AIBU to want an Italian Greyhound?

[chickensaresafehere]

Lost our rescue/ex racer full size grey last year & are looking for another sighthound.But decided we would like a a smaller breed of sighthound (we like to go away in our camper van,which is small,so are limited to space).
I have always loved IG's but hardly any come up at IG rescue (we are registered with one).
Do any of you have one? Please feel free to post photos.Did you get yours as a puppy.
I really DO NOT want to go down the puppy route,but IG's are so hard to come by

Why not go for a whippet or a whippety lurcher? Lots come up in rescues and they are very small and lovely. One of my friends (fosters for EGLR) has two gorgeous whippety lurcher girls and they are adorable, really gentle, well trained and a very dinky size.

Iggies have tons of health issues too.

Have just checked them out but most of them need homes with chidren over 12 years old & my youngest is 9
I have looked at quite a few whippet rescues,but we have yet to find a suitable dog.There are lots of suitable greys though.

I agree with looking for a whippet or whippety lurcher, particularly if you're basically after the greyhound type temperament in miniature. Aside from them being very difficult to get hold of IGs are also very different to other sighthounds, they're like tiny greyhounds on speed.

Whippets (and their crosses, especially whirriers) turn up in sighthounds rescues pretty frequently. Not as often as larger lurchers but there are still usually plenty about.

If adopting from overseas is something you'd consider you could also look at podencos. They vary in size but many are whippet-sized or only slightly larger and sadly there are loads needing homes. Galgos del Sol is a fabulous charity and take in lots of podencos as well as galgos. You can see their current list here.

I had 2 Italian Greyhounds (and grew up with them)- my first advice is, think twice! They are lovely dogs in the right hand, but they are not your average family dog.
Research the breed thoroughly and make sure, it's what you want. They tend to be a one person dog, have very sensitive personalities and are overall of a very delicate statue. Have a look at your lifestyle, rough and tumble with small, noisy kids or a very busy household can turn them into an nervous wreck! They need to be socialised very well in order to bring out the best in them. This is an on going process.
Like all sight hounds, they are not very bright, have a strong hunting instinct and need to be able to let off steam. They are incredibly loyal to the point of clingy to their choice human and can be as chilled as any whipped or greyhound.
But, if you are after an all round family pet, a whipped or greyhound would be a better choice.

A lady i see on a dog forum has 4 IG's and think at least 3 have fractured legs now, must be quite a worry to live with that kind of fragility.

I transported a smooth coated whippetx bedlington to rescue that seemed tiny to me (I've greyhounds) but wasn't as delicate as an iggie, small lurchers like him are often more rehomable so may get homed more quickly too (he was adopted by someone who did transport leg before me so did reverse journey a week later).

Thanks.I suppose this is what I need,as I know a lot about sighthounds but not IG's.So was interested to hear from people who had owned one.
We are going to look at lurcher/whippet crosses in rescues

If rescues know that your 9 year old is used to having dogs around and knows how to behave around one, because of your previous dog, then they may be more flexible? Smaller rescues are usually more flexible anyway.

Are you on this group? They seem to collate available dogs from different rescues. But get on as many FB groups as you can, they are usually much more up to date than websites, more/most popular dogs will never get on to a website. (apologies if you've done all this already!)

Thanks Bagel have joined the FB group.

EGLR often have small whippetty lurchers, and they take children on a dog by dog basis. If you look on their website, you can search by dog, cat friendly, child friendly etc.

Also try Hounds First Rescue who may be able to help.

Oh wow OP. Ive always wanted an IG. Unfortunately we have big dogs, so the chances are one would get hurt very quickly in this house. I've put it on my wish list for my old age.

The IG that I see a lot of is rather neurotic, and not nearly as chilled as my lurchers. Terribly pretty though!

EGLR have a couple of whippety lurchers for rehoming atm. Both my dogs came from them, and ds was only 6 when we got ddog1

I wanted an Italian greyhound but I heard from someone who has both Italian Greyhounds and whippets that IGs are far less calm. I also read they could sometimes have bad separation anxiety, and once tat they were difficult to house train (but I don't know if these things are true.)

A whippet breeder I spoke to who had one IG I might have got, mentioned she had two others whose legs had broken for almost no reason- so she thought hey must come from a line with brittle bones. It would be important to research the family history.

I did not get one but still don't blame you wanting one!

I had 2 when my D.C.'s were very little and my D.C.'s still regularly say "remember our old cats?" 😁

God I loved those dogs. My thoughts on IGs:

They love their human so much, they are incredibly clean and don't shed or smell like a dog, they would prefer to sleep and sit with you, watching them in full gait is the most beautiful sight in the world, they have real personalities (I know everyone says that about their dogs), watching them prance on a leash is hilarious, I could go on for days... now I want one 😢

One of mine was bigger and rounder than the average IG but he always thought of himself as a puppy and would sit on top of out other tiny one. He would also pretend to smell a leaf if he got scared on a walk and would "sneak" under the blankets on the couch or bed and if he thought he got away with it you'd see and hear his tail start thumping! When you lifted the blanket he'd cover his face, then wag the tail again and give me a lick to suck up!

I don't remember having any problems with my dcs (I had them pre children) and my 9 year old would be completely gentle with one so I guess it depends on your child's personality. I wouldn't get one if he'd be alone all day.

Sorry for my long post (brought back memories!)

Forgot to add, I was told to look out for epilepsy testing/ history in parents. Again, this was over 10 years ago so may not be an issue now.

I wanted an Italian greyhound but I heard from someone who has both Italian Greyhounds and whippets that IGs are far less calm.

That's probably a bit of an understatement!! I always think of the video on this page whenever people are comparing IGs to whippets/greyhounds

Trionic that video is very funny!

Wilting they sound like heaven.

We have 2. They are beautiful and really lovely but bloody hard work now we have kids. I hadn't quite realised how clingy they were and full on before as they got my undivided attention. I still love them both but when I'm with family dogs I do see the difference in terms of how their dogs just get on with things and ours are there - trying to be centre of attention, dancing round the furniture, jumping on people and my female dog tries to physically push her head in between myself and one of the kids so she gets fuss. It's funny but really hard work if you have small children too. Totally manageable with older kids though I would have thought. Our female dog has always been lazy and stubborn and still has the odd accident in doors if she doesn't want to go out for a wee if it's too wet or cold for her liking but the male one is ok. Again it's just an extra eye to make sure she doesn't trot straight back in without seeing first :)

Also if you get one get bloody good insurance ! Both of ours have cost a fortune despite insurance. With impacted anal glands and the male dog had an auto immune problem for a while. Tablets were £200 per month after insurance ran out but touch wood both ok atm.

No direct experience with IG, though they are beautiful charming little dogs. We have looked into getting one, however, having already had a Whippet with a broken leg their delicate reputation has put us off. The breeder we spoke to also said that they can be a little needy and stubborn especially with house-training. Would also second the PP regarding good insurance.

Just wondering if you have seen Just Whippet Rescue & Hounds First Sighthound Rescue on Facebook - both fantastic little charities. Greyhound Gap also has some smaller lurcher type rescues.

Have you tried contacting Forever Hounds Trust? I don't know that they often have IGs but they definitely have small lurchers and some are suitable for families with smaller children. They spend quite a bit of time matching people to the right dog so would take your preferences into consideration when and try to find the right dog for you. It might be worth giving them a call - 03000 111 100.

Try this site here they look after and love the retired dogs and have re-homed thousands of Greyhounds over the years - www.greyhoundhomer.co.uk

They always have many dogs available and are very helpful and knowledgeable in my experience.

atb