The Italian Greyhound is sometimes called IG or Iggy as a shortened version of Italian Greyhound. The Italian Greyhound is the smallest of the sight hounds.

The Italian Greyhound has been depicted in paintings by many famous artists such as Giotto, Velasquez and Pisanello. One example is the portrait of Catherine the Great by Pisanello, which shows her with an Italian Greyhound.

Royalty such as Mary Stuart, Catherine the Great, Frederick the Great, Queens Anne and Victoria all owned Italian Greyhounds. They have long been revered by royalty and thought of as a special animal. In the first Egyptian times, the Romans did not consider this dog as a pet, but more as a companion.

The Italian Greyhound has also made their place in the cultural world. The film, "Good Boy!" features an Italian Greyhound named Nelly. Drummer Todd Trainer had an Italian Greyhound named Uffizi, and Shellac, an American math rock band, named one of their albums Excellent Italian Greyhound in regards to this dog.

The Italian Greyhound is known as the best substitute for a second child more than any other dog. They have a get "in your face" personality that cannot be ignored, but only acknowledged and loved.

Did you know the larger the Italian greyhound is, the longer it will take for him to reach maturity? A single Italian Greyhound by itself will be very submissive, but if you have more than one, they become very dominant dogs, especially with each other.

As little and delicate as they are, the Italian Greyhound make excellent therapy dogs, visiting the sick and elderly in many hospitals and institutions to cheer them up and help with their healing. It's been a proven medical fact that patients that have these dogs as pets live longer healthier lives.

The Italian Greyhound is one dog that sheds less than hardly any other dog. They need very little grooming because they have hardly any hair. Although, it doesn't look like it, but they do shed. It's just very hard to see.

You can buy many items for the Italian Greyhound dog. Some are luxury items and some can be used in the course of their work or training. Some items worth considering are coursing blankets and racing blankets. The Italian Greyhound purses are quite stylish and the snoods will keep your Italian Greyhound toasty warm on those cold winter days.

The bones and joints of the Italian Greyhound are so fragile that if they jump off a table or couch and land the wrong way, they can break their bones.