Samoyed vs Italian Greyhound - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

Samoyed vs Italian Greyhound - Breed ComparisonItalian Greyhound is originated from Italy but Samoyed is originated from Russia. Italian Greyhound may grow 22 cm / 8 inches shorter than Samoyed. Italian Greyhound may weigh 23 kg / 50 pounds lesser than Samoyed. Both Italian Greyhound and Samoyed has almost same life span. Italian Greyhound may have less litter size than Samoyed. Italian Greyhound requires Low Maintenance. But Samoyed requires Moderate Maintenance

Basic Information

Group:
Toy dog
Working dog
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Italy
Russia
Height Male:
33 - 38 cm
12 - 15 inches
48 - 60 cm
18 - 24 inches
Height Female:
33 - 38 cm
12 - 15 inches
48 - 60 cm
18 - 24 inches
Weight Male:
3 - 7 kg
6 - 16 pounds
16 - 30 kg
35 - 67 pounds
Weight Female:
3 - 7 kg
6 - 16 pounds
16 - 30 kg
35 - 67 pounds
Life Span:
12 - 15 Years
12 - 14 Years
Litter Size:
1 - 4
4 - 8
Size:
Small
Large
Other Names:
IG, Iggy
Sammy, Bjelkier, Smiley
Colors Available:
grey, tan, Fawn, chocolate and black., reddish
White
Coat:
Short and smooth
Medium length, thick
Shedding:
Minimal
Moderate
Temperament:
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Curious, Docile, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Quiet, Responsive, Social, Stubborn, Sweet, Territorial
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Docile, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Quiet, Responsive, Social, Stubborn, Territorial
Grooming:
Low Maintenance
Moderate Maintenance
Trainability:
Easy
Easy
Hypoallergenic:
No
Yes
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
Yes
Yes

History

italian greyhoundThe 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.

samoyedThe Samoyed is a large breed of dog; a spitz-type dog, with a thick, double-layer coat. The dog was used to help with herding and to also haul sledges for the Siberian Samoyede people.

The Samoyed has been used in polar expeditions, including Sir Ernest Shackleton's journey to the Antarctic. They’ve put up with a lot of hardships on these journeys and some of them have lost their lives on these expeditions.

The first standard for the breed was adopted in England in 1909, and in 1923 the original Samoyed Club of America was established.

Description

italian greyhound puppy - descriptionThe 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.

samoyed puppy - descriptionThe Samoyed is a large herding dog standing at between 48 to 60cm in height and weighing 16 – 30kg. He has a thick, double layer coat that is silvery white.

The top layer is fairly long and coarse. The dog sheds heavily once or twice a year, but the dog is described as being hypoallergenic.

The ears of the dog are typical spitz-like – erect. The eyes of the dog are almond in shape and while they are usually brown, they can sometimes be blue too. The tail is long and curls over the dog’s back. When these dogs sleep in the snow, you might notice the tail is folded so that it covers the dog’s nose.

Temperament:

The Samoyed is a friendly dog, to such an extent that you wouldn’t call him a good watchdog. They’re friendly dogs with happy expressions on their faces. They make great family pets and will get on well with children as well as other dogs in the home.

Like all dogs, the Samoyed will need early training and socialization to make him obedient and well rounded. He is intelligent and can easily learn a few basic commands.

Characteristics

italian greyhound dog - characteristicsIf 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.

samoyed dog - characteristicsThe Samoyed is a gentle, easy going dog that gets on well with everyone, loving children and being prepared to be friendly towards other dogs too.

His friendliness makes it that he doesn’t make a good watchdog. He is intelligent and can be trained to obey basic commands.

He loves plenty of exercise, after all he has always been a working dog. Apart from the coat which will require quite a bit of upkeep, the Samoyed is prepared to come into your home and make you a splendid pet and companion.

Health Problems

italian greyhound puppies - health problemsYour 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.

Some of the common canine diseases your Samoyed can succumb to -

Diabetes:

samoyed puppies - health problemsDogs can get diabetes just like people can. Diabetes is becoming more common in dogs as people try and feed their dogs ‘treats’ such as chocolates, biscuits and ice-cream.

Fortunately diabetes is manageable. Certainly, if you discover signs of diabetes in your pet, get him to the vet. The typical symptoms of diabetes in dogs are increased urination, increased thirst and weight loss. Cataracts and blindness can also occur.

Glaucoma: 

Glaucoma is when there is increased pressure in the eye. It can be hereditary or secondary where there is decreased fluid in the eye because of other eye diseases. Symptoms include pain and even vision loss. It can be treated surgically or with eye drops.

Hip Dysplasia:

This is an inherited condition in dogs where the thighbone doesn't fit properly into the hip joint. Some dogs will even have lameness in both rear legs. The vet will want x-rays to diagnose hip dysplasia. Unfortunately arthritis can also develop.

Caring The Pet

Grooming:

italian greyhound dogs - caringThe 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.

Grooming:

samoyed dogs - caringThe coat of the dog is super thick and in the Spring, the dog sheds a lot. Samoyed dog owners will need to be regular with their brushing routine with these dogs as the coat can easily tangle. Some people just prefer to get their Samoyed to a professional groomer.

Exercise:

This is a working dog, used to working hard in all kinds of conditions. He doesn’t take kindly to being bored with nothing to do and he howls and barks till you take him on a walk. He requires regular exercise such as hiking, ball games, running and swimming. It is why this dog isn’t suited to life on a small property in the city. He requires a large garden or farm and lots of exercise.

Diet:

If you want your Samoyed to be healthy so that you’re not constantly at the vet, provide him with top quality food. It is always useful and convenient having commercially manufactured food but you want to vary the diet just a bit by providing some homemade food too.

If you boil chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots in a pot you can chop it all up and freeze it and feed portions twice a week to your dog. Warmed up it can be added to his dry kibble and be a wonderful tasty treat for him. Every now and then you can also include some raw meat which can be beneficial for his skin. Ensure there is always a bowl of fresh, cool water within his reach.

Comparison with other breeds

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  34. Samoyed vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
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  38. Samoyed vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  39. Samoyed vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  40. Samoyed vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  41. Samoyed vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  42. Samoyed vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  43. Samoyed vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  44. Samoyed vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  45. Samoyed vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  46. Samoyed vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  47. Samoyed vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  48. Samoyed vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  49. Samoyed vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  50. Samoyed vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison