Michelleva Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 We took Georgia to the beach yesterday, there were dogs everywhere, and they were all having a blast. A lady came walking towards us, and probably 100 metres in front of her was this tiny dog. When it got closer I realised it was an Italian Greyhound and it was TINY. Anyway my daughter was sitting on the beach and this little iggy ran straight up to her, sat on the towel next to her and then crept onto her lap and stayed there till the owner got closer. DD and I were in love and could have easily have dog-napped the little one, it was adorable. I'm not sure if this one was a fully grown or not, but I thought they would have been bigger. I just had a look on the DOL breed pages and the breed is described as aloof and fearful of strangers. I think the one we met broke all the rules.... :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 some of them are very outgoing. Beautiful little dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 some of them are very outgoing. Beautiful little dogs. Great little dogs arn't they, but you can't have mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 (edited) They are gorgeous. Interestingly my Whippets got called Iggy's all weekend. I think they would be shocked if they met a real one! Edited February 13, 2011 by OSoSwift Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandybrush Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 yes i have only met 1 iggy in person and i easily could have taken it home it was the cutest thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted February 13, 2011 Author Share Posted February 13, 2011 So what I'm wondering is if the one we met is the exception to the breed, or is the breed description way off? DD is now dreaming of owning an iggy one day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBL Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 They are gorgeous. Interestingly my Whippets got called Iggy's all weekend. I think they would be shocked if they met a real one! Wow! With Oscar the iggy it is always the other way round The little one sounds like a real sweetheart They are a breed that has totally stolen my heart. My boy has me well and truely got me wrapped around his paw. He is mischevious and naughty and but so sweet and cuddly. I don't let Oscar offlead anywhere unsecured as his recall is terrible, as are most iggies (being basically a little sighthound). He will approach people with great bravado but often backs off if they go for in for a pat. Once he knows you (give him 10 mins) he is a friend for life. All our visitors are subjected to Oscar's constant requests to play fetch. Various ones I know are a real mix, some are very shy, others are very brave. They vary in height alot too. Oscar is a biggy iggy at a bit over 7kgs (but he is over standard) but Iggy Rescue has a little girl at the moment who came into care at 3kgs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 So what I'm wondering is if the one we met is the exception to the breed, or is the breed description way off? DD is now dreaming of owning an iggy one day... The same as all dogs they need to be socialized at an early age. The same as all dogs, where temperament can vary from dog to dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 They are gorgeous. Interestingly my Whippets got called Iggy's all weekend. I think they would be shocked if they met a real one! Wow! With Oscar the iggy it is always the other way round The little one sounds like a real sweetheart They are a breed that has totally stolen my heart. My boy has me well and truely got me wrapped around his paw. He is mischevious and naughty and but so sweet and cuddly. I don't let Oscar offlead anywhere unsecured as his recall is terrible, as are most iggies (being basically a little sighthound). He will approach people with great bravado but often backs off if they go for in for a pat. Once he knows you (give him 10 mins) he is a friend for life. All our visitors are subjected to Oscar's constant requests to play fetch. Various ones I know are a real mix, some are very shy, others are very brave. They vary in height alot too. Oscar is a biggy iggy at a bit over 7kgs (but he is over standard) but Iggy Rescue has a little girl at the moment who came into care at 3kgs. Thanks for the insight. The guy was small, I'm not sure if he was fully grown but he was definitely smaller than my sheltie. He was offlead where there were lots of other dogs wandering around, when called, he did return to his owner. Admittedly he didn't run up to anyone, but he took a special liking to my daughter. Anyway, this little guy was bootiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBL Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 They are gorgeous. Interestingly my Whippets got called Iggy's all weekend. I think they would be shocked if they met a real one! Wow! With Oscar the iggy it is always the other way round The little one sounds like a real sweetheart They are a breed that has totally stolen my heart. My boy has me well and truely got me wrapped around his paw. He is mischevious and naughty and but so sweet and cuddly. I don't let Oscar offlead anywhere unsecured as his recall is terrible, as are most iggies (being basically a little sighthound). He will approach people with great bravado but often backs off if they go for in for a pat. Once he knows you (give him 10 mins) he is a friend for life. All our visitors are subjected to Oscar's constant requests to play fetch. Various ones I know are a real mix, some are very shy, others are very brave. They vary in height alot too. Oscar is a biggy iggy at a bit over 7kgs (but he is over standard) but Iggy Rescue has a little girl at the moment who came into care at 3kgs. Thanks for the insight. The guy was small, I'm not sure if he was fully grown but he was definitely smaller than my sheltie. He was offlead where there were lots of other dogs wandering around, when called, he did return to his owner. Admittedly he didn't run up to anyone, but he took a special liking to my daughter. Anyway, this little guy was bootiful. Pop into the iggy thread whenever you want to talk iggies. I am always up for a chat It was love at first site for me - first one I saw was prancing around a show ring. They are certainly not a breed for everyone but they are very special. Even my oh who is not a small dog person at all (and admitedly I never was), loves Oscar (except when he is chewing a shoe or standing on the dining room table, crying because he can't get down). I find him curled up with him snuggling or telling him how gorgeous he is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 They are gorgeous. Interestingly my Whippets got called Iggy's all weekend. I think they would be shocked if they met a real one! Wow! With Oscar the iggy it is always the other way round