Are Italian Greyhounds hypoallergenic?
So many of us adore dogs but suffer the consequences after getting close to them when we suffer with allergies – myself included.
Before we got our Italian Greyhound, Greg, this question also crossed my mind. Now I’m not the sort of person who would at all be put off if the answer was no, (I would just continue to take my antihistamines and suffer along) but to my glee most sources said that Italian Greyhound’s were in fact hypoallergenic.
Italian Greyhound’s have an extremely shorthaired coat, which is odourless and also they have very minimal shedding. They need very little grooming because of this and maybe only need a bath once in a while if they roll in something nasty.
Now this isn’t to say that your Italian Greyhound will never set off your allergies, but the chance of this happening is much less than many other dog breeds, Italian Greyhounds have been categorised as one of the most hypoallergenic breeds out there.
My personal experience with getting Greg has been positive. When we first brought him home I did get the occasional reaction, little puppies are very wriggly and love to get all over you, especially your face so I wasn’t too surprised when I couldn’t stop sneezing and felt quite itchy. However, as time went on this reaction got less and less to the point now where Greg never makes me have any allergy symptoms. In comparison I still get very strong symptoms from other, more hairy breeds so it’s not that ‘I’m cured’, it’s just down to the fact Italian Greyhounds are fairly hypoallergenic.
If you have very severe allergies yourself to pet hair then I would caution getting any type of dog, but what would be a good idea would be to arrange a meet up with owners of Italian Greyhound’s and see how you get on, give them a good fuss and see how you feel before taking the decision on whether one is suited to you. Always make sure you do plenty of research into whatever breed you are thinking of getting but especially with Italian Greyhounds as they are a very gentle, delicate breed which need special care and attention compared to many other, larger, more robust breeds. Dogs don’t deserve to be swapped from home to home because someone failed to do their research beforehand and especially not an Italian Greyhound with their kind but sensitive souls. In my opinion these little dogs are the best breed out there, but I do appreciate their personalities don’t suit everyone and everyone’s lifestyles, so do your research and then you won’t fail any dog.