Greyhound vs Italian Greyhound

A Greyhound
Photo: Neurodoc
An Italian Greyhound
Photo: christina

Side by side

Greyhound
Italian Greyhound
Adult weight
Males 26.2–38.5 kg (58–85 lb); females 22.3–32.2 kg (49–71 lb) (measured in UK vet records, n = 5,419, mean ±1.5 SD)1
3.6–4.5 kg (8–10 lb)2
Lifespan
Median 11.5 years3
Median 14 years3
Fully grown
12 months, both sexes4
10 months, both sexes4
Group
Sighthounds5
Sighthounds6
Coat
No sourced figure
Short coat6
Shedding
No sourced figure
Sheds through the year
Grooming
No sourced figure
A brush once a week
Exercise
A modest amount
A moderate amount
Health
Bone cancer (far more likely); Blood-vessel cancer of the skin (more likely)7,8
No sourced figure
Class
Companion
Lap dog

Which suits you

Size
The Greyhound is far larger: about 30 kg (66 lb) as an adult, against 4.1 kg (8.9 lb) for the Italian Greyhound.
Lifespan
In UK vet records the Italian Greyhound lives longer: a median of 14 years, against 11.5 for the Greyhound.
Exercise
Plan for a moderate amount of exercise with the Italian Greyhound, and a modest amount with the Greyhound.
Temperament
They differ most on affection (Greyhound: affectionate on its own terms; Italian Greyhound: a lap or leaning dog) and on loyalty (Greyhound: bonded to its family; Italian Greyhound: sticks close to its people).
Alike
Both are rated the same on voice: quiet.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
Take the breed matcher

What they're like

Greyhound
Sighthounds · Large

In temperament the breed is quiet and gentle, content to sleep for long stretches, affectionate with its own people and sometimes reserved with strangers.

Italian Greyhound
Sighthounds · Toy

In temperament it is affectionate and gentle with its own people but may be reserved with strangers. Playful and agile, it dislikes cold and wet weather, having a thin coat and little body fat.

The Greyhound page →The Italian Greyhound page →

Breed traits

Day to day
Greyhound
Italian Greyhound
Activity
Happy with modest walks
Happy with modest walks
Intelligence
Differs
Easy-going, simple routines
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Differs
Suits a first-time owner
Needs steady training
With people
Greyhound
Italian Greyhound
Affection
Differs
Affectionate on its own terms
A lap or leaning dog
Loyalty
Differs
Bonded to its family
Sticks close to its people
Independence
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
Greyhound
Italian Greyhound
Sensitivity
Differs
Average
Needs a calm, predictable home
Voice
Quiet
Quiet
Prey drive
Likely to chase small pets
Likely to chase small pets
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour9. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home10,11.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
The Greyhound grows to the heavier adult, about 30 kg against the Italian Greyhound's 4.1 kg.
Greyhound
Italian Greyhound
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More comparisons

Compare the Greyhound with
Italian Greyhound vs WhippetGreyhound vs WhippetBorzoi vs GreyhoundGreyhound vs SalukiAzawakh vs GreyhoundDoberman Pinscher vs GreyhoundAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·