The physics are against a dog this small
Swimming asks a body to float, to propel itself, and to stay warm, and an Italian Greyhound is poorly equipped for all three. The breed scales down the sighthound build — dense, lean muscle, almost no fat — to a dog who may weigh less than a house cat, and fat is what floats: without it he rides low and must paddle constantly just to keep his nose up. That effort burns energy quickly in a small body, and the short, fine coat over thin skin gives up heat to the water within minutes. Nothing in this companion breed's long history involved retrieving, swimming, or working in water, so there is no inherited confidence waiting to be unlocked.
What most Italian Greyhounds actually prefer
Expect tolerance at best, and plan around dislike. Many will walk willingly through a warm puddle or stand in a shallow tray on a hot day, legs wet and body dry, and consider the experience complete. Some, introduced as puppies to warm, calm, shallow water with their owner right beside them, learn to paddle short distances without distress. Many others panic when the bottom disappears, and a panicking dog of this size exhausts and chills dangerously fast. A dog who freezes, scrambles, or tries to climb your arm at the water's edge has answered the question clearly; believe him rather than returning with a training plan to change his mind.
If you introduce water, do it on his terms
Choose the warmest, calmest, shallowest option available — a sun-warmed paddling pool or the still edge of a warm lake — and fit a life jacket sized for a genuinely tiny dog, since it holds his body level, adds the insulation his coat lacks, and gives you a handle that prevents desperate scrabbling. Stay within arm's reach, let him walk in and out under his own power, and end after a few calm minutes while he is still warm and relaxed. Dry him completely and wrap him in something warm straight afterwards; the post-swim shiver arrives fast in this breed even in summer. Never carry him into deep water, set him afloat to see what happens, or let children do so.
Pool and holiday risks that matter most
The scenarios that hurt small non-swimming dogs are domestic, not dramatic: an unfenced garden pool, a holiday rental with an open water feature, a dock edge at a lake house. A dog this light who falls in cannot haul himself up a vertical side, tires quickly against it, and may do so silently. Physical barriers and closed doors are the real protection, with the life jacket as backup whenever he is near water by design. If he has had a genuine submersion scare, coughs afterwards, or seems tired and quiet in the hours following a swim, contact your veterinarian the same day; small dogs who have inhaled water should be checked rather than watched at home.
Make his non-swimmer status common knowledge
The danger is rarely the owner who knows — it is the relative, sitter, or fellow holiday guest who assumes every dog adores the pool. KinsLe Family Sharing records your Italian Greyhound's non-swimmer status, tiny jacket size, and shallow-water-only limits in the profile the whole household shares, so nobody learns about his limits the hard way at the water's edge.