Exercise and Activities

Italian Greyhounds are an energetic breed despite their small stature.  They really do need daily walks to burn off their excess energy and to provide mental stimulation (Midwest IG Rescue, 2012).  Lack of exercise and stimulation can lead to behaviour issues in any dog and IGs are no exception.

In addition to daily walks with a chance to run, there are a number of competition events that Italian Greyhounds are eligible for.  These include: Obedience; Lure Coursing; Racing; Tracking; Agility and; Versatility.

While IGs can be difficult to train and prone to distraction, they can be successful in Obedience trials.  The challenge in training can lead to a highly rewarding outcome when that dog competes successfully.

Italian greyhounds racing (Kenleigh Acres)

An IG participating in lure coursing (Lepus Perm, Reg'd 2012).

Lure Coursing involves a white lure attached to a motorized cable that draws the lure along a course consisting of straight-a ways and corners.  Unlike racing, Lure Coursing is not a timed event.  The dog is judged based on their ability to follow the lure around the course and its enthusiasm, agility and endurance.  Lure Coursing attempts to recreate the prey chase in a controlled environment and requires no real training as the activity is instinctive in sight hounds.

Racing is probably the most well known event for greyhounds but Italian Greyhounds love to race as well.  A lure is used to draw the racing dogs along the track, fastest dog wins.  Whippets and Italian Greyhounds only run amateur races - they compete for titles and ribbons, not money.  Your dog must wear an approved racing blanket and a muzzle and must be able to run without interfering with other racers.  The Large Gazehound Racing Association (LGRA) and the National Oval Track Racing Association (NOTRA)  regulate IG racing.  The LGRA runs straight track races.

Despite being a sight hound, IGs can and do track by scent.  The AKC tracking events are open to Italian Greyhounds and they can succeed in the pass/fail structure of tracking.  The three levels of tracking are Tracking Dog, Tracking Dog Excellent and Variable Surface Tracking.  The difference in the levels involves the age of the scent track, the distance the track runs and the surface the track runs over.  These events are collaborative between the dog and handler, allowing you to compete with your dog.

Agility events are a fun, high speed work out.  They require the dog to follow a set course over, through and around set obstacles.  These obstacles include A-frames, see-saw, tunnels and platforms.  Competing in Agility requires both obedience and athletic ability.  Scoring in agility is points based, with deductions when the set course time is gone over, obstacles are missed or run out of order and other violations.

IG partaking in agility, going over the A-frame (Campbell 2011).

The final performance event is Versatility.  Versatility isn't actually an event in itself, but a rewards program for dogs that compete in multiple venues.  Competing in a single venue for ever increasing titles is one thing, but Versatility rewards competing in more than one venue, such as conformity and Lure coursing.