Italian Greyhound
Breed Standard
General Appearance
A greyhound in miniature, more slender in all
proportions
Characteristics
Elegant, graceful and quick moving
Temperament
Intelligent, affectionate and vivacious, may appear
aloof
Head & Skull
Skull long, flat & narrow, slight stop. Muzzle fine and
long. Nose dark in colour.
Eyes
Rather large, full of expression.
Ears
Rose shaped, placed well back, soft and fine not
pricked
Mouth
Strong with a perfect regular and complete scissor bite I.e. upper teeth
closely overlapping
lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Teeth even.
Neck
Long, gracefully arched
Forequarters
Shoulders long and sloping, legs straight, well set
under shoulders, fine, strong bone and pasterns.
Body
Chest deep and narrow. Good length of rib and brisket.
Back slightly arched over loin
Hindquarters
Long, well muscled thigh, hind legs parallel when
viewed from behind, well bent stifle,
hocks well let down
Feet
Hare feet
Tail
Low set, long, fine carried low
Gait Movement
High stepping and free action, Front and hind legs to
move forward in a straight line with propulsion from behind
Coat
Skin fine and supple. Hair short, fine and glossy.
Colour
Black, blue, cream, fawn, red, white or any of these
colours broken with white. White dogs may be broken with one of these
colours. Black or blue with tan markings, or brindle not acceptable.
Size
Ideal height 32-38cms
(12.5- 15 inches) at withers. Ideal weight 3.6-4.5kgs (8-10lbs.)
Overall type and elegance essential.
Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be
considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be
regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon
the health and welfare of the dog.
Male animals should have two apparently normal
testicles
fully descended into the scrotum.