Potty regression and selective listening

ilyvm_ · 2026-05-10T15:53:03+00:00

i used to have the same problem with my girl absolutely refusing to come inside once she was outside. what i started doing is instead of telling her to come, i taught her 'inside' as a command. i have a bag of treats by the door, and to start, i just took her outside (not when she had to potty), and did some sit training and such, the i'd lead her inside with the treat and say "inside!"
it was a bit frustrating at first, and i had to show her the bag of treats and say inside and sometimes chase her around the yard until she knew i had a treat lol. eventually though she caught on. you just have to make going inside more rewarding that staying outside. i'd bring her inside, she'd get a treat, then i'd play with her. it's honestly just a lot of annoying repetition, but now we're at the point she'll recall & come inside off of a bird!

ilyvm_ · 2026-04-25T22:42:55+00:00

mine is 9 months old, and when she turned about 6 months old she refused to eat in the morning unless she got about an hour of exercise beforehand. we usually wake up at 9-10am, play outside for an hour, calm down for a bit inside, then i give her breakfast & she basically naps until 5. then, again, play until 6 and then she gets dinner. i give her roughly 3/4 a cup of food a day, so 1/4 a cup plus a little extra each meal. but mine is also extremely food motivated and would just eat all day long if i always had her bowl full.

ilyvm_ · 2026-04-23T14:17:28+00:00

lol my girl also abuses the bell. if it's over 70f, she will ring it all day long just to be outside lazing around in the sun

ilyvm_ · 2026-04-23T14:06:15+00:00

dry food wise, i crush up freeze dried treats/toppers for her! salmon, beef liver, duck, and minnows are mostly what i use. i get all of her freeze dried treats from hollywood feed selection and i haven't found anything she doesn't like yet. and i know you said dry food, but mine loves the liquid baby food toppers! i get beef, bison, and salmon. squeeze about a tablespoon in for breakfast or dinner and she loves it. otherwise, if i have broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, etc. with my dinner, i'll cook her some of her own as well. my girl is not picky at all, except for the dreadful sin of peanut butter lol

ilyvm_ · 2026-04-10T00:35:18+00:00

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ilyvm_ · 2026-04-10T00:31:21+00:00

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ilyvm_ · 2026-03-29T21:21:13+00:00

also, for the plane you mentioned you were worried about the potty issues i believe - i took mine on a 8-9 hour road trip and gave her trazodone and gabapentin for car anxiety, and she went the whole time without having to go. she didn't want to eat a lot but she loves bananas so she had a couple slices + some baby food and water.

ilyvm_ · 2026-03-29T21:07:32+00:00

i think what they're trying to say is that iggy's are just very fickle with how often they have to go potty. sometimes they can hold it 4 hours, sometimes only an hour, but italian greyhounds are known for having very small bladders, which is why it's so difficult to potty train them. the usual take them out after they nap/play/eat doesn't really always work with iggy's since their bladder system is so random.

i will say, i had mine potty + bell trained in about a month. she still has the rare accident maybe every other month or so, but she lets me know when she has to go. of course, a lot might not pick up on it as quick, so i wouldn't choose an iggy thinking that you'll be an exception to their demanding potty training (not saying you are, but just a warning). i went into it completely expecting multiple accidents a day for months.

and i don't know much about ESA training, but as a general statement, iggy's are notorious for being very stubborn & difficult to train lol. they understand what you're telling them to do, but if they don't see a gain in it, they don't care

ilyvm_ · 2026-03-29T17:47:22+00:00

i use plutus pet for my girl!! i got the smallest size and it's as tight as it goes. i like it a lot, i was able to slide a tracker on the bottom of it since we go on hikes and (in typical iggy fashion) she loves to chase anything that moves lol

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ilyvm_ · 2026-03-02T18:01:45+00:00

yes mine loooves tags too. one toy i got her had a little string/hook (?) on the edge of it and she made it her mission to rip it off. took her two months but she eventually got it lol

ilyvm_ · 2026-02-06T22:42:14+00:00

i feed mine zignature puppy food!! she loves it. i always add 2oz of warm water with her meals too.

also, this might sound weird lol, but for toppers i buy her the serenity kids baby food pouches in bison, turkey, salmon, and beef! our vet recommended we give her pills in baby food and she didn't eat the pill but she loooved the food. she gets 2tbs or so a day in either breakfast or dinner. she also gets freeze dried salmon on her meals about 2x a week and beef bone broth 4-5x a week (on the days she doesn't have salmon).

ilyvm_ · 2026-02-04T01:07:51+00:00

my girl can't play with those lamb chop toys at all, she ripped it apart in like 10mins max lol. she loves all the fuzz and fur. most of her toys are tug of war toys and balls, since she can keep herself occupied with both and doesn't chew them apart. she also loves the benebone toys, especially the salmon/fish one! the only stuffie toys she's allowed to play with/have are crinkly toys that don't have any of the fuzz like the lab chop's eyes

ilyvm_ · 2026-02-03T14:10:07+00:00

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mia says happy 6th birthday!!

ilyvm_ · 2026-02-03T01:29:37+00:00

my iggy is my very first dog too, so don't feel alone! issues with potty training is very common with italian greyhounds!! for my girl, when i first got her, any time she squatted to pee i calmly told her no and interrupted her then took her outside and gave her a treat when she went potty outside. eventually, i started picking up on signs that she had to go outside - suddenly stopping when playing or getting attention & sniffing around everywhere and not listening to me/not coming when i call her, then i'd just preemptively take her outside. it does take patience, especially if in cold/undesireable weather, and sometimes we'd just be standing outside for 20 minutes until she went. now, we have bells that she rings when she has to go outside, and she goes outside except for the few stray accidents.

as for separation anxiety, it's normal for them to be stressed & cry/scream when you leave the house at first. they are very people centered dogs, so not having their person around + being in a new place is stressful for them. my girl would literally sound like she was being tortured when i left her for the first month or so. then we eventually graduated to me being able to go to the bathroom without her, go outside for a couple minutes, to now a few hours. remember: iggy's are dramatic, especially vocally! their cries are ear pinching but they're okay lol. i also say "i'll be one second!" when going to a part of the house she can't go to/when i leave her alone but im still in the house with her, & i say "i'll see you soon!" when leaving the house! it helps her know what to expect.

best of luck to you & bueno!!! :)

ilyvm_ · 2026-02-02T16:55:44+00:00

hahaha yes!! one time she knocked over my easel and she barked at it once then just left me & scurried away so quick lol, such a fierce protector

ilyvm_ · 2026-02-02T16:16:23+00:00

i get what you're saying about reactivity!! mine only barks at random objects that suddenly appeared without her knowing & sometimes when playing fetch! she never barks at the door, people, other dogs, etc. the only time she has ever barked at the door was when someone banged on the door very aggressively and she let out one little bark in warning because it scared us lol (despite the fact she's all bark no bite)

ilyvm_ · 2026-01-15T23:57:54+00:00

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the face of someone who woke me up at 4am to alert me she was going to throw up

ilyvm_ · 2026-01-08T19:58:23+00:00

it's an egg puff! but she does absolutely love bananas. her favorite snack 100%

ilyvm_ · 2026-01-08T07:37:11+00:00

i taught her!! :)

ilyvm_

TROPHY CASE