Italian Greyhound Puppies – A Guide For The First Weeks With Your New Iggy Puppy

The first few weeks with your new Iggy puppy will be so exciting – but also very stressful. It’s kind of like having a baby because you are new to this situation and it takes some time to build up a routine.

But keep in mind: The stressful times will be over sooner than you know and soon you will miss them! So enjoy every single day as much as you can and give all you got to socialize your Iggy puppy well – for an easy life with your dog!

In this blogpost you will find a quick overview of everything that will be important the first few weeks after your puppy arrives. Let’s go!

Italian Greyhound Puppy Personality – Sweet but Psycho! What Are They Like the First Few Weeks?

Puppies from a good breeder will move out around the age of 8 to 12 weeks. That’s the perfect time where they can be easily separated from their mother and move on to new adventures.

At that age, all puppies are super cute – and Italian Greyhound puppies are the cutest. With their marble eyes, their soft puppy coat and their quirky personality it’s hard to resist them.

Can you resist this face?

But they can be little maniacs, too. When they are still this young, they are quite energetic and while they will sleep most of the day, they will go crazy the few moments they are awake. They might chew up your furniture, digg deep in the sofa or steal every sock they can find – just to name a few examples.

Set boundaries and clear rules right from the start – and stick to them! After all, you are the boss who’s in charge – not your little puppy 😉 

Are You Ready to Become an Iggy Parent? What You Might Be Struggling With and What to Do About It

  • Potty training – You can’t expect to get a puppy from the breeder that is fully potty trained. Actually, it can be quite hard to get an Iggy fully potty trained at all. So be prepared for a few pee puddles and poops in your home the first few weeks if not months.
  • Chewing on / eating everything – Especially when they are teething, they will chew everything they can find. You have to be really careful they don’t eat something that could harm them. So make sure you always have an eye on them and that you don’t leave anything laying around.
Little shark teeth
  • Leaving them alone – Italian Greyhounds are super attached to their owners. Especially after they’ve moved in with their new family, everything will be very overwhelming for them. So be prepared you won’t be able to leave them alone the first few weeks. Make sure you have the time to be there for them or you have someone who will take care of your Iggy puppy while you’re away. After your puppy is settled in, start with training your Iggy to stay home alone to prevent separation anxiety.
  • Runny tummy – Moving from their mom into a new home is super exciting. For some puppies, all this excitement causes a nervous tummy. In the first few weeks, diarrhea is quite common. To not stress your puppy’s digestion even more, we recommend sticking to the puppy formula your dog got at the breeder for the first two weeks until the puppy has completely settled in. After that, you can slowly transition to something else.

How Much Time Do I Need to Raise an Italian Greyhound Puppy? Socialization and Puppy Training

It’s hard to give an exact answer here but: The more the better! The more time you put into training your Italian Greyhound puppy, the better socialized your Iggy will be and the less problems you will have later on. 

Socialization is super important if you want an easy life with your Italian Greyhound

The first few weeks are the most important time when it comes to socialization. If you don’t use it properly, you will have a hard time making up for it. So make sure you do as many things as possible with your puppy like

  • car rides
  • restaurant visits
  • going to the mall
  • meeting other dogs

But of course don’t do it all at once. Go step-by-step and try something new every day. 

If possible, take at least 2 weeks off work when you get your new puppy.

What Do You Need to Buy Before Your Italian Greyhound Puppy Moves in? Iggy Starter Kit & Essentials

Preparation is super important. You want to have everything ready, once your puppy gets there. But what do you need? Here are the items you should have in your Italian Greyhound puppy starter kit:

Italian Greyhounds like it soft and cozy!

Of course these are just the essentials. You can buy so much more!

Conclusion on Italian Greyhound Puppies – Enjoy the Puppy Days as Much as Possible!

As mentioned before, even when it gets a bit stressful, enjoy the puppy days as much as possible – and take lots and lots of photos and videos! Unfortunately they grow up so fast and sooner than you know your little puppy will not be a puppy anymore.

Use the first few weeks for socialization and let your Italian Greyhound Puppy experience as much as possible. They will benefit from this their whole life!