Italian Greyhounds are small Sighthounds full of energy and they need good physical and mental exercise to work it off!
Physical exercise
A fit and healthy Italian Greyhound will need a minimum of one walk each day lasting a minimum of one hour. If you can fit in two walks a day then all the better. Exercise is not just about expending physical energy, walking also satisfies many canine psychological needs such as instinct to travel when hunting for food, and sniffing new scents.
A well-socialised and balanced Italian Greyhound loves to play in the great outdoors and meet other dogs. Due to their diminutive build, and the fact that some Italian Greyhounds believe themselves to be great big scary dogs, caution should be exercised with large breed dogs as a playful game of chase could easily lead to a nasty accident if the big dog crashes into the small and delicate frame of an Italian Greyhound at full speed.
Free-running off-lead is essential where it is safe to do so. Don’t let your Italian Greyhound off lead near busy roads or near live stock. And if the ground where you are walking is very rutted or if there are lots of rabbit holes, think very carefully before allowing your Italian Greyhound to run free – these little dogs can run very fast and uneven ground can cause them to lose their footing very easily and lead to injuries including broken legs.
Italian Greyhounds are Sighthounds by nature which means that they have high prey drives and an inclination to chase anything that moves – particularly rabbits and squirrels. Even Italian Greyhounds that are usually responsive to their owner’s recall are unlikely to come back if they are in mid-chase.
Some Italian Greyhounds, particularly if they have not had the best start in life, can be anxious or fearful. If something spooks an Italian Greyhound it could bolt so owners of dogs that are fearful or nervous should take extra care to be aware of anything that might upset their Italian Greyhound.
When exercising your dog, make sure you do so responsibly and make sure that you have full control over your dog at all times.
Canine enrichment
It’s so important that an Italian Greyhound gets appropriate psychological stimulation as well as physical exercise. It may be that a good walk and all the sniffing and visual stimulation is enough for some IGs, but others may need more. That is not to say you should over-stimulate your IG – that can also lead to problems!
There are some fantastic activities that you can do with your IG, whether at home, outdoors, or at a club, that tap into canine instincts from stalking, hunting, sniffing, chasing, or just simple human companionships, etc. Here are just a few ideas:
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