Italian Greyhound Puppies: Adopt or Buy?

Should you adopt or buy an Italian Greyhound?

It depends on whether it has to be a puppy. Purebred Italian Greyhound puppies almost never reach rescue, so if you want an eight-week-old IG with known parents, a registered breeder is the realistic route. If what you want is the dog (the small size, the affection, the sighthound calm indoors), an adult IG or an IG cross costs less and arrives desexed and microchipped.

The RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase suggests the RSPCA or a reputable rescue first, and if you go to a breeder, making sure they are registered, visiting where the puppies were born and meeting the parents.

Reference figures read on 10 November 2026, not quotes. Breeders and rescues set their own prices and change them.

How much is an Italian Greyhound puppy from a registered breeder?

No Australian Italian Greyhound club publishes a price. The Italian Greyhound Club of Victoria is listed with Dogs Victoria, but we found no club website in any state with buying advice or a price.

Breeders rarely publish one on their own sites either. In November 2026 we read the websites of more than 20 Italian Greyhound breeders, and one that is listed in a Dogs Australia state body's breeder directory published a current price: its page, dated July 2026, said prices start from $3,500 in one place and listed puppies from $2,500 in another, with a $500 deposit and puppies sold as pets to be desexed by 12 months. One breeder is not a range. Most IG prices we found were on listing sites such as Dogz Online, Gumtree and Facebook, which we leave out, and one breeder's price was for a 2025 litter. These are reference figures, not quotes.

Reference figures only, not quotes. The breeder price was read on the breeder's own website, not on a listing site. Rescue fees usually include desexing, microchipping, vaccinations and a vet check. The dog cost calculator covers the first year after the price tag, including coats and dental care.

Are Italian Greyhound legs really fragile?

In young dogs, yes, enough to plan around. The Dogs Australia breed page describes the IG as “delicate and fragile looking but very stoic,” and says the breed is better with older children because younger ones may not have the coordination to pick up and handle one, and accidents can occur.

The numbers come from veterinary surgery. A 2017 case series in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association looked at 102 toy and miniature dogs of 7 kg or less whose broken forearm (the radius and ulna, near the wrist) was repaired with a bone plate. Italian Greyhounds were 17 of them, behind only Toy Poodles and Chihuahuas. Mean age at first visit was 13.5 months, and 90% of the fractures were caused by minor trauma, such as a fall from a low height or playing with other pets. It is a series of surgical cases, not a measure of how often IGs break legs, but it shows what caused the breaks in those dogs.

• Steps or a ramp to the couch and bed, especially in the first year or so.
• No unsupervised rough play with bigger dogs.
• Careful lifting, and an adult in charge of handling around small children.
• A vet straight away if your IG limps or holds up a front leg after a jump.

This is one reason an adult rescue IG can be the easier start. Our Italian Greyhound care and fragility guide covers daily care in more detail.

Which health tests should an Italian Greyhound breeder show you?

Knees, eyes, thyroid and hips, plus a PRA DNA test. We found no Australian Italian Greyhound club page that sets a testing requirement, so this is a question you have to ask. The Dogs Australia breed page names epilepsy, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), luxating patella and dentine degeneration among the breed's inherited diseases. The most detailed published testing guide is overseas, in the Italian Greyhound Club of America's health statement.

Source: Italian Greyhound Club of America health statement (United States), read 10 November 2026. Australian breeders use Australian specialists and schemes. This is a buying checklist, not veterinary advice.

Two everyday points matter as much as the tests. Teeth: the Dogs Australia breed page says an IG's teeth need to be watched, brushed and scaled, so budget for dental care. Anaesthetic: like other sighthounds, an IG is lean, so tell your vet the breed before any procedure. The breed is long-lived, with the Dogs Australia page giving 14 to 16 years, and the Italian Greyhound Club of America says IGs are sturdier and healthier than they appear. Our Italian Greyhound health guide covers what these conditions mean once you own one.

What do Italian Greyhounds in rescue look like?

Rare. Across the rescues, shelters and council pounds we aggregate, an Italian Greyhound is listed only now and then, far less often than a Greyhound. Because so few come up, an alert on the Italian Greyhound breed page matters more than checking once.

