Foundational Puppy Program
At Sassicaia Italian Greyhounds, we are deeply committed to raising our puppies with care and intention. The foundation we provide during the early stages of life plays a vital role in shaping confident, well-adjusted dogs. Every part of our program is thoughtfully designed to support the health, development, and long-term success of our puppies. Since these early experiences happen only once, it’s essential for future puppy owners to choose a breeder who prioritizes proper upbringing and invests in your puppy’s future.
Below is a glimpse into the methods and enrichment strategies we use when raising our Italian Greyhound puppies. You can also follow our journey on social media to see our process in action!
ENS/ESI
The first step is Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) and Early Scent Introduction (ESI). This is performed from the 3rd day through the 16th of our puppies lives.
ENS helps improve cardiovascular health, strengthens heart function, boosts adrenal response, increases stress resilience, and promotes stronger immunity.
ESI enhances scent recognition and builds confidence by exposing the puppies to a variety of scents each day in a gentle and controlled manner.
Handling Exercises
Starting at around 3 weeks of age, we introduce intentional handling exercises. These include gently touching their ears, eyes, paws, mouth, nose, tail, and body. This routine helps desensitize puppies to common types of human contact, which is especially beneficial for households with young children. Early handling creates a strong foundation of trust and helps the puppies feel comfortable being touched and examined.
Sound Desensitization
As the puppies' ears begin to open at around 2 weeks, we begin a gradual process of sound exposure. We start with soft sounds and increase volume and variety over time. Puppies hear different noises during everyday activities—such as thunderstorms, fireworks, kitchen sounds, kids playing, traffic, and more.
This helps them stay calm in noisy environments and adapt quickly to the bustle of family life.
Confidence Through Tactile Enrichment
From 3 weeks onward, we introduce our puppies to a variety of tactile experiences. These start as simple items in the whelping area—soft toys, balls, food items—and evolve into more stimulating challenges like different textures, surfaces, and enrichment tools.
By 5 weeks, the fun really begins! Puppies explore balance boards, balance pads, ball pits, tunnels, musical toys, and even water activities. These experiences promote curiosity, confidence, and resilience, helping puppies grow into well-rounded dogs who trust their human companions.
Car Rides and Transportation Comfort
At around 5 to 6 weeks, our puppies begin experiencing car rides, whether it’s to the vet or just casual drives. This early exposure helps them become relaxed in vehicles and reduces the likelihood of motion sickness in adulthood.
Crate Training Foundations
Crate training begins gently around 3–4 weeks, with open crates available for exploration and rest. By 6–7 weeks, we introduce individual crate sessions, mindful of the fear period that can occur around this time.
Our goal is to have each puppy comfortable spending the night in a closed crate from approximately 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. This helps create a strong foundation for housetraining and gives them a safe, den-like space of their own.
Clean Living Spaces for Healthy Habits
Cleanliness is crucial to our approach. We maintain a sanitary environment that supports both health and early potty training. Puppies are taught from a young age to distinguish between spaces for sleeping, eating, playing, and going potty.
We clean frequently throughout the day, rotating puppy mats, sanitizing toys and surfaces, and maintaining the whelping and play areas. This cleanliness helps prevent illness and instills neat habits early on.
A Thoughtful, Enrichment-Focused Start
At Sassicaia, we believe that confident puppies make happy, successful family dogs. By combining structure, enrichment, and love, we help each puppy grow into a trusting, well-socialized companion. The care we put into every step of their early life is what sets our Italian Greyhounds apart.
