MyDogBreeds
Italian Greyhound is originated from Italy but Bull Arab is originated from Australia. Italian Greyhound may grow 31 cm / 12 inches shorter than Bull Arab. Italian Greyhound may weigh 43 kg / 94 pounds lesser than Bull Arab. Both Italian Greyhound and Bull Arab has same life span. Italian Greyhound may have less litter size than Bull Arab. Both Italian Greyhound and Bull Arab requires Low maintenance.
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.
In the 1970’s feral pig hunters wanted a dog that could be aggressive in finding and capturing the pigs. The hunters crossed the German Shorthaired Pointer, the Bull Terrier and the Greyhound to develop the Bull Arab. It is believed that the hybrid is at least 50% Bull Terrier. It is also possible that there is some Doberman, Mastiff, Great Dane and/or Pointer in the hybrid as well.
The job of the Bull Arab is to hunt out the feral pigs, grab one by the ear and hold it until the hunter arrives. They have a strong sense of smell and that is how they find the pigs.
Mike Hodgens, an Australian, developed the hybrid and added some Bloodhound as well to get that ability to smell out the pigs at great distances. They are also capable of catching buffalo and cattle. Some Australians use the breed in cattle or buffalo ranching. They are registered with the DRA or Dog Registry of America, Inc.
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.
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.
Mike Hodgens succeeded in developing a powerful, well built dog. The Bull Arab has a powerful head and muzzle. He has moderate length drop ears and bright eyes that match the color of his coat. His chest is neither shallow nor deep and his back is straight and strong. Their tails are tapered and pointed yet the base is thick. They are a double-coated dog. They can be white with black, tan or liver, flecked or bicolor.
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 Bull Arab is intelligent, calm and loyal. Like Pit Bulls in the U.S., the Bull Arab has a reputation for aggression against both people and animals. There is no data to support these claims. They have been used as therapy dogs and companion animals very successfully. They are great with kids and very affectionate. The breed is cited as being used for companion and therapy animals
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
This is a working dog so he needs to eat the right kind of quality dog food. In order to avoid bloat do not feed large meals but rather feed one to two cups of food two to three times a day.
Hunting Accidents – this is the biggest reasons for health problems with the Bull Arab.
These are working dogs that are inactive when not working. They need a lot of exercise if they are not used for hunting. Agility, Tracking and hunting games, and field trials.
This is an extremely healthy hybrid with no inherited issues, but they can possible have the same health issues as any of the parent breeds. This can include accidents while hunting, hip and elbow dysplasia and ear infections.