Pootalian – Italian Greyhound Poodle Mix

What comes to your mind when you think of Italy and Germany?

Most likely, it’s soccer!

These countries’ national soccer teams have fantastic agility, control, obedience, and people skills. 

But, soccer often gets the limelight; the truth is these two countries have something which represents the same characteristics but is better and has more to offer.

What I’m talking about in particular is the Pootalian!

This is a doodle breed made from the stunning Italian Greyhound and the Poodle.

It’s also called the Italian Greyhoundoodle and Greyhoundpoo.

Typically this breed has a life expectancy of 12-15 years if looked after well.

Breed history 📚

Unlike some doodles, there is not much information surrounding the Pootalian, it’s believed it originated in the USA, but no one is sure exactly when it first came into existence. To better understand its history, we need to look at both of its parents.

Poodle 

The Poodle’s origins trace back to Germany, where they were bred to be water retrievers. Their classic soft curly coat made them streamline in water to chase after birds. Later on, this dog’s popularity spread to France, becoming their national dog and was commonly flaunted in dog shows. 

Today you can find this dog all over the world, and it comes in three different sizes: the standard, miniature, and toy. It’s also known as one of the most intelligent dogs in the world and is highly popular amongst breeders. 

Italian Greyhound

The Italian Greyhound is thought to have originated over 2000 years back in the Mediterranean and was bread to be a companion dog. It is also believed that they originated from Greece and Turkey, then their popularity spread to Italy, giving them the name of the Italian Greyhound. 

In Italy, it became a favorite household pet for many, commonly shown in many famous artworks. It wasn’t uncommon for many royal families to own the Italian Greyhound either. 

What does a Pootalian look like? 🐩

A Pootalian is a small dog and is a perfect addition for those who don’t have a yard or live in a small home-like an apartment. It does not grow much, only ranging between 9-15 inches/9-38cm, and weighs between 9-16lbs/4-7kg.

The Pootalian tends to have hair similar to a Poodles coat being medium length, wiry, short, and rough. 

They also tend to inherit a body similar to an Italian greyhound which is lean and slim with small feet. The Pootalian also has floppy ears like a Poodle that folds over. Their eyes are large and button-shaped, coming in two colors which are either brown or amber. Their noses are distinct and can either be black, brown or Isabella color. Their coat colors are gray, brown, fawn, white, brown, brindle, and black.

Temperament ✨

Pootalians are highly alert, smart, and intelligent dogs, making them quick to respond to your commands and train easily. Unlike most doodles, the personality of a Pootalian is highly unpredictable; it’s very diverse. This breed is not afraid to show its aggressive tendencies too. They do this because they have a protective tendency to stand as a guard dog and watch for any danger. 

Due to their aggressive nature, you can’t always guarantee what this dog will be like around children.

This is especially true if they inherit their personality more from their Italian greyhound parent as they don’t tolerate kids. Therefore if you are looking for a dog to bring into a child-orientated household, the Pootalian isn’t for you. 

On the contrary, they do also have a pleasing nature and love to be affectionate around adults. So if you have older family members in your house, this is a breed that will love to show affection around elderly people and older couples. Pootalians love to climb on an adult’s lap and have a cuddle after a long day at work. 

If you live in a noisy area, it might not be ideal for a Pootalian to stay. This crossbreed is extremely reactive towards loud noises, and any activity you undergo that is noisy could make your Pootalian nervous. 

Training and exercise requirements 🥎

Pootalian’s need a lot of physical and mental stimulation due to their high energy levels. Don’t worry, you don’t need to exercise it too much as it’s only its Poodle parent with high amounts of energy, and its Italian greyhound parent balances out the levels. 

On average, you only need to spare around 60 minutes a day to give this breed a good amount of exercise and cover around 8 miles a week. Remember to give it brain games like a kong toy or an obstacle course to keep it mentally stimulated. 

Grooming requirements ✂️

Unlike some doodles, the Pootalian does not require much maintenance. This is mainly because its Poodle parent is hypoallergenic and does not shed that much. Plus, its Italian Greyhound parent sheds very little and is also hypoallergenic. This means the Pootalian will hardly ever shed that much and are also a great breed to own if you have a lot of allergies!

Just because they don’t shed that much does not mean you should neglect their grooming. If they have long hair, ideally, you will want to be brushing them a few times a week to remove any tangles and mats. You should use a pin brush, comb, and dematter to make their coat more smooth when brushing. You will also want to trim its hair around the tail, feet, eyes, and ears.

When it comes to bathing, you should only do it once a month; the Pootalian does not accrue a bad odor easily. You should always use a specialized dog shampoo when washing this breed to reduce the risk of its skin reacting badly. 

It’s always important to remember that you should thoroughly dry their ears after bathing or swimming. As they’re long and floppy, you should also check their ears frequently to ensure no moisture or dirt is trapped inside, as they could potentially develop an ear infection or irritation.

Now and again, their nails might need trimming to ensure they don’t get too long. You might want to take them to a groomer for this as you could risk yourself cutting into their blood vessel. 

Health problems 💊

Most of the time, the Pootalian tends to be a health crossbreed; however, they can suffer from health problems such as the following:

• Intervertebral disc damage: This is when a Pootalians disc in their spine is ruptured or damaged. Once damage, it can cause the disc to leak, triggering pain and inflammation. This disease makes it difficult for a dog to bear weight on its spine and absorb shock.

• Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy: A rare disease that’s often inherited, causing a mutation in their DNA. Typical symptoms of this are slow weight gain, tremors, weak legs, loss of muscle movement, and more. 

• Idiopathic Epilepsy: A neurological disorder that tends to be inherited. This disorder can cause seizures, kidney failure, brain tumors, trauma, and more. Normally dogs who have this condition have to take medication to control it.

• Hip Dysplasia: This is where their hip joint loosens, causing pain and dysfunction. Hip dysplasia is caused when their hip ball and socket joint don’t align, rubbing against one another, causing pain and mobility issues.

• Hypothyroidism: A condition in dogs where their thyroid is not active, causing their body systems to slow down. Typical symptoms of this are lethargy, weight gain, changes to their hair and skin. Normally dogs have to have medication who have this.

• Pyruvate Kinase: This is an inherited hemolytic anemia disorder that is triggered by a defective enzyme. The defected enzyme can cause premature death of red blood cells and encourage fatigue, jaundice, lethargy, and more.

Many of these conditions are not common for a Pootalian to have, but you should still ensure they undergo regular health checks to make sure they’re not at risk of such diseases. You must visit your vet a few times a year for vaccinations and standard tests.

Pootalian Puppy Cost 💲

If you’re looking to buy a Pootalian puppy, the cost can vary between $200-$500 in the USA. However, if you consider additional costs such as crates, vaccinations, medical tests, spaying, chipping, and more, these costs can easily increase to $360-$400. Do note that this is just the USA alone; the costs for puppies could vary based on the country you’re in and the breeder’s reputation.

Final thoughts ✔️

Pootalians are a unique doodle breed as they’re one of a few that’s not suited for children. While they’re not completely aggressive, they have guard dog tendencies making them a big risk to be around young ones. 

They do, however, love to please older members making them a joy to be around adults. They’re also a breed that can live in any sized home, making them perfect for apartment dwellers! Even better, if you have any allergies, this breed takes after both of its parents and does not shed much! This means they also require little maintenance on the grooming side only need to be brushed a few times a week.

Apart from its slightly aggressive side, the Pootalian seems like a dream doodle to own. Let us know what you like about this breed in the comments down below.