We found no Italian Greyhound breed rescue we could confirm is operating today. If you would happily take an adult, it is worth asking registered breeders whether they are rehoming a retired dog.

An adult IG in foster care comes with notes on how it handles children, cats, the cold and time alone, which is exactly what a puppy cannot tell you.

Is a Whippet or a retired Greyhound an alternative?

Only if you know they are different, bigger dogs. The Italian Greyhound, Whippet and Greyhound are three separate breeds with their own Dogs Australia standards. The state greyhound programs, such as Greyhounds As Pets NSW and the Greyhound Adoption Program in Victoria, rehome retired racing Greyhounds, not Italian Greyhounds, so do not expect to find an IG there.

From the Dogs Australia Italian Greyhound, Whippet and Greyhound standards, read 10 November 2026.

A Whippet is the middle size and just as rare in rescue; our Whippet guide covers it. A retired racing Greyhound is far easier to find but many times the size; our greyhound adoption guide covers the programs and each state's rules. See the Greyhounds listed by rescues too.

How do Italian Greyhound puppy scams work?

Scamwatch says scammers set up fake websites to get you to pay for popular breeds and cute puppies. Its advice: view the pet in person, ask for a video call with the breeder if you cannot visit, check the breeder is legitimate and accredited, and compare prices, because a very cheap pet is likely a scam.

Italian Greyhound versions of the pattern:

• A borrowed prefix. Dogs NSW warns that non-registered breeders may advertise litters using the prefixes of registered breeders, and says to ask to see the breeder's membership card.
• A copied listing. Because so many IG litters are advertised on listing sites, a scammer can copy a real breeder's photos and text. Contact the breeder through the state body's directory, not the ad.
• A brindle or black and tan “purebred”. The Dogs Australia standard says black or blue with tan markings, or brindle, is not acceptable, so ask questions if a puppy sold as a purebred IG has those colours.
• No breeder number. NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT each require an identifying number in puppy ads. Look it up on the official register, not through a link the seller sends.

Our guide to puppies for sale in Australia has the full state-by-state table of breeder numbers and what to do if you have already paid.

When is a registered breeder the better choice?

Rescue is not right for everyone. A registered breeder makes sense if you want a puppy with known parents and health results, if you plan to show or do lure coursing, if you have a cat and want an IG raised with one from a young age, or if you have waited months and no rescue IG has come up near you.

If you go that way, check the breeder properly:

1. Registration. Check the membership number with Dogs Australia or your state body, and ask to see the membership card.
2. Patella, eye and thyroid results and a PRA DNA result for both parents, with names that match the litter.
3. The mother, in person, and where the puppies are raised, before any deposit.
4. Leg-safety advice. A good breeder will talk to you about jumping, ramps and play with bigger dogs before the puppy goes home.
5. A written contract covering register type, desexing, health problems and whether the breeder will take the dog back.

Is an Italian Greyhound the right dog for you?

The Dogs Australia standard describes an “elegant, graceful and quick moving” dog that is “intelligent, affectionate and vivacious” and may appear aloof. Before you apply, be honest about four things.

• The cold. The breed page says IGs can lose condition quickly from shivering in colder months and need a variety of warm coats, and that they hate cold draughts.
• Children. The same page says older children suit the breed better, because accidents can happen when young children pick one up.
• Escapes. IGs need a daily walk on a sighthound lead or a run in a well fenced yard, and the breed page warns they can be escape artists that dig under fences.
• Teeth and care. Brushing and dental checks are part of owning one, and a young IG needs protecting from jumps.

Not sure it fits? The what dog breed am I quiz and the adoption readiness check each take a few minutes, and our guide to the best apartment dogs in Australia puts small breeds side by side.

Find an Italian Greyhound near you

Italian Greyhounds and IG crosses listed by rescues, by city:

• Italian Greyhounds for adoption in Sydney
• Italian Greyhounds for adoption in Melbourne
• Italian Greyhounds for adoption in Brisbane
• Italian Greyhounds for adoption in Perth
• Italian Greyhounds for adoption in Adelaide

Local guides to adopting an Italian Greyhound, with the rescues that serve each city: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Wollongong.

Open to any small dog? The small dogs in Sydney and in Melbourne are worth a look too.