Smalandsstovare vs Italian Greyhound - Breed Comparison

The Italian Greyhound is an ancient breed, a purebred originating in Italy but with evidence to suggest it was also to be found in Turkey and Greece.

It's a small breed dog that became popular with Italian royalty in the 16th century. Over the centuries, the dog's appearance has remain unchanged, although breeders tried to make it even smaller, leading to problems with the health of the dog.

Towards the end of the 1800s, it was fortunate that breed fanciers implemented breeding programs to restore the dog's look's and strength. The American Kennel Club registered the Italian Greyhound in 1886. Today the dog is a wonderful companion dog.

The Smålandsstövare has got quite a long history and dates back to the 1600s. He is the smallest of the Swedish hound breeds. This is a scenthound.

Hounds similar to the Smålandsstövare were bred with European hounds and then brought to Småland and bred with local spitz-type farm dogs to create the foundation stock for the Smålandsstövare.

The dog was used to hunt but nearly died out in the 20th century, but breeders restored it and the first official standard emerged by the Swedish Kennel Club in 1921.

The Smålandsstövare is a rare dog breed but it is recognized by the American Rare Breed Association as well as other major kennel clubs, one of which is the Federation Cynologique Internationale as well as the United Kennel Club.

The sweet Italian Greyhound is much like the regular Greyhound, just smaller but every bit as sleek, elegant and fine-boned. He stands at between 33 and 38cm at the withers and weighs just 3 to 7kg. He is slender and elegant.

He has long, fine-boned legs and his short, smooth coat makes him easy to groom too. The coat comes in a number of colors such as fawn, tan, grey, reddish, chocolate and black.

Temperament.

Described as sweet, intelligent and playful, the Italian Greyhound adapts easily to life in the city or to country life.

He is easy to train too, and even though he is small and amicable, it is still a good idea to have him trained and socialized as he is just a simple pleasure to have around then. He just loves the company of his human family and becomes a gentle friend to other dogs, to children in the home and to the elderly.

He is a frail toy dog, and he needs to be constantly watched over that he isn’t handled roughly by disrespectful children or from bigger pets. He is an active breed and will love to be played with and join you on your walks. Even though he is such a frail, fragile looking dog, he has a feisty, stubborn, defiant side to him and that is why training and socialization becomes important. He will be reserved around strangers.

The Smålandsstövare is a muscled, compact looking dog. The double coat is shortish to medium length and is thick and quite coarse to the touch. He sheds seasonally. The coat is usually black with tan markings.

The high set ears are medium length and floppy, the head is slim and the tail can be naturally short. Sometimes the tail is long and can be slightly curved in the spitz-like sabre fashion.

The eyes are brown and friendly. The height of these dogs is about 46 to 54cm and he weighs anything from 15 to 18kg.

Temperament:

Usually a well behaved, quiet, calm, gentle dog, the Smålandsstövare takes his role as guard dog seriously, wanting to protect his family.

His good temperament ensures he gets on well with all members of the family. He is full of energy and will need to be exercised well, whether it be ball games in the garden, a walk around the block, a run in the park or joining his family on hikes and camping trips.

It is why he won’t settle down well on a small property in the city. He needs larger premises to expend his energy, and if in cramped premises without exercise, he may resort to barking and whining and this may well drive your neighbors bats.

Training and socializing your Smålandsstövare will be necessary and it should be easy as he is intelligent.

If you’re looking for a sweet, gentle canine friend, the Italian Greyhound promises to be just that. They just crave human companionship and are eager to please.

He isn’t the ideal playmate for children, simply because he is frail and can get hurt easily in rough play.

Small he may be, but he is intelligent and alert, and he will bark to warn you of strangers. They are essentially indoor dogs, and when you bring one of them into your home, you’ll be rewarded with a devoted, loving and loyal canine friend.

