Italian Greyhounds are not the easiest dogs to train. You can make the process go a little easier, though, so we invite you to read our Italian Greyhound training guide for more information…
Italian Greyhounds have a lot of energy, spunk, curiosity, and stubbornness. They’re also very small and fragile. This means that when you train them, you have to be gentle. Because they are so small and fragile, they will not take well to being yelled at or hit in any way. Instead of learning from the punishment you are dealing out, they will simply become fearful and their will distract them from what you’re trying to show them. If given the chance, they will run away and hide from you. If given enough negative reinforcement, they will become skittish around you. They will not trust you and act very shy. When your dog becomes like this, they are no longer good companion animals. That’s why it’s important to be calm and gentle when training an Italian Greyhound. You want them to learn, and to engage in the appropriate activities and behaviors, but you also want them to remain in a positive attitude toward you and other people. So the bottom line is you never want to raise your voice or strike an Italian Greyhound. It will do neither them nor you any good, as they do not learn from negative reinforcement.
As I said, Italian Greyhounds are stubborn and one of the hardest things to get them to do is to use the bathroom outside instead of in your house. Some people don’t even try to get their dog to go outside. They provide a dog litter box and teach their Italian Greyhound to use that. This is one alternative, but you’ll still need to train them to use it. With positive reinforcement, however, you can get your dog to potty outside, even in the rain and cold. The Italian Greyhound is very motivated by benefits that they receive and are quick to associate actions with rewards. If you want your pet to do something, give them a treat after they complete that action. So if you want your Italian Greyhound to use the bathroom outside, let them out on a nice day. When they do their business, give them a small treat. Do this every time they go outside and potty. Soon, they will want to go out even when it’s not nice out because they will want to get the treat afterward. The same concept applies to the litter box method or any other thing you want your Italian Greyhound to do. Give them a treat and let them see that the desired behaviour pays off. Positive reinforcement is the best way to train your Italian Greyhound.
