I still have vivid memories of potty training so this time around we were more proactive in the products we bought and plans we made to help her transition into our house. Here are a few of the products we bought in preparation for her arrival. Some may be more specific to her breed, but overall they're just puppy care items.
What we bought to prepare for the puppy:
Midwest Black Exercise Pen 24"
We made the puppy her own space and put it in a central area of our home since we want her to be socialized. This pen was the perfect size as it's not too big and not too small. Also easy enough to reach over or walk over but high enough to make it difficult for the little humans. It also folds down easily and was pretty inexpensive. We put it on top of a folded over tarp (from Home Depot). Inside the pen we made a little puppy land for her complete with a sleeping area, potty area, toys and feeding dishes. She has her own safe place that the kids can talk to her (and see her) but can't get at her. This is where she goes at night to sleep so that she has access to a place to rest and go to the bathroom too.
Petmate Kennel Cab Medium Dog Crate
A dog crate is important for a variety of reasons. First your puppy needs a safe place to sleep or be alone. Second, you'll eventually need them to be in the crate when you leave the house. Lastly you may need a crate for traveling and transporting. You don't want one too big (so they don't have space to use it as a potty) or too small. It's tricky with a puppy since they'll be growing. We are considering this one a temporary crate, as she'll outgrow it eventually. We also have a soft-sided travel crate from our first dog that we're using for vet visits. If we take her on a overnight trip (crazy thought) we'll use this plastic one. For now we keep it inside the exercise pen with the door propped open.
Dog Bed
The prices for dog beds have a huge range, from about $14 all the way into the hundreds. We picked a simple brown on brown option that is washable. Being washable is a must since we're talking about a puppy after-all. We got one that is quite plush so that she could snuggle down in it. Also small enough to be portable since it travels around our house.
Have you noticed that dog toys and baby toys look a lot alike? Since I have both in my house right now I can vouch for their similarities. Perhaps teething is the same whether you're furry or not. :) We bought the puppy a soft "toy" that can also be used as a snuggle when she sleeps. This time around we've avoided too many noisy toys as they can get a little out of control with the squeakers! We did pick up a teething bone and also had a few toys left over from when our older IG was a puppy (if you can believe it!). Let's just say Italian Greyhounds are far less destructive than other breeds. :)
Potty Patch
Last time around we trained our dog using papers. It was messy and smelly. This time around we used a Potty Patch since that is what the puppy had at her breeder's home. The Potty Patch is a fabulous invention for inside dogs or puppies. It has (removable) artificial turf on top, a layer underneath and then a tray. They say it helps dogs to transfer from inside potty to real grass more easily. It seems to be working well for our puppy as she has had almost NO accidents. She just uses the Patch. Worth every penny for that alone! Now it does take some cleaning (try a bleach solution for cleaning then rinse-rinse-rinse) but it's not that bad. We keep the Potty Patch in her exercise pen so that she can get to it during the day.
other items: dog dishes (we got small ones), dog food, chew toys and a blanket or towel to sleep on in the crate.
What we bought and didn't need (ended up returning):
1. Puppy Patch Spray - It's a spray that attracts dogs to go potty in a certain area. We bought it thinking we'd need to spray the Potty Patch so she'd know to go there. However, she figured it out without needing a spray. Since it had cost us $15 (yes $15!!) we brought it back to the store. Perhaps if you had a dog that didn't take to a Potty Patch, Pad or papers it would be worth a shot.
2. Doggie Diapers
We've had puppy-girl for 2 weeks now and she's doing great! The girls love her and she's getting lots of quality one-on-one time with my husband during the day (and some nights). Look here and here for more puppy photos. I'll have more soon I'm sure.
Stay tuned for an entry on making your own dog clothes (hey, these little skinny ones need clothing, even here in hot-hot-arizona!).
Hello - I'm planning to get an IG at the end of this month, and I've been looking for exercise pen setups. I like yours! Does your dog try to jump over the top of the pen or escape? I work during the day (with time to come home during lunch breaks), so I want mine to have a nice area to move around, but don't want to worry about him escaping. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHello Alexandra, our second IG *never* jumped over the exercise pen. We moved her out (around 7 months) when she outgrew it (needed to potty train outside) before she ever tried to escape it. It was surprising actually since they have long legs, she could have easily cleared it if she tried.
DeleteHowever, our first IG quickly figured out how to escape a pen and so we couldn't use it very long. That pen was different though, had criss-cross sides so he sort of climbed out like a ladder.
I would try to get a pen like the one in the photos above, but be aware that he could get out (someday). Crating is the best for IGs little and old, then you know they can't escape!
Thanks for your reply! I'm getting mine soon (he'll be 9 weeks), so hopefully a pen will do for a few months. Yours looks to be a good one. Glad I ran across your site - this is exactly what I was thinking about doing!
DeleteYou are very welcome. Best wishes with your new pup, IG's are the best!
DeleteMy IG is 10 wks old and I've had him for just 12 days now.
ReplyDeleteBreeder was training the dog on pee pads, which, for the most part he understands. I am trying to train him to go outdoors, he has got the idea of peeing outside, but refuses to poop outside and continues to go on the indoor pee pad immediately after we finish the walk.
Does anyone else have this issue? He shakes uncontrollably, even with his coat on, while outside (I live in Vancouver, BC) and the fall weather is crisp.
Hello there and congratulations! Our newest (3rd!!!) IG is 13 weeks old. :) IGs are known for being difficult to potty train, but we've had pretty good luck so far. We're using a Fresh Patch which is real grass, so transitions well to our outside yard. With one of our other IGs we used pee pads and transitioned them to outside by putting a pee pad outside where we wanted her to go.
DeleteIf you know he needs to go poo I'd try to catch him at that point and take him outside encouraging that he go poop.
As for shaking uncontrollably our little IGs don't have enough fat/fur so they get chilly really easily. I'd suggest getting a doggy sweatshirt or jacket to wear outside.