The Levriero Italiano or Levriero Meridionale is a very ancient breed of dog which has survived through the centuries in southern Italy due to its excellent reputation as a hunter. This is the dog that medieval feudal lords used for their hunts. The breed declined heavily in numbers because firearms made other hunting styles more popular and hunting with sight hounds became rare. The breed is outstanding as a sight-hound and possesses not only great speed but also great endurance.
The dog is muscular and his muscles are dry but strong. The levriero is diffident towards strangers but very affectionate with its owner. Males stand between 65 and 72 cm at the withers and females are a little shorter standing between 60 and 68 cm. The teeth are strong and well developed and the canines are long and very strong.
Libro dott. Flavio Bruno:[1]