A puppy, much like a child, is a lot of work and any prospective puppy owner should be prepared in the fact that it’s not all cuddles and cuteness — although there is plenty of that too. The reality is that until you have your new routine established, there will be plenty of bumps in the road and frustrations. So it’s a good idea to be prepared before you pick up your new adorable family member.
Puppy Proof Your Home
Puppies love to chew — shoes, handbags, wallets, table legs, anything they can get their mouths around. Not only can this cause substantial damage to your home and possessions, but there are hundreds of hazardous items around the home that could bring harm to your precious new pet. Make sure your puppy can’t get hold of cleaning products or electrical cords. If an item is left out by any member of the family, then it’s fair game and the puppy can not be punished for chewing it. After all, how are they to know what’s ok to chew and what’s not? Consider investing in a playpen for your puppy for when you are not in the room to supervise.
Have Everything You Need Ready
You wouldn’t bring a baby home without the appropriate equipment, and the same rings true for your new puppy. Your new addition will need a cozy bed to call its own — but remember, beds will often get destroyed — so avoid investing too much at this stage. You will also need a collar and leash with an ID tag attached, along with bowls and food, exercise pen or baby gates, size-appropriate chew toys, grooming tools, shampoo, an enzymatic urine cleaner and most importantly, treats.
Do Your Paperwork
As boring as admin is, it is necessary and ensures the health and safety of your little bundle of joy. So, make sure you microchip your fur baby and register them with a vet like heartandpaw.com so they can stay up to date on all their vaccinations and medical checks. Depending on your schedule, consider finding a groomer and pet sitter.
Make Introductions
Introductions to family members and resident pets should be done calmly and in a safe, supervised environment. It is an exciting time for you all and potentially very overwhelming for your new puppy. Consider sending the breeder a heartbeat pillow to put with your puppy’s mother before collecting your pup. This can then go in your puppy’s bed and should smell and sound comforting for the first few nights away from the litter. Make sure your puppy meets as many new people as possible for socialization purposes and give guests
treats to reward your puppy with.
Teach and Train
Potty training should commence as soon as your puppy arrives, so make sure you are already versed in the kindest techniques. Each dog is different, and some may require more patience than others. Start recall early as this can save your dog’s life down the line. Take your puppy to socialization classes with other puppies where you can teach them basic commands in an environment where there are distractions.
This post was written by Bill Clark. Bill is a freelance journalist who specialises in writing about culture and the arts, however will write about anything that piques his interest including business, travel and lifestyle. He can be reached on Twitter @BilboClark01.
