The Italian Greyhound (nicknamed the "Iggy" or "IG" for short) is a smaller version of their more popular cousin in the standard Greyhound and features a non-shedding coat that comes in a wide variety of colours. Similarly to their cousin, the breed can be traced back to Ancient Egypt, and they were initially bred for the main goal of hunting and companionship.

Some of their more unique traits are their highly sensitive temperament that allows them to almost know what their owners are thinking, their love for running and their hypoallergenic coat that rarely sheds - which in essence make the Italian Greyhound a regular breed of dog for active owners or allergy sufferers who can provide them with gentle loving care.

The Italian Greyhound is legendary for their gentle and sensitive disposition as well as their love for running like their larger relatives. They are generally timid with unfamiliar people, which along with their size often means they are not very suitable as a guard dog.

The Italian Greyhound is also accepted to be fairly intelligent - ranking 60th in comparison with other dogs when taking into account their capability to be trained obedience commands. They are additionally known to be good with kids so long as they are taught to handle them carefully - meaning they are somewhat suitable as a family pet. The Italian Greyhound is not very companionable with other animals such as dogs, cats and other smaller animals due to their natural prey instinct.

Grooming the Italian Greyhound is a relatively simple task. They need only occasional rub-downs due to their short non-shedding coat but need more regular care for their teeth with brushing each day.

The Italian Greyhound is satisfied with a large well-fenced yard to play in, but they can be suitable for life in an apartment just as long as they are given daily exercise. They prefer warmer environments, and they will be uncomfortable if it gets too cold due to their short coat - so special clothing will usually be required to keep them warm.

The Italian Greyhound is made happy with endeavours such as a sprint around the yard, playing fetch and using the natural hunting instincts to find hidden items. They possess a high quantity of energy which gradually decreases as they grow older and need to be given daily exercise in the form of long walks and occasional sprints to keep them happy, motivated and healthy.

The Italian Greyhound could make the ideal dog for retirees, couples without children or families with older children. They are fitting to anybody that is eager to execute a minimal amount of grooming and allow time to give them patient housebreaking, early socialisation and firm obedience training in addition to take them on long daily walks or runs and give a good sum of company and devotion. Though they could be fairly unsuitable as a pet in families with young children that may handle them too roughly, if you are able to meet their need for gentle care, sensitivity while training them and fulfil their natural running instinct then the Italian Greyhound might be the best dog breed for you.