Italian Greyhound vs Cesky Terrier - 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.

Known as the Bohemian Terrier and looking similar to a Scottish Terrier dog, the Cesky Terrier is a dog breed that has been created by Frantisek Horak, in the Czech Republic.

Horak wanted to breed a type of hunting dog, and in 1949, using both the Scottish Terrier ad the Sealyham Terrier, he bred the two, creating a new breed that would hopefully be a stronger hunting dog.

The Cesky Terrier was shown for the first time in 1959 and was recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale in 1963 and in 1993 by the United Kennel Club. It’s a rare dog this, and is the national dog of the Czech Republic.

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 Cesky Terrer is a longish dog, much like the Scottie and he also has short legs. He is roughly 29ck in height at the withers, is about 43cm in length and weighs anything from 5 to 10kg.

The coat of this dog is long, silky and quite wavy and can be in a number of different shades of gray or a light brown color. Puppies are born black. The soft coat can be kept groomed by clippers or you can take him to have his coat professionally trimmed.

This dog breed has natural drop ears, unlike the Scottie which has erect ears. The tail length is 18-20 cm and low set.

Temperament:

A loyal, quiet and loving family dog, the Cesky Terrier will get on well with children in the home and he is also friendly with other dogs. Just like with any other dog, it will be important to socialize the dog breed at an early age as then he becomes obedient, smart and relaxed. He is a breed which is also easy to train. He also makes a good watchdog.

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 Cesky Terrier isn’t a small-dog yapper and he will adapt to life in the city or the country. He is a small dog, but he is feisty and sporty and will willingly join you with your jogging or when you go on a walk.

He is intelligent and playful and when you add in characteristics such as being courageous, loving, loyal and feisty, you can see that the Cesky Terrier is guaranteed to make a super family pet.

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 Cesky Terrier is generally a healthy dog, but this breed sometimes suffers from common dog ailments that other breeds also have to contend with.

Eye disorders, ear infections, pancreatitis, hip dysplasia and weight gain are just some health issues you might need to be aware of.

Remember that if you want to promote a healthier dog, feeding him a quality diet and taking him immediately to the vet when you suspect a problem can keep him free from common dog illnesses.

Pancreatitis for instances develops when the pancreas becomes inflamed, and this can be brought on by allowing your pet to become obese. There are other reasons for pancreatitis too such as infection. You will see diarrhea, fever and vomiting with your pet as well as discomfort from abdominal pain. It’s a disease which affects smaller dogs more often than larger breeds.

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.

Exercise:

Cesky Terriers may well be a little bit less active and quieter than other terriers, but they will still need a good dose of exercise. He loves to dig, and if he is bored and doesn’t have a plenty of exercise and games, he will want to dig more and cause the owner a lot of frustration. Take him for daily walks and give him some ball games in the garden.

Grooming:

Cesky Terriers will need brushing down at least twice a week and their coats will need to be trimmed into shape every 8 to 10 weeks or so. You’ll also need to check excess hair inside the ears.

As with any dog breed, you will need to check on his nails so that they don’t grow too long and also brush his teeth 2 or 3 times a week to avoid dental disease.