Portuguese Pointer vs Italian Greyhound - 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.

The Portuguese Pointer comes from Portugal where the dog was developed as a gun dog. It is believed that the dog is descended from the Spanish Pointer and developed to point out game.

The dog was was recognized by the United Kennel Club in 1996.

The dog was introduced to England in the 18th century and the modern type of the Portuguese Pointer became established in the early 1900’s when the breed had become endangered. A group of breeders re-established its numbers.

Today it is both working- and companion dog. The UK Kennel Club recognised it as a breed in 2014.

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.

Originating from Portugal, the attractive, almost Boxer-like looking dog is a medium sized purebred dog that stands at between 48 and 60cm in height and weighs roughly 16 to 27kg.

The Portuguese Pointer has a coat that is light brown, tan or yellow. The dog has a short, easy to maintain coat. He has a fairly square face, much like the Boxer, floppy ears with a long tail. The tail is usually docked. The eyes are brown and he a bright, alert, kind expression.

Temperament:

The Portuguese Pointer is a dog with strong hunting instincts, but who still has time to make a splendid companion for his human family. He is gentle and loyal to his human family, being somewhat reserved with strangers. This is a good thing really as this makes him a good watchdog.

He is good with other pets in the home as well as with children. He badly wants to please his family, and because he is intelligent and a fast learner, you won’t have any trouble with training and socialization.

He is a sociable dog, loving to be close to its owner. He is active and will require quite a bit of exercise, loving to join in with games with the children. He gets on well with children in the home as well as with animals.

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 gorgeous Portuguese Pointer makes such a loyal and loving pet. He is always looking out for his human family, making sure that they are safe and protected under his watch.

He is an excellent watch dog too, proudly running around outside and making sure that there are no intruders around. They are good with kids too if the kids are gentle and kind with animals.

He loves a good game too and is always ready to take part in any activities you’re taking part in. The Portuguese Pointer is truly an awesome pet and companion.

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.

Your robust Portuguese Pointer isn’t known to be a dog to suffer with too many breed related health problems. With good care he can reach 14 years of age.Portuguese Pointers are a healthy breed, but some health issues can crop up -

Cancer:

Cancer is a leading cause of death in dogs young and old. Luckily, if caught early, cancer is curable. Some of the cancers found in dogs are malignant lymphoma – a tumor of the lymph nodes.

Skin cancer is also fairly common. The warning signs of cancer in dogs can be a new lump or a wound that won’t heal. While these are classic signs, sometimes there are no signs. If your dog isn’t feeling well, it’s time to get him to the veterinarian.

Liver Disease:

The liver is one of the vital body organs but it is susceptible to a wide variety of problems. It detoxifies the blood, stores vitamins and assists with digestion among other things.

One of the most common symptoms of liver disease is jaundice. When the liver isn’t functioning properly, bilirubin builds up in the blood and leads to the yellowish appearance of the dog.

Other common symptoms of liver disease include vomiting, weight loss and diarrhea. Veterinary attention will be required.

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:

The Portuguese Pointer has been a working dog and doesn’t enjoy lying around with nothing to do. Apart from a walk every day which he loves, he’ll want other activities that stimulate him mentally and physically.

Grooming:

His short coat means that he won’t require any special grooming. He does shed constantly, like many other dogs, and a good brush twice a week will keep his short coat vibrant and shiny.

Diet:

Your canine friend will require protein in his diet as well as all the vitamins ad minerals for health. The very best commercially manufactured dog foods will be required for his health.

The dry kibble can be a wonderful convenient way to feed your pet. The best commercial foods meet the requirements for a dog’s diet. Give him some delicious home made food too. Boiled chicken, brown rice, sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach can be cooked in bulk and then chopped up and small portions mixed into the dry kibble twice a week as a treat.

It provides your pet with an alternative to the dry kibble, it is healthy, easy to digest and your pet will love it. Dogs thrive on simple consistency. Once in a while you can also give him some raw meat. Never leave him without a constant supply of fresh, cool water.