Italian Greyhound is originated from Italy but Tenterfield Terrier is originated from Australia. Italian Greyhound may grow 7 cm / 3 inches higher than Tenterfield Terrier. Italian Greyhound may weigh 23 kg / 50 pounds lesser than Tenterfield Terrier. Both Italian Greyhound and Tenterfield Terrier has almost same life span. Both Italian Greyhound and Tenterfield Terrier has almost same litter size. Both Italian Greyhound and Tenterfield Terrier requires Low 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 ancestors of the Tenterfield Terrier came to Australia with the British and from them came this Australian breed. The English terriers were bred to be ratters on the ships to Australia. Today’s breed is a hardy, strong, athletic and agile dog. These first dogs were miniature Fox Terriers, bred for ratting. The miniature Fox Terrier was an established breed in the late 19th century in Australia with families and was know as a Mini Foxie. The breed became a steady presence in homes by the 1920’s.
The breed might not have been named after the area of Tenterfield as many have guessed. Instead they may have been named after a breeder. The owner of the Tenterfield saddlery was called Tenterfield Saddler and he owned several of the breed. In 1990, Don Burke, a television personality suggested the breed be named the Tenterfield Terrier.
The Miniature Fox Terrier Club of South Australia. Now there were several clubs in Australia and a lot of disagreement about exactly what type of dog a miniature fox terrier was. Some did not think the name was legitimate, but they wanted recognition from the Australian National Kennel Club (ANKC). So, they became the Tenterfield Terrier Club of Australia in 1993. They were recognized by 2002.
Today the breed standard for the Tenterfield Terrier is different from the one for the Miniature Fox Terrier. They are now entirely separate breeds. In addition to the ANKC, the breed is recognized by the New Zealand Kennel Club but not by the AKC. It is also recognized by the American Pet Registry, Inc, the American Canine Registry and the Dog Registry of America, Inc.
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 Tenterfield Terrier is square and compact. He has a head shaped like a wedge and unusual in the terrier group. They have pricked ears and are predominantly white mixed with tan or black. They could also be tri-colored in black/tan and white or tan/liver and white. They have naturally occurring bob tails or docked tails. The nose is usually black unless the dog is liver colored, they have liver noses. The jaws are strong, and lips are tight with a strong neck.
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.
3.Adaptability – they need space even though they are small. They need a lot of exercise. They can adapt if they get another exercise. They can live in apartments and can play indoors as well as out.
4.Learning ability – They are extremely intelligent, but they can be stubborn like all terriers.
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.
They are small in stature and because of their face they seem to have dental issues. The breed does not have a lot of health issues but deals with the same issues as many small terriers. Not all members of the breed are susceptible to these, but some are just like the Australian Terrier.
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.
1.Feeding the puppy – Don’t overfeed but do feed high quality puppy food for small breeds and terriers.
2.Feeding the adult – This is an active breed but don’t overfeed. Feed a high quality adult dog food for terriers or small breeds. Feed 2 times a day.
4. Games and Exercises – The breed has a high energy level and needs a lot of exercise. He is a terrier and loves to “go to ground”. Play activities that allow him to do that are best. He plays barn hunt, lure coursing and terrier specific competitions.