How to Care for an Italian Greyhound
Spend a lot of time with your dog., Give your dog the right amount of exercise., Give your Italian Greyhound toys., Train your dog., Housetrain your Italian Greyhound.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Spend a lot of time with your dog.
Italian Greyhounds are affectionate, gentle, and love to spend most of their time with their owner or family.While they’re sociable and get along well with children and other dogs, they might shy away at first.
If you’re thinking about getting an Italian Greyhound, make sure you have plenty of time for both snuggling and activities.Do your best not to leave your Italian Greyhound alone for more than a few hours.
If you can, stop at home during your lunch break for a quick walk.
Spend nights and weekends giving it plenty of affection if you work during the day. -
Step 2: Give your dog the right amount of exercise.
Even though they love to nap and sit on laps, Italian Greyhounds are swift and agile, and need a moderate amount of exercise.
Go on a couple 15 to 30 minute brisk walks a day.Daily running or sprinting helps strengthen their legs and prevent the risk of injury.
Their size makes them great apartment dogs, and they don't really have any breed-specific space requirements.
However, they do benefit from having an enclosed area large enough to sprint and exercise their legs.
Avoid play with young children or larger dogs and other situations that could cause your dog injury.
Be especially careful about your puppy’s playtime, as young Italian Greyhounds are particularly fragile. , This breed loves to stalk and chase prey, so having balls and fetch toys is a must.
Give it chew toys and stuffed animals that it can hunt and chomp on so it doesn't get bored.
Making sure it has toys to chew will cut down on any possible damage to your furniture and clothing.A bored Italian Greyhound, like many breeds, can get mischievous and chew up your belongings.
Make sure it has its own toys to keep it busy. , Since they’re so intelligent, Italian Greyhounds enjoy the mental exercise that comes with training.
Start out with basic word commands, such as sit, stay, and come.Hold a treat out, say the command, and gently guide your dog into the proper position when just starting to train.
Repeat ten or twenty time to make it automatic, and make sure to give a treat and positive encouragement when your dog follows the command.
Keep training session short and fun, since Italian Greyhounds typically have short attention spans.
Always make training rewards-based by using treats and incorporating it into playtime. , While they are intelligent and are trainable, Italian Greyhounds tend to be difficult to housetrain.
If you get a puppy, begin housetraining immediately, and get it on a regular food and potty schedule.Take your dog out 15 to 30 minutes after eating, and feed your dog at the same times every day.
Take it out a few times a day in addition to after eating, including first thing in the morning and a half hour before bed.
Consider using the crate method.
Purchase a crate that allows free movement but isn’t too big.
Leave the dog in a crate while at work or at night, letting it out every few hours if possible.Don’t scold your dog if you come home to find a mess.
If the dog had the accident hours earlier, it won’t make a connection between being scolded and going to the bathroom inside.
Try leaving pads or paper mats out if you don’t want to use a crate. -
Step 3: Give your Italian Greyhound toys.
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Step 4: Train your dog.
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Step 5: Housetrain your Italian Greyhound.
Detailed Guide
Italian Greyhounds are affectionate, gentle, and love to spend most of their time with their owner or family.While they’re sociable and get along well with children and other dogs, they might shy away at first.
If you’re thinking about getting an Italian Greyhound, make sure you have plenty of time for both snuggling and activities.Do your best not to leave your Italian Greyhound alone for more than a few hours.
If you can, stop at home during your lunch break for a quick walk.
Spend nights and weekends giving it plenty of affection if you work during the day.
Even though they love to nap and sit on laps, Italian Greyhounds are swift and agile, and need a moderate amount of exercise.
Go on a couple 15 to 30 minute brisk walks a day.Daily running or sprinting helps strengthen their legs and prevent the risk of injury.
Their size makes them great apartment dogs, and they don't really have any breed-specific space requirements.
However, they do benefit from having an enclosed area large enough to sprint and exercise their legs.
Avoid play with young children or larger dogs and other situations that could cause your dog injury.
Be especially careful about your puppy’s playtime, as young Italian Greyhounds are particularly fragile. , This breed loves to stalk and chase prey, so having balls and fetch toys is a must.
Give it chew toys and stuffed animals that it can hunt and chomp on so it doesn't get bored.
Making sure it has toys to chew will cut down on any possible damage to your furniture and clothing.A bored Italian Greyhound, like many breeds, can get mischievous and chew up your belongings.
Make sure it has its own toys to keep it busy. , Since they’re so intelligent, Italian Greyhounds enjoy the mental exercise that comes with training.
Start out with basic word commands, such as sit, stay, and come.Hold a treat out, say the command, and gently guide your dog into the proper position when just starting to train.
Repeat ten or twenty time to make it automatic, and make sure to give a treat and positive encouragement when your dog follows the command.
Keep training session short and fun, since Italian Greyhounds typically have short attention spans.
Always make training rewards-based by using treats and incorporating it into playtime. , While they are intelligent and are trainable, Italian Greyhounds tend to be difficult to housetrain.
If you get a puppy, begin housetraining immediately, and get it on a regular food and potty schedule.Take your dog out 15 to 30 minutes after eating, and feed your dog at the same times every day.
Take it out a few times a day in addition to after eating, including first thing in the morning and a half hour before bed.
Consider using the crate method.
Purchase a crate that allows free movement but isn’t too big.
Leave the dog in a crate while at work or at night, letting it out every few hours if possible.Don’t scold your dog if you come home to find a mess.
If the dog had the accident hours earlier, it won’t make a connection between being scolded and going to the bathroom inside.
Try leaving pads or paper mats out if you don’t want to use a crate.
About the Author
Dorothy Bell
Creates helpful guides on DIY projects to inspire and educate readers.
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