Italian Greyhound vs Whippet

An Italian Greyhound
Photo: christina
A Whippet
Photo: Berikande

Side by side

Italian Greyhound
Whippet
Adult weight
3.6–4.5 kg (8–10 lb)1
11–18 kg (25–40 lb) (breed club figure)2
Height
No sourced figure
Males 47–51 cm; females 44–47 cm (breed club figure)2
Lifespan
Median 14 years3
Median 13.4 years3
Fully grown
10 months, both sexes4
Group
Sighthounds5
Sighthounds6
Coat
Short coat5
Short coat6
Shedding
Sheds through the year
Grooming
A brush once a week
Exercise
A moderate amount
Health
No sourced figure
Blood-vessel cancer of the skin (more likely); Gum disease (slightly more likely)7,8
Class
Lap dog
Companion

Which suits you

Size
The Whippet is far larger: about 15 kg (32 lb) as an adult, against 4.1 kg (8.9 lb) for the Italian Greyhound.
Temperament
They differ most on loyalty (Italian Greyhound: sticks close to its people; Whippet: bonded to its family) and on handler demand (Italian Greyhound: needs steady training; Whippet: suits a first-time owner).
Alike
Both are rated the same on affection: a lap or leaning dog.
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

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.

Whippet
Sighthounds · Medium

Indoors the Whippet is usually quiet, gentle and fond of comfort, and it often seeks out soft bedding and close contact with its people.

The Italian Greyhound page →The Whippet page →

Breed traits

Day to day
Italian Greyhound
Whippet
Activity
Differs
Happy with modest walks
A good daily walk and play
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Differs
Needs steady training
Suits a first-time owner
With people
Italian Greyhound
Whippet
Affection
A lap or leaning dog
A lap or leaning dog
Loyalty
Differs
Sticks close to its people
Bonded to its family
Independence
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
Italian Greyhound
Whippet
Sensitivity
Needs a calm, predictable home
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 Whippet grows to the heavier adult, about 15 kg against the Italian Greyhound's 4.1 kg.
Italian Greyhound
Whippet
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More comparisons

Compare the Italian Greyhound with
Greyhound vs WhippetGreyhound vs Italian GreyhoundAzawakh vs WhippetAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·