Despite its name, this breed originated in Italy. It gained its title because it was championed by Frederick the Great, who kept these dogs at his Potsdam Palace. It was developed purely as a companion.
This dog was a larger cousin of the tiny Italian Greyhound. It was intermediate in size between a typical hunting greyhound and the tiny toy version. Its height was 20 in (51 cm), compared with the Italian Greyhound’s 13-15 in (33-38 cm), or the English Greyhound’s 27-30 in (69-76 cm).
It was an elegant, decorative breed, with a fine-textured coat in fawn, blue, black, bronze or silver-grey. It was described as the ideal indoor dog, ‘born to lie in graceful attitudes on drawing-room sofas’.
Frederick the Great was passionately fond of his Potsdam Greyhounds and was distraught when he accidentally poisoned two of them. He was about to drink a cup of chocolate, when he decided to offer it to his two favourite greyhounds. They lapped it up, promptly went into convulsions and died in front of him. The drink had been poisoned by his enemies and Frederick angrily sent for his French cook. On hearing the news, the cook put a gun to his head and blew out his brains. He had been in the pay of the Austrians and could not face the consequences.
Frederick’s Potsdam Greyhounds, pampered dogs served by their own valets, were so important to him that the breed was kept as exclusive to his palace. After his death a day arrived when there was only one pair left alive, and these were acquired by the Countess Marie Munster. She bred from them and eventually there were examples in both England and Ireland. The breed was still in existence as recently as the early part of the 20th century. After that, it seems to have faded away and does not appear to have survived the ravages of World War I.
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