First Days with a Italian Greyhound Puppy - what you need.

Almost eight years ago we brought home the sweetest little Italian Greyhound puppy.  He was only 10 weeks old and weighed 3 lbs.  We bought from an out-of-state breeder so he arrived at the airport (after a very short flight) and we were so excited.  This was our first "baby" and we struggled through potty and puppy training together.

Our "puppy" turned 8 on September 15th and he still continues to be our fur-baby even though we've added 2 human babies to the family as well. :)  We recently decided to add another fur-baby to the family and brought another little Italian Greyhound home, a girl puppy.  This time we could pick her up with a car instead of an airplane.

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" $45.99
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  $32.99
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  $14+
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.

Dog Toys $2+
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  $39.99
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 - Don't laugh but we bought diapers.  Not just any diapers but reusable cloth puppy diapers.  Ha!  Hey, if we use cloth on our kids why not our dog? ;)  Fortunately I didn't need to figure out how to wash puppy diapers b/c they weren't needed.  She was able to use the Puppy Patch in her pen so no accident prevention was necessary.  If you do need doggie diapers they come in a variety of sizes (disposable too).  Whatever it takes to train your puppy and keep your sanity I say!

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!).