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Breed guide · Dogs
He shivers in July. I keep a jumper for him in the car.
Last updated 14 October 2026
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What they brought with them.
Tap a card to see what is going on.
At home
Off the sofa, off the bed, out of your arms, with no thought for the landing.
What's going onTheir front legs have very fine bones, and many leg fractures happen jumping down from furniture or out of someone's arms. Broken legs are a risk from puppyhood to their prime. A ramp and careful carrying prevent a lot of them.
At home
Shivering on the sofa in July, and under any blanket going.
What's going onA thin coat, very little padding and a small body lose heat fast. Under the air conditioning they get cold, so they burrow under blankets and into your lap. A light jumper indoors helps.
At home
Asleep on the sofa one minute, gone after a pigeon the next.
What's going onThey are small, but the chase is full size. A sighthound's chase starts with the eyes, before your voice has registered, and a pigeon or a cat can send them straight across a road. Harness and lead, anywhere that isn't fully fenced.
At home
Thrilled to see the big dogs at the park, and far too small for their games.
What's going onA friendly shove from a much bigger dog can break their leg, and a big dog with a chase of its own may treat them as prey. Small, calm dogs they already know make the best playmates.
At home
Bad breath, dropping food, or chewing on one side.
What's going onA small mouth with crowded teeth traps food. Crowded baby teeth are a risk from puppyhood and early gum disease from the teenage months, so brushing every day is the habit that protects them.
At home
Room to room, all day, one step behind you.
What's going onFor centuries they were bred to live close to their people, often in their laps. They are sensitive too, and a raised voice can send them under the blanket for the evening.
The bit nobody tells you.
Their legs
Built for: A sighthound's chase and a sighthound's speed.
In Dubai: Hard floors, and sofas to jump down from.
Their warmth
Built for: A thin coat on a small body.
In Dubai: Cold air conditioning, all day.
Their company
Built for: A life close to their people, often in a lap.
In Dubai: Dogs many times their size at the park.
The jumping, the shivering and the bolt after a pigeon mostly come from that gap.
You cannot make their bones thicker. You can make their home safer and give that chase somewhere to go, and the ten things below are how.
Your plan is built around their breed: the legs, teeth, knees and eyes an Italian Greyhound is prone to, at every age.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Ten things that make their life better.
Jumping down from furniture is how many of these dogs break a leg.
Every age, most of all puppies and from 7 years
Why
Jumping down from furniture is how many of these dogs break a leg.
What to do
Put a ramp or steps by every sofa and bed they use, and give them a soft, low bed they can walk onto. Carry them with one hand under the chest and one under the back end, and never let a child carry them standing up. An orthopaedic evaluation (a joint and bone exam) is in your plan from age two to four.
Dental disease is a risk for them at every stage of life.
Every age, daily
Why
Dental disease is a risk for them at every stage of life.
What to do
Brush their teeth every day with a dog toothpaste, starting as a puppy. Once a week, give the coat its brush, run your hands down each leg feeling for heat or swelling, and watch for a skip in their back legs on the walk. Dental cleaning is in your plan from six months to four years.
Rough play with a big dog can break their legs, and a big dog with a chase of its own can mistake them for something to catch.
Every age, best started as a puppy
Why
Rough play with a big dog can break their legs, and a big dog with a chase of its own can mistake them for something to catch.
What to do
Skip busy dog parks. Let them play with small, calm dogs they know. Introduce a cat slowly, over weeks, and don't let them chase it.
They slip an ordinary collar easily, and a sudden pull on the neck can hurt them.
Every age, for life
Why
They slip an ordinary collar easily, and a sudden pull on the neck can hurt them.
What to do
Use a fitted harness, and a lead or a light long line anywhere that is not fully fenced. Train the recall every day, and never rely on it near a road.
They overheat outside and chill inside, often on the same day.
Every age, most of all puppies and from 7 years
Why
They overheat outside and chill inside, often on the same day.
What to do
From May to September, walk before sunrise and after dark, and keep them in the shade. Hold the back of your hand on the pavement for five seconds first: if you cannot keep it there, they cannot walk on it. Indoors, a light jumper and a blanket to burrow into.
A chase needs an ending, even in a small dog.
Every age, gentler for puppies and older dogs
Why
A chase needs an ending, even in a small dog.
What to do
Drag a small flirt pole or a toy on a string low along grass or a rug, never on tiles. Two or three minutes, no sharp turns. Let them catch it, and stop while they still want more.