The Smålandsstövare is a robust dog with a lot of stamina. He will be wanting a lot of exercise and is ideal as a pet in the suburbs or the countryside but not ideal for city living.

He makes a wonderful family pet, forming strong bonds with his owners. He makes an excellent watchdog too wanting to protect his family, and with this amicable, calm dog, you’re going to have a true friend.

Your small Italian Greyhound isn’t a sickly dog breed, and in fact, with the right care, he can live to be between 10 to 14 years of age.

As with any dog breed however, there will be some more common conditions to watch for in the Italian Greyhound. Some of these are epilepsy, hyperthyroidism and periodontal disease.

Epilepsy:

There are different types and causes of seizures, and there are actually no definitive tests for epilepsy. One seizure isn’t enough to make a diagnosis and more than one seizure is usually recorded before a diagnosis can be made and treatment prescribed.

These treatments don’t cure Epilepsy but rather control the symptoms and keep the dog seizure-free so that they can have a normal life.

Seizures are not all the same – some are life-threatening and advice from the internet can’t be looked upon as adequate. With a dangerous disease such as epilepsy, excellent and qualified veterinary help will be required.

Periodontal Disease:

Gum disease can be terrible for your pet. Apart from bone loss and loss of teeth, your pet will experience pain. Periodontal disease may well be common in dogs, but it can be prevented.

Once an animal has eaten food, particles of food, saliva and bacteria form plaque over the teeth and this doesn’t only cause damage to the teeth but to the entire immune system.

This disease can cause inflamed gums and loss of teeth. It is important to brush your pet’s teeth with special canine toothbrush and toothpaste.

The truth is, periodontal disease can cause more problems than just tooth pain which is bad enough. Dogs with gum inflammation may be at higher risk for heart- and kidney disease too. If you’re worried about your dog, take him in to your vet for an oral examination and teeth cleaning.

The Smålandsstövare is a rare dog breed and not much is known about congenital conditions to which he may be particularly prone.

With good care he can reach 14 or 15 years of age. The floppy ears put him at risk for ear infections, while other conditions to watch for include hip dysplasia, cancer, bloat and obesity.

Ear Infections:

If you see your dog shaking his head or pawing at his ears, look inside because the ears may be red and inflamed. It is important to get help quickly for ear problems in dogs.

Ear canals are sensitive so if you don’t want to clean the ear and work on it yourself it is important to get your pet to the vet. The vet will clean your dog’s ears and also prescribe antibiotics.

For future treatment, you will need to clean your dog’s ears and keep them dry. If you don’t want to do this yourself, make sure to get him to professional groomers who will do this for you.

Grooming:

The Italian Greyhound has a short, smooth, satin-type coat which is easy to maintain. Gently brush him once or twice a week, being careful not to press down hard as he has frail, bambi-like legs.

He also sheds little, making him a low maintenance breed. Because of the short coat, take particular care of him in the Winter and don’t allow him to become overly cold.

Diet:

Your Italian Greyhound will require a diet rich in nutritional value, and if your particular dog is quite active you will need to feed him about 450 calories a day and sometimes more.

Each dog is an individual and will have different dietary needs. If you feed your pet a top quality commercially manufactured food, read the packaging for guidance on food portion sizes.

Speak to your vet if you are unsure how to feed your dog so that his food and the amounts you feed him contribute to his good health. He must always have access to fresh, cool water.

Choosing a good diet is imperative for the Smålandsstövare. Choose a commercially manufactured dog food high in vitamins and minerals.

Give your dog a treat by providing him with some home-made food. It can be added into the dry kibble about twice a week as a treat. Boil brown rice and chicken in a pot and add in sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach. Chop all this up and give it to your dog in small portions. Also try to include some raw meat into the diet.

Never leave your pet without a constant source of fresh, cool water.

Exercise:

The Smålandsstövare is a very energetic breed and he is going to require some vigorous exercise every day. Take him for walks, allow him to run with you when you cycle or jog or take him swimming.