There are heaps of Italian Greyhound puppies and older dogs advertised online all over the internet. Go into buying a puppy with your eyes open and in a position to make an informed decision.

This is text from a real advert and it’s typical of what you will see on puppy ads:

“Beautiful fawn & blue fawn pups. We own both parents who we have both previously qualified for Crufts, are from excellent international bloodlines, are outstanding petite examples of the breed and above all are our much loved family pets. Over the years we have produced exceptional pups that have gone on to do well in show and become sensations on social media – if you have been looking at italian greyhounds on social media chances are you will have came across some of our previous pups. These pups are going to be absolutely beautiful.”

Sounds like a great breeder? When we read an advert like this, alarm bells are going off at deafening volume. The breeder who placed this advert has actually registered 95 puppies from 19 litters in just 7 years. In 2021 the breeder registered 5 litters – that’s 5 breeding bitches. No ‘much loved family pets‘ are ever used to breed on this scale.

Let’s de-bunk a few myths in the hope that buyers can look at puppy ads in a new light and make more informed choices …

Parent(s) DNA health tested

DNA health-tested does not guarantee a healthy, well-bred puppy. It may sound responsible and impressive but don’t let it lull you into a false sense of security. There are only three DNA tests for genetically inherited conditions in Italian Greyhounds – just three. There are no DNA health tests for good bone density, inherited epilepsy, other genetically inherited neurological conditions or auto-immune conditions, luxating patellas, etc.

• Primary Closed Angle Glaucoma (PCAG) – a hereditary disease that results from a rapid build-up of pressure in the eye, which causes loss of optic nerve function and retinal ganglion cell loss. The onset of this condition is sudden, painful, and if left untreated will lead to blindness. The average age of dogs at diagnosis is 3.9 years. This test does not cover all types of glaucoma.
• Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) – a genetic disease characterized by progressive photoreceptor degeneration that leads to blindness.
• Familial Enamel Hypoplasia (FEH) – an inherited genetic disorder of tooth enamel that occurs in Italian Greyhounds where the enamel can show as discoloured and/or does not form normally.

Some breeders order DNA test panels for a list of conditions as long as their arm. The results are frankly irrelevant when it comes to Italian Greyhound health. At best DNA health tested means the breeder should know whether or the dog tested is a carrier for any of the three conditions above. Whether they acted appropriately on the test results in terms of mating decisions would be the next thing to check.

DNA health tested does not guarantee good health in Italian Greyhound puppies.

Size

Any advert that mentions small/petite size as a selling point should raise big red flags. While people new to Italian Greyhounds may think the smaller the cuter, no responsible breeder would breed for diminutive size. Italian Greyhounds are already small, fine hounds and good breeders have deliberately bred away from dogs lacking in bone and substance to minimise the risk of leg breaks.

We have seen an alarming escalation in the number of Italian Greyhounds signed over into our care because of broken legs – not just single breaks but also breaks of both front legs. Accidents can happen, but many owners are reporting breaks that occur while a dog is just going about being a regular dog – running on grass, pouncing on a toy, playing with another dog. It is, frankly, heartbreaking. Do not choose a breeder making a point of selling small Italian Greyhounds.

Rare colour

We see breeders advertising rare colours to command more money for a puppy, or to simply make the ad more enticing. It should be a red flag to any buyer. The current claim by unscrupulous puppy dealers is that cream coloured IGs are rare. This is complete nonsense. Ten years ago, a similar claim was that blue IGs were rare. Unethical breeders always find some colour to latch onto to claim as rare to make money.

Beloved pet has had a litter

An IG owner may well have just decided to breed a litter so they can keep a puppy with no bad intentions, but we also see this statement used by commercial breeders who breed for profit in prolific numbers to mislead buyers about their motives for breeding. Never take this statement at face value.

Kennel Club registered with 5 generation pedigree

This is no big deal – it costs £20 (at the time of writing in 2024) to register a dog with the Kennel Club and the breeder simply requests a 3 or 5 generation pedigree with the registration. It’s also possible to look up a pedigree going back many generations free of charge on the Kennel Club website. See Researching pedigrees & kennel names.

Kennel Club endorsements

If a puppy seller offers a KC registered puppy with endorsements at one price and without endorsements at a higher price, it’s almost certain that the breeder is a commercial breeder with profit as their main priority.

An endorsement on a KC registration is effectively a restriction that stops any puppies produced by the endorsed dog to be registered with the Kennel Club. Responsible breeders use it as a way of protecting the puppies they sell from being used by future owners from breeding for profit. As many breeders are selling to owners who they do not yet know very well, it’s not unusual – responsible breeders do not want their puppies to fall into the wrong hands to be used for breeding. A responsible breeder might consider removing an endorsement at a later date once they have built a relationship with the owner.

Crufts qualified relatives

Sadly, it’s very easy to qualify for Crufts. An Italian Greyhound simply has to place 1st, 2nd or 3rd in its class at a Championship Show and it’s not hard to do as show entries are declining and at some shows there won’t be more than 3 IGs in the class so all of them will qualify by just turning up. If a breeder is claiming show success, please contact us and we can verify their claims.

Multiple show champions in the pedigree

Show champions in pedigrees do not guarantee healthy puppies, good breeding, or a good quality Italian Greyhound. We are seeing more and more commerically bred Italian Greyhounds from “international champion” lines, particularly from European imports. We’re also getting reports of genetically inherited diseases in some of the lines that are being used prolifically in commercial breeding.

Commercial & Licensed Breeders

Commercial Breeders are required by law to state their license number and the licensing Local Authority on any website where they are promoting dogs or their business of breeding dogs – that includes on any dog selling sites or on social media. If an advert does not state the licensing status of the breeder, but you have a sense that the breeder may breed a significant number of dogs, walk away. More on Licensed & Commercial Breeders.