whippet and greyhounds speeds might be slightly slower—30 mph on average compared to 40 mph—whippets can leap! High! Remember what we said about dock diving? Champions of that sport.

Now that youre familiar with these spectacular sighthounds, test your knowledge of other canine look-alikes! Something went wrong. An error has occurred and your entry was not submitted. Please try again.

Italian Greyhound – Top 10 Facts

When these kind whispers of grace glide past on their candlestick legs, it still gives you pause to know they can suddenly break into a 30–40 mph sprint! This is just one of many fascinating aspects of comparing a whippet vs. greyhound vs. Italian greyhound: no matter how far and fast all these sweet sighthounds run, theyre loyal dogs and always eager to be right by your side.

Genna Mize, DVM, is a staff technical services veterinarian at Virbac Animal Health. In her experience with these breeds, she finds them to be similar in terms of disposition, describing them as “calm, gentle, and affectionate with a propensity to be somewhat shy, particularly around strangers.” These three breeds have sensitive temperaments and pick up on emotions easily. So its a special type of bliss when one of these elegant pups finally rests a slender snout on your knee, demonstrating a quiet acceptance and a desire to be near.

Have we established that whippets, greyhounds, and Italian greyhounds are full of love with a capital L? Good! Lets explore a few more fun facts about these three sighthounds.