Beneath the elegant looks this is a genuinely fragile dog — thin skin, minimal body fat, and slight bone structure mean Italian Greyhounds can fracture a leg jumping off furniture that wouldn't scratch most breeds, and like other sighthounds they need anesthesia protocols adjusted for low body fat; many breeders won't place a puppy in a home with children under 10 for exactly this reason.
14years, median
1.5 years above the all-dog median of 12.5.
Measured, not estimated: the middle age at death across 584,734 UK dogs, 284,734 of them deceased. Based on 459 dogs of this breed. 95% confidence interval 13.2 to 15.1 years. Half lived longer than this, half did not. UK dogs, so treat it as the best available figure rather than a promise about yours.
In the same study, small breeds as a group had a median of 12.7 years and long-muzzled breeds 12.1. This breed is small and long-muzzled.
McMillan et al. 2024, Scientific Reports 14:531 — open access · CC BY 4.0Health tests to ask the breeder for
Italian Greyhound Club of America sets the tests a Italian Greyhound needs for a CHIC number in the OFA's open database. A CHIC number means the tests were done and the results are public. It does not mean the dog passed them: ask for the results for both parents, or look them up yourself on ofa.org.
- Patellar Luxation (OFA Evaluation, once after 12 months)
- Autoimmune Thyroiditis (OFA Thyroid Evaluation)
- Eye Examination by a boarded ACVO Ophthalmologist (OFA; annually until age 10)
When to spay or neuter: the guidelines split at 45 pounds grown, five to six months under it and after growth is complete over it, and the UC Davis study gives a guideline by breed for 35 breeds. The spay and neuter page has both, and the two weeks after.
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) DNA test (UC Davis VGL)
- Primary Closed Angle Glaucoma (PCAG) DNA test (UC Davis VGL)
- Familial Enamel Hypoplasia DNA test (UC Davis VGL)
- Canine Genetic Diversity test
- Hip Dysplasia (OFA) - listed in the older 2016 statement, dropped from the 2026 list
Test names as the club lists them; checked September 2026. OFA CHIC breed page. How to use this at the breeder: check a breeder.
Adopt a Italian Greyhound near you
Shelters and rescues list Italian Greyhounds and Italian Greyhound mixes on Petfinder. Enter a ZIP code to see who is waiting within 100 miles.
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Living with a Italian Greyhound
Italian Greyhounds are affectionate and want to be close to their people, often burrowing under blankets, but they are not a rough-and-tumble family dog — they're genuinely delicate, dislike cold and wet weather, and often need a coat outdoors in anything but mild conditions. Owners should watch furniture and stairs carefully, since jumping down is a leading cause of the breed's signature leg fractures, and should confirm any vet involved knows sighthound-appropriate anesthesia protocols before a routine procedure.
Health you should know about
- Leg fractures — the breed's thin, lightweight bones make lower-leg fractures unusually common from jumping off furniture or rough play, and it's one of the most frequently reported injuries in the breed.
- Periodontal disease — small-breed dental crowding makes Italian Greyhounds prone to early, significant dental disease without regular home and professional care.
- Anesthesia sensitivity — like other sighthounds, low body fat and different drug-metabolism can make standard anesthesia dosing risky; vets familiar with sighthounds adjust protocols accordingly.
- Progressive retinal atrophy and patellar luxation — inherited eye disease and kneecap displacement are both documented in the breed; by contrast, OFA data lists the Italian Greyhound among the breeds least affected by hip dysplasia.
Read the full Dog Care Guide first — costs, daily time, and everything a dog needs before you choose a breed.
Naming a Italian Greyhound? Italian dog and cat names, 89 of them, with what they mean.
Sources — 4 references
Last reviewed October 2026. 4 sources listed below. Written and maintained by Petdeals.io. General care information, not veterinary advice — for a sick animal, call a vet.