Male or female Italian Greyhound? Does it really matter?

Very often people who are planning to get an Italian Greyhound ask us the same question: “Which is better - boy or girl?”

So, based on our experience, let’s look at some of the most common situations and break a few stereotypes and myths.

Situation 1: “We want a girl because we need a small dog. We plan to travel a lot and want our dog to fit comfortably in the airplane cabin.”

Our answer: Sex is not the main factor here.

According to the Italian Greyhound breed standard, the height is the same for males and females. There can be quite large females and really small males.

So if size is important for your lifestyle, don’t choose by sex. Choose the right puppy.

An experienced breeder who knows their lines and watches the puppies grow should be able to help you choose a puppy that is more likely to stay within the size you need.

Situation 2: “We want a girl because a male will mark inside the house.”

Our answer: Females can mark too!

It can happen especially during heat, or with very dominant or jealous females.

House training is not something that automatically comes with one sex or another. Any puppy needs to be educated from the very beginning.

We have many male graduates from our kennel who are perfectly house-trained and only go to the toilet outside. And here I always give huge respect to their owners, because they put time, patience and consistency into teaching them.

So getting a female is not a guarantee against marking, just as getting a male does not mean that your house will be marked.

Situation 3: “We want a boy because we don’t want to deal with heat cycles.”

Our answer: This is actually a reasonable argument.

But it is worth remembering that a female normally comes into heat around twice a year, and Italian Greyhounds are generally very clean dogs. In most cases, it doesn’t create any problems at home.

And nowadays there are so many cute dog panties available that for people who already enjoy dressing their Italian Greyhounds, it may simply become one more item in the wardrobe 😆

Situation 4: “We don’t want a boy because male Italian Greyhounds pee on their chest and front legs.”

Our answer: Yes, this can actually happen with males of any breed because of their anatomy, and with some dogs it happens more often than with others, and some boys never do it.

If it is usually enough to wash a female’s paws after a walk, with a male you may sometimes need to wash his belly as well. And during the colder months, owners of males usually need to wash their dogs’ clothes more often and tend to have more spare outfits to change into.

Situation 5: “We want a girl/boy because we heard they have a sweeter, calmer or more affectionate character.”

Our answer: This is probably one of the biggest myths.

From our experience, personality depends much more on the individual dog than on sex.

In fact, I can say that as many Italian Greyhounds as we have had - that many different personalities we have met. In 12 years of breeding, I don’t think we have ever had two exactly alike.

There are confident dogs, gentle dogs, independent dogs, velcro dogs, explorers, thinkers, troublemakers and little angels - among both males and females.

One thing I can say for sure: it is important to choose a breeder who pays serious attention not only to the dogs’ appearance, but also to their temperament and proper puppy socialization.

Titles, beauty, a fashionable color - all of these will quickly become secondary in everyday life with your dog. But a stable psyche, a sound temperament, and the ability to feel comfortable in everyday life will matter every single day for many years.