Looking to buy a miniature Italian greyhound? Want to know what seperates dwarf Italian greyhounds from their larger cousins? Read on for facts & information…
Don’t be surprised if you see a pooch peak out of a celebrity’s purse because it’s probably a mini Italian greyhound. It’s true the mini can fit into your purse but you don’t have to be a celebrity to be carrying one. In fact fashion designers have even come up with designer label bags that are used for carrying the Italian greyhound mini. This miniature dog is no domestic guard dog or a security alarm ringer. It’s more like a show piece or a fashion statement. It’s as delicate as a precious necklace and requires extensive care and affection. Be careful though because getting this little pup over exited can give it a heart attack.
Mini Italian Greyhound Puppies
The normal Italian grey hound weighs in around 8 pounds and more. The mini counterpart can hardly ever come up to eight pounds. It has a coat of small and smooth hair that gives off a radiant shine. The glossy coat must be cleaned and maintained so that it does not lose its beauty. The mini Italian greyhound is found in a wide range of colors such as fawn, mouse, red, blue, cream white and black. Other names for the breed include Piccoli, Italiani and Levrieri.
Egyptian Mini Greyhounds
If we were to trace back the origins of the Italian greyhound mini we find traces of its existence in the ancient tombs of Egypt. The breeding process continued until the Italian greyhound’s mini version was bred to perfection around the time the Romans ruled Italy. The exquisite dog enjoyed a valuable place in the royal court houses especially amongst the women as the ideal lap dog. This dog was nothing more than a living toy for personal amusement. Before this time dogs were used to scare off unwanted people or as guards over property and crops. It was this mini breed of dog that brought the concept of a “pet” dog into action. Ironically where signs first read beware of dog now you have people telling you to be careful because you might harm the Italian greyhound mini!
Miniature Italian Greyhound Breeders
Over the years the Italian greyhound mini managed to find its place in the laps of Mary Queen of Scotts, Anne of Denmark and King Lobengula of the Mata-bele tribe. Even Fredrick the Great as he is known in history could not resist the charms of this little puppy. The dog would accompany his master to bed as well as the battle grounds. The nineteenth century saw the Italian greyhound being miniaturized to grotesque extremes. Europe and Britain were at the forefront of this experiment. The results were very pathetic and often sterile. This particular breed of dog suffered intensely in the days of the two world wars but breeding efforts stepped up in Canada and USA in the post World War era. It was in this era that the shrinking phenomenon of the Italian greyhound was stabilized and people started to adopt the K9 in full flow. Today the dogs are valued by their owners for the facts that they are easy to care for, fuss free to clean and have a timid nature.
