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FCI-Standard N 200 / 17. 06. 1998 / GB
ITALIAN GREYHOUND
(Piccolo Levriero Italiano)
TRANSLATION : Mrs. Peggy Davis.
ORIGIN : Italy.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 30.03.1992.
UTILIZATION : Racing dog. 
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 10 Sighthounds.
Section 3 Short-haired Sighthounds. Without working trial.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : The little Italian Greyhound descends
from small-sized greyhounds which already existed in ancient Egypt
at the court of the Pharaohs. Passing through Laconie (Greece),
where numerous representations on vases and bowls confirm this, the
breed arrived in Italy at the outset of the 5th century BC. Its
greatest development occured during the era of the Renaissance at
the court of the nobles. It is not rare to find the Italian
Greyhound represented in the paintings of the greatest Italian and
foreign masters.
GENERAL APPEARANCE : Of an elongated shape, its body fits into a
square and its forms recall, in miniature, those of the Greyhound
and the Sloughi. May be considered as a model of grace and
distinction.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : Its length is equal or only just inferior
to the height at the withers. Length of skull is equal to half the
length of the head. Length of head can reach the 40% of the height
at the withers.
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Reserved, affectionate, docile.
HEAD : Of elongated shape and narrow; its length can attain 40%
of the height at the withers.
CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : Flat with the superior axes of the skull and muzzle
parallel. Length of the skull is equal to half the length of the
head. Lower orbital region well chiselled.
Stop : Frontal nasal depression only very slightly marked.
FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Of a dark colour, preferably black, with well opened
nostrils.
Muzzle : Pointed.
Lips : Thin and tight, with edges of lips very darkly pigmented.
Jaws/Teeth : Jaws elongated with well aligned incisors crown
shape, strong in relation to size of dog. Teeth sound and complete,
set square to the jaws; scissor bite.
Cheeks : Lean.
Eyes : Large and expressive, neither deep-set nor protruding.
Iris of dark colour, eyelid rims pigmented.
Ears : Set very high, small, with fine cartilage, folded in
itself and carried well back on the nape and upper part of the neck.
When the dog is attentive, the base of the ear is erected and the
lobe tends to stand out laterally on the horizontal, position
commonly known as flying ears or propeller ears .
NECK :
Profile : Upper line slightly arched and broken at its base
towards the withers.
Length : Equal to that of the head.
Shape : Truncated cone, well muscled.
Skin : Lean and without dewlap.
BODY : Its length is equal or barely inferior to the height at
the withers.
Topline : Straight profile with arched dorsal-lumbar region. The
lumbar curve merging harmoniously in the line of the rump.
Withers : Quite well defined.
Back : Straight, well muscled.
Croup : Very sloping, wide and muscled.
Chest : Narrow, deep, let down to the elbows.
TAIL : Low set, fine even at base, tapering progressively to its
tip. It is carried low and straight in its first half, the 2nd half
curved. Pulled up between the thighs towards the topline, it should
surpass the level of the hip-bone slightly. Covered with short hair.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS : On the whole straight and vertical with lean
muscles.
Shoulder : Very slightly sloping with well developed, lean and
salient muscles.
Upper arm : With a very open scapular-humeral angle, and of a
parallel direction to the median plane of the body.
Elbows : Neither out nor tied-in at elbows.
Forearm : Length of the limb measured from ground to elbow just
slightly longer than the distance from elbow to the withers; very
lightly boned; forearm in perfect vertical position as much from the
front as in profile.
Pastern : In the prolonged vertical line of the forearm; seen in
profile it is a little slanting.
Forefoot : Of almost oval shape, small, with arched and
closely-knit toes. Pads pigmented. Nails black or dark according to
coat colour or that of the foot, where white is tolerated.
HINDQUARTERS : Seen from behind on the whole straight and
parallel.
Upper thigh : Long, lean, not voluminous, with very distinct
muscles.
Second thigh : Very sloping, with fine bone structure and well
apparent groove in leg muscle.
Hock and metatarsal : In prolongation of a vertical line drawn
from the ischial tuber.
Hindfoot : Less oval than the forefoot, with arched and
closely-knit toes; pads and nails pigmented like the forefoot.
GAIT / MOVEMENT : Springy, harmonious, no hackney gaiting
(high-stepping). Gallop fast with sharp spring.
SKIN : Fine and tight on all parts of the body except for the
elbows where it is slightly less tight.
COAT
HAIR : The hair is short and fine all over the body without the
slightest trace of fringes.
COLOUR : Self-coloured in black, grey, slate grey and yellow (in
Italian = Isabella) in all possible shades. White is tolerated only
on the chest and feet.
SIZE AND WEIGHT :
Height at the withers : males and females from 32 to 38 cm
[12.6"-15"].
Weight : Males and females : maximum 5 kg [11 lbs].
FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be
considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should
be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
Continous ambling.
Hackney or highstepping movement.
ELIMINATING FAULTS :
Accentuated convergence or divergence of the facial-cranial
axes.
Nose totally or half depigmented.
Nasal bridge concave or convex.
Overshot or undershot mouth.
Wall eye; total depigmentation of eyelid rims.
Tail carried over the back; anury or short tail, whether
congenital or artificial.
Dewclaws.
Multicoloured coat; white except in chest and feet as mentioned
above.
Size below 32 cm or over 38 cm, as well in males as in females.
N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles
fully descended into the scrotum.
Photo of IG "Gretchen" courtesy of
Barbara
Scanlan. IG drawing courtesy of htocagni.com.
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