The little one sounds like a real sweetheart They are a breed that has totally stolen my heart. My boy has me well and truely got me wrapped around his paw. He is mischevious and naughty and but so sweet and cuddly. I don't let Oscar offlead anywhere unsecured as his recall is terrible, as are most iggies (being basically a little sighthound). He will approach people with great bravado but often backs off if they go for in for a pat. Once he knows you (give him 10 mins) he is a friend for life. All our visitors are subjected to Oscar's constant requests to play fetch. Various ones I know are a real mix, some are very shy, others are very brave. They vary in height alot too. Oscar is a biggy iggy at a bit over 7kgs (but he is over standard) but Iggy Rescue has a little girl at the moment who came into care at 3kgs. Thanks for the insight. The guy was small, I'm not sure if he was fully grown but he was definitely smaller than my sheltie. He was offlead where there were lots of other dogs wandering around, when called, he did return to his owner. Admittedly he didn't run up to anyone, but he took a special liking to my daughter. Anyway, this little guy was bootiful. Pop into the iggy thread whenever you want to talk iggies. I am always up for a chat It was love at first site for me - first one I saw was prancing around a show ring. They are certainly not a breed for everyone but they are very special. Even my oh who is not a small dog person at all (and admitedly I never was), loves Oscar (except when he is chewing a shoe or standing on the dining room table, crying because he can't get down). I find him curled up with him snuggling or telling him how gorgeous he is. Will do, even to have a squiz at all the pics.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigirl Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 Iggies are addictive!n They are quirky eccentric little old men in a dog/cat/monkey body I have 4 adult iggies and one pup. One adult is very timid,one is timid til he knows you and the other are quite social. My recent iggy litter had a ton of socilisation and all are outgoing and friendly little dogs that love kids. I have a lovely pic of old Wally with the pups somewhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBL Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 They are quirky eccentric little old men in a dog/cat/monkey body Gosh that is such a good description of them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 They are really popular in the States as apartment dogs. I visited a store where one crept ever so carefully over to me and stared at me with sad puppy eyes until I invited him closer, and then he crept the rest of the way and put his head in my hands. I was on the ground with him in a matter of seconds. I am not the right owner for one, but sometimes I wish we could rent one for an afternoon. We have what must be an iggy cross that comes to the park sometimes, and a whippet puppy. Erik goes nuts chasing them both around in huge circles and runs himself ragged trying to catch them. Whenever they stop for a breather he catches up and play bows and barks and bounces around until they run again. He thinks they are the best fun a Vall that likes a challenge can have. He figured out he can cut corners to catch them, but he decided catching them wasn't nearly as fun as trying to catch them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigirl Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 They are definately not the breed for everyone. But those of us that are enthusiasts of the breed are very devoted to them My iggies have several blankets in the backyard they drag around into the sun everyday. As the sun moves so do the blankets, they are very much creatures of comfort lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 They certainly look like fragile little dogs, do they get injuries easily? Indigirl, the way you describe them, they really sound cat-like to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greytmate Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 They can be injured very easily, some are much stronger dogs than others. I have met many iggies. Most are not affectionate towards strange people, although they are usually extremely curious. Many seem to really avoid being picked up or being handled by anyone other than their owner. They can be a different dog when just with their own family. I think the nervous trait is genetic, but is made worse by the fact that the shyer an iggy is, the more that strangers will try to interact with it, and this is counter productive to giving the dog a positive social experience. It can set up a really bad habit. They are too cute for their own good. But there are individuals that are brave, outgoing and very friendly, and if people only bred from these dogs, the breed (in general) wouldn't have this problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigirl Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 They are prone to broken legs from about 4-12months of age. This is because they think they are mountain goats and they LOVE to climb, they also think they can fly and will happily launch themselves into the air from the highest point they can climb to. Hence their tendency to break their legs. Once they mature they are more robust and can easily jump 3 or 4 ft down without injury. So its something to be aware of when acquiring a IG pup, you need to ensure the area they are in is climb proof. Care also has to be taken that they are not sat on or trodden on by bigger dogs or children. They tend to burrow under cushions, pillows etc so you can imagine how they could be hurt. Apart from that they are robust little dogs who are exremely nimble and quick and who love a good romp in a fenced area. Like most sighthounds they cannot be trusted off lead in an unfenced area. They are very catlike in that they like to climb to the highest point they can, and they like to sunbake. They also tend to be aloof with strangers much like cats are. They are very eccentric unique quirky little dogs, they are unlike any other dog I have owned. Iggies really are a breed apart Wally with the pups aged 6 weeks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 Awwwe Wally, you dear old boy.. It looks like he didn't mind those pups climbing all over him though. Thanks for all the info Indi. We might see some more at the pet expo on the weekend and we get to drool all over again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigirl Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 No Wally loved the pups until they were about 8 weeks old and they got too boisterous for him lol. Prior to that he took every opportunity he could to spend time with them LOL Once you have loved an iggy there's no going back.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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