Standard of
piccolo levriero italiano

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY

The Italian Greyhound descends from small-size 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 5^th century B.C:. Its greatest development occurred in the era of the Renaissance at the court of the nobles. It is not rare to find the Italian Greyhounds 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 form recalls, 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 of only just inferior to the height at the withers. Length of head can reach 40% of the height at the withers.

BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPERAMENT

Reserved, affectionate, docile.

HEAD

Of elongated shape and narrow, its length can attain 40% of the height at the withers.

SKULL REGION

Flat skull with the superior axes of the skull and muzzle parallel. Length of 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, whitewalled opened nostrils.

Muzzle

Pointed, with edges of lips very darkly pigmented; lips thin and tight.

Jaw

Elongated with well aligned incisors crown shape, strong in relation to size of dog.

Cheeks

Lean.

Teeth

Sound and complete, set square to the jaws; scissor bite.

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 (rose ears). 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 "flaying ears" or "propeller ears".

NECK

Profile

Upper line slightly arched and broken at the base towards the withers.

Length

Equal to that of the head.

Shape

Truncated cone, well muscled.

Skin

Lean, fine 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.

Rump

Very sloping, wide and muscled.

Chest

Narrow, deep, let down to the elbows.

Tail

Low set, fine even at base, tapering prooressively to its tip. Is carried low and straight in its first halth, the 2^nd half curved. Pulled up between the tighs towards the topline, it should surpass the level of the hip-bone slightly.

QUARTERS

FOREQUARTERS

Straight limbs with lean muscles.

Shoulder

Very slightly sloping with well developed, clear and salient muscle.

Upperarm

With a very open scapular-humeral angle, and parallel to the median plan of the body.

Elbows

Neither out or tied-in elbows.

Forearm

Length of the limb measured from ground to elbow just slightly longer than distance from elbow to the withers; very lightly boned, forearm in perfect vertical position from front and 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 and that of the foot where white is tolerated.

HINDQUARTERS

Seen from behind straight and parallel.

Upper thigh

Long, lean, not voluminous, with very distinct muscles.

Second thigh

Very sloping, with fine bone structure and apparent groove in leg muscle.

Hock and metatarsal

In prolongation of a vertical line drawn from the ischial tuber.

Foot

Less oval than the forefoot, with arched and closely-knit toes; pads and nail pigmented like the forefoot.

GAIT AND 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

Texture

The hair is short and fine all over the body without the slightest trace of fringes.

Colour of coat

Self-coloured in black, grey, slate grey, slate and yellow in all possible shades. White is tolerated only on the chest and feet.

SIZE AND WEIGHT

Height at the withers

Males an females from 32 to 38 cm.

Weigh

Males and females: maximum 5 kg.

FAULTS

Any departure from the foregoing points constitutes a fault which when judging must be penalised according to seriousness and extension. These clauses apply equally to those subjects who continuously amble and to those with hackney or high-stepping gait.

ELIMINATING FAULTS

Accentuated convergence or divergence of the facial-cranial axes, nose totally or half depigmented, concave or convex muzzle, dewclaws, tail carried over the back, multicoloured coat, white except on chest and feet as mentioned above. Size below 32 cm. or over 38 cm. in males and females.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS

Overshot or undershot mouth, wall eye, total depigmentation of eyelid rims. Absence of tail whether congenital or articial.

Note

Males should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.