Two shorter walks suit them better than one long one, and they get hot and cold quickly.
Every age, shorter for puppies and older dogs
Why
Two shorter walks suit them better than one long one, and they get hot and cold quickly.
What to do
Two short walks a day, up to an hour in total, with time to sniff, and let them set the pace. For a puppy, five minutes per month of age is plenty. Skip the walk entirely in the heat of the day.
They hunt by watching, and a window is a good afternoon for them.
Every age, most of all from 7 years
Why
They hunt by watching, and a window is a good afternoon for them.
What to do
A window seat they can reach by a ramp, not a jump. On walks, let them stop and look. If they start bumping into things at dusk, tell your vet.
They are sensitive, and pressure makes them hide.
Every age, gentler still as sight and hearing fade
Why
They are sensitive, and pressure makes them hide.
What to do
Reward what you like straight away, and keep sessions short. Leave out raised voices and anything that frightens them. Pick them up calmly, and never by the front legs.
They need a lot of rest, and a flat full of doorbells and deliveries cuts into it.
Every age, most of all puppies and teenagers
Why
They need a lot of rest, and a flat full of doorbells and deliveries cuts into it.
What to do
Give them a quiet, warm spot they can take themselves off to, and let their naps run on. If they are wild in the evening, try more rest before more exercise.
Three of these are in your plan. The rest you can do at home.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Their health, at every age.
How old are they?
Their age
the first six months
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
6 months to 2 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
2 to 4 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
4 to 7 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
7 to 10 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
10 years and over
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Breed predispositions indicate an increased risk rather than certainty of disease. What is right for them always comes from their own history and an evaluation.
Before they come home.
Mini, miniature or Italian Greyhound
People search for a mini or miniature Italian Greyhound, but the breed is itself the miniature: a sighthound bred small to sit beside the nobility of Renaissance Italy. The kennel clubs recognise one breed, usually 3 to 6.5 kg, so ask about the parents' size rather than a label.
Italian Greyhound colours
Italian Greyhounds come in fawn, cream, red, sable, blue, black and white, often with white markings or a patchwork of two colours. A blue Italian Greyhound is the same breed in a soft slate shade.
The first six months
Their full vaccination course, microchip and Dubai Municipality registration come first. Italian Greyhound puppies need walks of about five minutes per month of age, plenty of sleep, and a ramp before the first jump off the sofa. Start brushing their teeth now, while it is still a game.
Puppy health, 0 to 6 months
Getting the home ready
Put ramps or steps by the sofa and the bed, rugs where they run on marble, and a soft, low bed with a blanket to burrow under in the room where you sit.
Ten things that make their life better
Before you commit
Ask the breeder what they know about both parents' eyes, kneecaps and teeth, and whether the eyes have been checked. Progressive Retinal Atrophy, a slipping kneecap and crowded baby teeth are all risks for an Italian Greyhound from puppyhood.
Before the clinics open
AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199. No payment now.
For a new puppy: First 30 days with a new puppy · Puppy vaccinations in the UAE · Heatstroke in dogs
When it is not behaviour.
They'll want the jumper all year. If they jump off the sofa and hold up a leg, contact your vet now.
Before they were yours.
Ancient Rome
Small sighthounds appear in the art of ancient Rome, including in the ruins of Pompeii, although nobody can trace a straight line from those dogs to today's breed.
What they still carryThe shape of a sighthound, made small.
The Renaissance
By the Renaissance they were court dogs in Italy, and then across Europe, painted sitting beside the people who kept them. They were bred to be small, graceful and close at hand.
What they still carryA dog that wants to be held, sits close and follows one person from room to room.
1886
The American Kennel Club recognised the breed in 1886. Breeding for show favoured a fine, light build.
What they still carryVery fine leg bones, which is why broken legs are a known risk.
Today
Here they are family dogs, living in air-conditioned rooms, on hard floors, among much bigger dogs.
What they still carryA full sighthound chase, fine bones and thin skin, in a dog that fits on your lap.
The ones you type at midnight.
If the Italian Greyhound suits you, so might these.
WhippetThe same kind of sighthound, about three times the size, and a little more reserved with strangers.
GreyhoundAnother gentle sighthound with the same short, easy coat, in a much bigger dog built for speed.
HavaneseThe same affectionate, sociable temperament and gentle energy, in a toy dog with a silky coat to brush.
PapillonA similar tiny size and light coat care, in a livelier toy spaniel with butterfly ears and more to say.
