How long does a Italian Greyhound live?

The listed lifespan for a Italian Greyhound is 14–15 years.

How tall is a Italian Greyhound?

The listed height for a Italian Greyhound is 13–15 in.

Is a Italian Greyhound good with children?

The AKC good-with-children score for a Italian Greyhound is 3 out of 5.

When is a Italian Greyhound full grown?

The growth size band for a Italian Greyhound is 8–12 months.

Toy Group

Italian Greyhound

Italian Greyhound is a small dog in the Toy Group. Adult weight is 7–14 lb, height is 13–15 in, and the listed lifespan is 14–15 years. AKC describes the temperament as Alert, Playful, Sensitive.

Last reviewed November 1, 2026.

Italian Greyhound dog — Photo: Presto808 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Lifespan14–15 years

Weight7–14 lb

SizeSmall GroupToy Group

Height

13–15 in

Energy

3 / 5

Shedding

3 / 5

Grooming

1 / 5

Trainability

4 / 5

Good with kids

3 / 5

The breed record

Across 45 single-size small breeds, a lifespan midpoint of 14.5 years is about 0.9 years longer than the 13.6-year average. A midpoint adult weight of 10.5 lb is about 5.5 lb lighter than the 16 lb average for those small breeds.

The listed origin is The Mediterranean basin. The coat is described as smooth, short. The AKC energy score is 3 out of 5, 0.3 points below the group average of 3.3 for the Toy Group. Shedding scores 3 out of 5. Grooming scores 1 out of 5, so home brushing covers most weeks. Trainability scores 4 out of 5, which is a biddable score. Good with children scores 3 out of 5. Good with other dogs scores 5 out of 5. AKC ranked this breed number 53 in 2025.

Adult size is usually reached in 8–12 months (size-band statement (Salt et al. 2017): very small dogs reach maturity at 8-12 months). AKC parent-club recommended health screenings: Patella Evaluation, Ophthalmologist Evaluation, and Thyroid Evaluation. These are screening tests, not a list of diseases the breed is guaranteed to develop.

Frequently asked