Italian Greyhound vs Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog - 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.

Alapaha has a very interesting history. Their origin dates from one family that lived near Alapaha river in Georgia, in the USA 200 years ago. The family rescued dying breed of Plantation Bulldog. They actually had this breed for 80 years and every dog was named Otto. This breed was not just saved, but the family created a perfect guard dog. Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog started to expand and by 1980s they spread through the country.

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.

Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog height is approximately 61 cm, while their weight variates from 34-47kg. Have in mind that females are slightly smaller than males.

A lifespan of Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog is approximately 11-13 years, but it depends from dog to dog, and with proper care, they can live much longer.

Litter Size of this breed depends but average is 4-8 puppies.

Other Names for Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs are Alapaha, Otto, Otto Bulldog.

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.

Alapaha breed is not just beautiful and unique breed, but they are also great family dogs. They are very loyal, but also very protective and sometimes possessive. Alapaha will require a lot of attention. It is very important to train your dog properly from the early age. A steady and firm hand is important so if you are first time owner, consider having this breed twice. You should not punish your dog, or implement any types of old-fashioned way of training. They do not respond well to that. Overall, they are very smart and quick learners. Alapaha needs to be socialized with other animals from the early age. They can be aggressive towards dogs that they don’t know. At first, you can train them around the house with family and friends, and after the puppy receives all the vaccines, you can start with socialization with other dogs. If you are first time owner and you want this beautiful breed, you should advise with more experienced breed owner. They simply have more experience than you and they know and understand the puppies, so you will receive more accurate advice. Have in mind that every dog has its own personality. Overall, if you train your dog properly you will have a happy and healthy dog that will be amazing with other animals and especially family members.

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.

Almost every breed has health issues. That doesn’t mean that your dog will have the same health problems that are typical of the breed. If you choose puppy carefully, from the right breed owners, and if you take them to the regular vet checks with proper diet, most likely that you won’t be having any problems. Alapaha’s usual health problems are hip dysplasia, congenital deafness, entropion- this is an eye related problem, and sometimes they can have skin problems too. Again have in mind that this breed is very healthy and they do not have as many problems as regular bulldogs. The best way to protect yourself from getting a sick dog, you can require tests from the breed owners. If they are reluctant to do that, or they are assuring you that they have healthy dogs, have in mind that something is probably wrong. It is the best to choose a puppy with someone who has more experience with this breed.

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.

Feeding the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog

Feeding of this breed variates on the size of the dog and activity. If your dog is big and very active, you will have to feed it more. Overall, 2-4 cups of high-quality dry food would be enough. It is the best if you divide that into 2 meals per day.

Feeding the puppy

If you have a puppy, it is the best to feed it 3-5 times per day in smaller portions. That is the best way to develop your dog into a healthy and happy adult. In the first year, you should feed your dog this way.

Grooming the breed

Grooming Alapaha dog is very easy actually. They have a short coat, so occasional grooming is all that this breed needs. Of course, you can bath your dog when gets dirty, but not too often. With occasional bath and semi-regular brushing, you will have a perfectly clean dog.