Brevity.

With only 397 words, the Italian Greyhound breed standard is among the shortest standards in the AKC, but visually, there is also a bit of “shorthand” in identifying the breed by its silhouette: the letter “S.”

Best known for its elegant silhouette, the Iggie’s outline could be seen as a series of three “S” curves starting with its neck.  In crude fashion, we illustrate below:

Lithe and refined, the arched neck flows smoothly into the highest point of the dog’s topline, its withers.

The signature “S” shape carries on through the dog’s body which is compact and centered in the rib cage. Note the next two “S” curves along the underline –  there’s a distinct tuck-up at the flanks, and in the balanced rear—think long, well-muscled thighs, low-set (aka well let-down) hocks, and nicely bent stifles. The peak of this final “S” should begin at the loin, then flow down gently and gradually over the croup.

Though you won’t find reference to this series of “S’s” in the standard, they are key to the IG’s outline, and therefore, breed type.  Were the curves to be “ironed flat,”  the high stepping, effortless gait would be lost, the movement deficient in efficiency. This correct movement is made possible by how the neck, topline, and ribcage are structured and “flow” together.  The “S’s” are what let these little hounds float across a backyard or show ring with reach, drive, and unmistakable elegance.

Image: Italian Greyhound by Seregraff/iStockphoto