Man in the Mirror
Contributed by Alina Lilova
Summer is great for the elderly pooch, especially with a light T-shirt on for sun protection
But winter feels just miserable... Can't we breed iggies who are more heat-efficient?
I believe that the best, fastest way to change the status quo is if everybody who has a favourite breed could try to identify, honestly, both the positive and the negative welfare aspects of this breed—and accept the possibility that its appearance may have to change in the future. Confronting ourselves in this manner may be hard, but one day our dogs will be thankful that we did it. Just like our choices as farmers or consumers affect the lives of billions of sentient farm animals, our choices as breeders or members of the dog-buying public matter greatly to the world’s dogs.
With this belief, I will start with myself. I adore sighthounds – especially the smallest among them, the Italian greyhounds. My computer and drawers are full of “iggy” and greyhound pictures: photographs, old paintings, calendars. For 13 years, I owned a wonderful male Italian greyhound called Ernesto, or “Nesto.” Fortunately, despite the rarity of these dogs and the inbreeding atrocities visible in Nesto’s pedigree just four generations back, he didn’t suffer from the ailments commonly listed in breed descriptions – such as Progressive Retinal Atrophy or von Willebrand Disease. He did have epilepsy, though (and a family history of epilepsy), but he was lucky to be relatively unaffected by it, as it occurred only a few times in his life – which is not the case with all epileptic dogs.
However, Nesto had to endure a few “minor” sources of discomfort that are extremely common in the breed yet apparently not a concern to breeders, unlike retinal atrophy, for example. Dogs love to chew on hard objects, but Nesto’s ability to chew bones, carrots and toys gradually diminished due to his severe gum disease. By the end of his life, his jaw bone had so disintegrated that he had developed an oronasal fistula – a little hole between the mouth and the nose that lets the saliva get into the dog’s nostril, so he would constantly sniffle. Other toy breeds – but also the large greyhound types – often suffer from bad gums, too. That’s why many believe that in such dogs, periodontal disease is aided by the relatively large and crowded teeth and by the tight cheeks and insufficient saliva. In other words – it’s quite possible that the problem might be alleviated through selective breeding, by allowing the dog’s muzzle to become more powerful.
Italian greyhounds are also very sensitive to the cold and wet, with their sparse body fat and short fur lacking undercoat. Unless they live in a very hot climate, they need to sleep in their owner’s bed or in a special ‘snuggle bed’ at night. They will use every opportunity to squeeze between cushions and lie on top of the biggest, softest pillow in view – and their antics are awfully cute to watch. They’ll be fine as long as they have access to similar luxuries and, above all, a warm coat and possibly boots in the winter. Just watch this videoclip of an iggy who’s learnt some great acrobatics to minimise the amount of time his feet spend on the snow. Nesto could only do the three-legger thing, but this guy’s a champion!
Fonzi the Italian Greyhound on YouTube
Unfortunately, the problem exacerbates in old age, when the body becomes less energy-efficient. The dog enjoys his walks less and less and may grow more vulnerable to disease. The solution may be some sort of full-body suit or, more likely, short to nonexistent winter walks. It was obvious that my elderly dog’s welfare was thus compromised in the name of breed fashion.
I have read articles in two different magazines which assured the reader that when Italian greyhounds tremble, it has nothing to do with being cold. The trembling is instead attributed to their nervous excitability. I would ask the breed experts to show me some evidence for that. As Nesto didn’t tremble on hot summer days, it’s logical to assume that when he did shiver on cooler days, he was indeed trying to adjust to the weather. Overwhelming emotion could be the clue to the “mystery” in some cases, but clearly not in all. So why not breed for a coat that’s a little bit thicker? I’m not talking about a long-haired version, for the very long and dense coats can be as uncomfortable as the very short and fine. But an iggy could do with some undercoat, which would also provide sun protection on the beach – canine skin can’t get darker like human skin, and Italian greyhounds are prone to sunburns and various types of solar-induced moles and blemishes.
Other aspects of the breed’s current look that score low on the welfare scale include fine bones predisposed to breaking and the danger of dwarfism if small size is obsessively pursued (which can cause eye problems among others).
There is a silver lining, of course. The breed’s cleanliness and modest proportions make it an ideal dog for tiny flats in high-rise buildings. The dog is small enough to be exercised in a room if the weather outside prohibits a walk. Airlines may not require you to fly your pet in the cargo compartment, which means less stress for him and less danger from overheating. He’s easy to carry on public transportation, which in some cases might ensure better access to vets or parks. The dog’s sight and hearing are unobstructed, and most canine communication abilities are not impaired due to some inherent flaw in the ears, tail, posture or face (although the short coat means iggies can’t raise hackles as efficiently). His square, light-weight body frame translates into the healthiest hips of all breeds ranked by the USA’s Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. His superb speed allows him to escape from dogs who are threatening him (though in my opinion the extreme attention to speed, when it negatively affects important body features, is unwarranted). Last but not least, the dog is trainable but no workaholic, very affectionate with his humans while reserved with strangers, and not prone to fighting and jealousy: these characteristics appeal to people and mean that the breed’s temperament, as it is, makes it a very good pet.
I hope that Italian greyhound enthusiasts will hold on to that silver lining but not use it as an excuse for the cloud. As long as people do selective breeding and ‘mess with nature’, they have a duty to put animal welfare first. For a start, they could begin by expanding the gene pool of the breed. With so few of the dogs around, how idiotic is it that iggies from English-speaking countries (who come in all colours) are kept apart from the iggies in FCI-member countries (who are banned by Italy from sporting any coat colour other than fawn and grey)! Once we move beyond issues of tradition and fashion, we can give these animals a better chance to live life to the fullest, and to make their owners happy.
Unless the winds of change blow strong in the world of dog breeding, I wouldn’t purchase another Italian greyhound puppy, or any other purebred puppy. I would much rather adopt a needy dog. No one would ever replace Ernesto anyway – and I have to live up to my philosophy as animal lover. I owe as much to him who taught me the joys and responsibilities of living with a dog.
Tags: dog welfare, pedigree dogs