“THE PURPOSE OR FUNC- TION OF THIS BREED IS FOR CHASING AND HUNT- ING SMALL GAME AND also fulfill the function of a companion.”
cologne or cigarette smoke can make an IG pull away. During a table ex- amination, always keep one hand on the IG. Leaving your hands off then putting them back on the dog without notice can cause them to startle and back away. It is also advisable to have the handler show the judge the bite. The size of an IG is “ideally 13 to 15 inches”. That being said, please do not dismiss the consideration of a well put together and a well moving IG be- cause of it’s size, whether it be taller or smaller. The head of an IG should be nar- row, long and taper to the nose with a slight suggestion of a stop. The length of the head should compliment the size of the IG. It is not unusual for one to see different types of heads. One may seem to look like a houndy head, the other may look like a Toy head. The Toy head will have a broader back skull and wider muzzle. One type is not preferred over the other, just a dif- ferent style. Some judges may have a preference. The lack of underjaw is a problem in the breed. There are many breeders who are diligently working on that issue. The nose should be dark, or in keep- ing with the color of the dog. Lightly
or partially colored nose is a fault. A judge should see the bite as a scis- sors bite. One may find the teeth rough or lacking enamel. This is an issue in the breed, but as far as the standard states, the examination is strictly for checking the scissors bite, not rough teeth. Eyes should be large, dark and slightly rounded. The IG should possess a soft expression. Light eyes are acceptable as long as the eye color is not lighter than the coat color. Extremely light eyes or yellow eyes are a fault. The ears of an IG are small, fine in texture. When relaxed, the ears are thrown back and folded, somewhat similar to the inside of a fortune cookie. This is called “rosed ears”. When the IG is alert, the ears move to right angles to the head. Awards can- not be given to an IG with button ears or pricked ears, as they stand straight up, either one ear or both. As one judges the IG ears, the judge should run their fingers down the ear leather to check for sticky substance, which could be holding down pricked ears and also feel for scaring. Some might have been cut where the ear should crease and taped so they never stand up, thus permanently rosed.
The neck on an Italian Greyhound needs to be elegant, slender and gracefully arched. A ewe-neck is un- desirable. When an IG moves, the neck is upright, more so than a Whip- pet or a Greyhound. Taking into consideration that Italian Greyhouds were used to hunt small game, the brisket, when viewed from the side, should reach the elbow. That way the chest has room for larger than normal lungs. The lungs carry red blood cells to the body for strength and speed. Strong pasterns are a must. They need to be flexible in order to act as shock absorbers while trotting and running. They must possess hare feet with well arched toes, which means the two middle toes are longer than the outside toes. IG’s have a short coat with fine skin. Any color and markings are accept- able except brindle and black and tan as found on a black and tan dog. These are the disqualifying colors. All these characteristics are factors in judging an Italian Greyhound, but above all, please observe and evaluate the three components which are the essence of this breed: Movement, top- line and elegance.
CORRECTION Regarding the Typo in the Havanese J article: The ideal height of an adult Havanese should be between 9" to 10 1 ⁄ 2 " although 8 1 ⁄ 2 " and 11 1 ⁄ 2 " is acceptable.
T op N otch T oys , A ugust 2018 • 65
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