Plate 045 · Mediterranean
Italian Greyhound
意大利灵缇
“A Renaissance greyhound in miniature.”
- Origin
- Italy
- Italy (Mediterranean)
- Historical region — not an exact birthplace
- Small greyhound-type dogs appear in Mediterranean art from antiquity; the breed came into its own in Renaissance Italy.
- The point is a reference position for a historical region; it is not an exact birthplace.
- Era
- Ancient Mediterranean type; popular in Renaissance Italy
- Today
- Companion · Toy breed
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
Then → Now
Then · early 19th–mid 19th c.'Italian Greyhounds', an engraving by John Scott (d. 1827) for The Sportsman's Repository (first edition 1820); the exact date of this plate is not established. The scan appears to come from the 1845 Henry G. Bohn issue, whose engraved title page is dated 1831.
John Scott (engraver) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
NowJust chaos · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons
History
01 · Origin
Italy (Mediterranean)
A miniature sighthound whose type is depicted in Mediterranean art since antiquity.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Mainly a companion of nobility, though small sighthounds were also used to chase small game.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
The breed was fashionable at European courts from the Renaissance. The two World Wars brought it close to extinction in Europe; American breeders kept it going and helped restore numbers there, and in Italy it recovered from the 1950s.
04 · Today
Companion · Toy breed
An affectionate, elegant toy companion.
Personality
- Affectionate
- Sensitive
- Playful
- Alert
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: this atlas’s editorial summary on a 1–5 scale, for rough comparison between breeds here — not a measurement or a standardised assessment.
- Size
- Toy
- Lifespan
- 14–15 years
- Coat
- Short, glossy, fine coat
Field note
Italian Greyhounds are true sighthounds in miniature and can reach high speeds over short distances.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Toy Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI (as Italian Sighthound), The Kennel Club (UK)
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC registrations: ranked 53 among breeds in 2025.
Sources2 references
- Italian Greyhound — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/italian-greyhound/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-07 · Registry status and AKC group; AKC recognition 1886 per AKC "Breeds by Year Recognized". Used as a registry reference only.
- Italian Greyhound (encyclopedia overview) — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Greyhound
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-07 · Secondary overview; cross-check claims against primary breed-club sources.
Image credits
John Scott (engraver) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Just chaos · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions. Location note: Small greyhound-type dogs appear in Mediterranean art from antiquity; the breed came into its own in Renaissance Italy.
