His head is narrow and well-chiselled, with a slender skull, unpronounced stop, and his lips and nose should be of a colour in harmony with his coat. He should have a scissor-bite. His ears are small and delicate, placed high on the head and rose-shaped. His eyes show intelligence and must be very expressive, large, and dark in colour.

His topline is arched and slopes toward the hindquarters. His tail is carried low and curved at the end. His legs should be fine and well-muscled, yet delicate. His feet are small.
His coat is short and thin, with no feathering. Its colour is black, blue, or any shade of fawn. White on the chest and feet is allowed.
His height ranges from 32 to 38 centimetres, and he must not weigh more than 5 kilograms.

Because of his extremely delicate bones and joints, his slender body, the graceful outline of his muscles, his thin muzzle and legs, the Italian Greyhound has a general appearance of elegance and agility, more than any other breed.
He always moves gracefully and can often be seen lying down with his paws crossed. Another position typical of this elegant breed is when he stands up in back, lies down in front and delicately places his head across his paws!

Because of his elegant, graceful stances, he has often been called a “porcelain” dog…
It surprises many that this “statue-like dog”, so silent when indoors, is a gay, lively, and playful companion when outside, with all the qualities so sought-after in a small dog and so easily adaptable to the demands of modern life.

In conclusion:
Although a member of the hound group, the small, Italian Greyhound is a wonderful companion dog, able to adapt himself perfectly to life in the city. He does not need or require wide open-spaces and his true happiness is when he is with his master or mistress. His small weight, less than 5 kilograms, means that he can go everywhere with you (on passenger airplanes, in trains, to hotels, restaurants, etc.). He is a quiet dog, never aggressive, and always friendly with other dogs, whether small or large. His short, glossy coat requires no special attention, and he loves to eat, so there is no special problem with his food (see our advice on this point).