Sangue Azzurro

We were invited to write about the Italian Greyhound for the bimonthly Dog & Sport. We were asked to write something from the heart, not to focus on titles and bragging about our achievements. The full article was written by Urszula Charytonik, and six breeders from Poland were supposed to write something personal to the section WITH THE BREEDER'S EYE. We feel honored and want to show off our page. We are very happy that the Italian Greyhound, as a breed, appears in such a press!

Italian Greyhound is a small but strong athlete, a flesh-and-blood greyhound, fierce with his prey, unforgiving, great during a spectacular run, a tireless companion of hiking trips, a subtle friend at home every day…. there is so much to beautifully write about an Italian Greyhound and this article is certainly one of the best written about the breed.

In Poland, out of several dozen breeders (and new ones still appearing), only Sangue Azzurro and four others take an active part in coursing in Poland and abroad. Fortunately, the awareness of buyers is growing and it is their merit due to their passion, work with their dogs and determination that not only these five breeders appear on the starting lists. The role of breeders is to instill a passion for sport in IG owners. Buyers are led by breeders, they trust them and observe their achievements, and the way dogs are led on a daily basis. If a breeder does not nurture and develop the breed's utility, it is no wonder that he does not inspire his puppies' owners. We hope that from year to year there will be more Italian Greyhounds on parkours and tracks, chasing the lure.

Italian Greyhound is an elitist breed for us, special and rare, like a precious metal. Each and every one is like a valuable opal, glittering in the sunlight with blaze of colors, special, unique, one of a kind. We would like for other breeders to treat them this way, exceptionally, responsibly and sacredly, give every mating and every puppy a lot of attention, so that the breed never loses its elitism and rarity. For us breeding is something more than just “giving life to purebred dogs”, it’s an act of creation and there has to be some element of “art” – except for knowledge and checking the lines, there needs to be some feeling, intuition and trust when your heart beats faster at the thought of a particular mating. It’s important not to follow fashion, compare, envy nor listen to “advisors”, but to follow your heart during the breeding work, keep up to your vision and have faith in your thoughts. I call them "porcelain", because this word fully reflects the chic, elegance, delicacy and sophistication of shapes reserved only for this breed! We are looking for homes that, like ours, are focused on an active lifestyle with a dog, people that are aware of the breed’s needs, know its history and destination, understand that these are hunting dogs, not “toys” and a living room decorations. Every year, the awareness of buyers is growing and more and more Italian Greyhounds appear on coursings. The judges score very high on the Italian Greyhounds at international competitions, and the IG with the BEST IN FIELD title is not uncommon! It is enough to imagine how fierce, relentless and lively an Italian Greyhound is, chasing its prey at a competition, if it is able to stand out from the great greyhounds, of which there are many in the X group. We want the future owners of our dogs to enjoy their lives with healthy, elegant Italian Greyhounds with a balanced temper. It’s important to know that the Italian Greyhound is not a breed for everyone. That is why we attach so much importance to the detailed verification of owners, and then we try to maintain contact, give new owners a feeling that they can count on us 24 hours a day. When I bring my greyhound child to a new home, I tell everyone that if they would regret their decision, made a mistake about the race, failed to take care of the Italian Greyhound - they can always return the puppy to me and I will give them back the money. There is always room in our breeding for the returns of our elderly and other unforeseen life situations. Italian Greyhound will be wonderful for very sensitive and emotional people, for whom the dog walking behind them step by step will be like a balm, a compress for troubled nerves and the race of everyday life. They are very emotional and excitable animals, alert, burning themselves up intensely in everyday activities. Due to his emotionality, the IG experiences reality many times more than a dog of any other breed. As a result, it requires a different treatment, a different nutrition (than the manufacturer's recommendations on the back of the packaging), it requires specific care and everything "DIFFERENT" than what you have known about dogs so far. IG is an aristocrat and a clown at the same time who appreciates warmth and comfort above all else, he is a delicate porcelain and a fearless hunter, fierce in pursuit of the lure. The Italian Greyhound will always bring great joy to a sensitive person and will be a kind of "anti-depressant", because with a IG it is never boring or sad. They are wonderful, emotional creatures with wise eyes, like the gaze of a human, staring at us, loving, devoted to the last stroke of the tail and the last breath.

Małgorzata Pietralik, kennel Sangue Azzurro

The above photo of our female PEMA (Just Joy z Koloseum) was selected for the article in DOG & SPORT. The photo shows PEMA at the 2021 European Coursing Championships in the Netherlands. PEMA took 7th place there.