MyDogBreeds
Italian Greyhound is originated from Italy but Dutch Smoushond is originated from Netherlands. Both Italian Greyhound and Dutch Smoushond are having almost same height. Both Italian Greyhound and Dutch Smoushond are having almost same weight. Both Italian Greyhound and Dutch Smoushond has same life span. Both Italian Greyhound and Dutch Smoushond has almost same litter size. Italian Greyhound requires Low maintenance. But Dutch Smoushond requires Moderate 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.
The Dutch Smoushond, known also as the Hollandse Smoushond ,Hollandse Herdershond
or Dutch Ratter is a small to medium sized dog. The Smoushondenclub was formed in 1905 as it was thought that the breed was dying out and they wanted to register the dog as a purebred breed.
It is believed that the dog’s origins may have to do with the Schnauzer breed. It was in 1973 that a number of breeders looked to reconstruct the breed, using Border Terrier crosses.
Today this rare breed is popular in the Netherlands, but not particularly well known anywhere else. In 2001 it was recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale as well as by the United Kennel Club in the United States.
Although the dog was once a skilled ratter, most Dutch Smoushond are kept as companion dogs.
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.
The Dutch Smoushond is a small to medium sized dog breed related to the Schnauzer- and Pinscher breed. He stands at about 35 to 43cm at the withers and weighs about 10kg.
He has a rough, shaggy, wiry coat which is waterproof and which is a yellowish or straw color. You’ll notice that the hair around the face is long and fairly straight and forms a beard, eyebrows, and moustache, giving him wise, know-it-all look.
The forelegs are also feathered. He may well give the impression of being ungroomed and untidy with his different length hair. He has floppy ears, the eyes are small and dark, the nose black and the tail is long and feathery, hanging limply when the dog is relaxed.
Easy going, friendly and social, the Dutch Smoushond is a fairly quiet dog, but because he is intelligent and alert, he makes a good watchdog.
When not guarding you, he is cheerful and entertaining. He is an adaptable dog, being able to settle down to life in the city or in the countryside, getting on well with other pets in the home as well as with children.
He is a dog who wants to please, so training him isn’t going to prove difficult. He’ll do well with this training as well as socialization as he becomes obedient, easy-going and relaxed around strangers.
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 Dutch Smoushond, also known as the Dutchie, Dutch Ratter or Dutch Terrier may once have been used as a vermin hunter, but today this terrier dog shares some of the characteristics of the more popular terriers. He may have been a hunter in his day, but more recently he is used as a reliable companion dog.
He tends to be a bit of a barker, particularly when he isn’t getting attention.
He gets on well with other animals in the home as well as with children, but he will need to be trained and socialized. He is lively, friendly and social and is a dog who becomes devoted to his human family.
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.
These dogs are a healthy breed, but nonetheless there are are some health problems that can crop up occasionally.
Ear- and eye infections and joint problems are always a major concern, even in young dogs. Bad diet, old age and being overweight can all contribute to your dog developing joint pain. Joint pain symptoms can include -
difficulty with sitting or lying down
limping or even holding a leg up off the ground
lethargic to take part in any activities
Take your pet to the vet who will examine your pet and perhaps request x-rays.
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.
The Dutch Smoushond is basically an easy care breed, and it won’t do to try and tame the coat as the dog has a naturally unkempt look.
You can brush him twice a week to keep the coat free of matting and to remove loose hairs. The Dutch Smoushond may require the hair being plucked and a professional groomer can do this.
At the same time, the groomer can remove excess hair from the ears and also clean your dog’s teeth. This is of critical importance as bad teeth can lead to a host of health problems.
Get into the habit of brushing your pet’s teeth 2 or 3 times a week, making use of special pet approved toothbrush and toothpaste.