Congratulations! You have decided to adopt a new puppy! Adopting a puppy is not so different from bringing home a newborn child. There will be many nights of waking up several times, messes to clean, and frustrations with damaged items. Not to fear, I am about to share our secrets to help reduce (not eliminate) some of your challenges.
Before bringing home your new puppy, let us start with what you need to have at home. A leash and harness are at the top of the list. You will want these available when you pick up your puppy, and they will help train and keep your puppy safe.
Good nutrition is essential as your puppy develops physically and mentally. Start your puppy's diet with high-quality puppy food and avoid supermarket brands. We feed our dogs and puppies Royal Canin® because they produce appropriately sized kibble and formulations specific to your breed and their stage of life. Next, buy appropriately sized feeding bowls with broad and heavy bottoms to avoid slipping and spilling. There are other high-quality dog foods on the market, so do your research and start your puppy's life with good nutrition.
Puppies require a safe, quiet place to sleep. Dogs do not like to potty where they sleep if they can help it. We recommend purchasing a crate and starting crate training upon bringing your puppy home. The crate affords the puppy a place to rest and retreat if feeling stressed or tired. It is a great place to sleep, and it will help avoid some common mishaps such as chewed-up socks and shoes or potty on the floor. It also gives you a place to keep your baby when you cannot carefully watch him.
Speaking of sleeping brings us to another essential item for your puppy. Your puppy was just taken from its mom and litter mates and will be lonely. I recommend purchasing a toy animal for the baby to sleep alongside. A toy similar in size to your puppy can comfort, help him sleep better, and may reduce whining/barking. Snuggle Puppy® offers a plush dog with a heartbeat to mimic a litter mate or mother. *Optional addition: a heating pad for additional comfort and calming.
A safe place for the puppy to play outdoors is also essential. Puppies do not always listen well, and they can run into the path of a car without any notice. We recommend fencing your yard or a portion of your yard for safety. A portable plastic/PVC fenced area may work well for smaller dogs. Plastic fences like this can also be helpful inside to restrict the puppy's wandering or keep them on the tile floor.
Young dogs need to chew, and you want to control what they chew. Have a few chew toy options available, determine your puppy's favorite chew toy, and use the toy as a training aid. When your young dog chews on something puppy is not supposed to, firmly say, "leave it," and replace the object with the puppy's favorite chew toy. Other important toys are a ball, a tug toy, and an interactive toy or two.
Puppy toys have many uses as you raise your dog. Puppies have abundant energy, and puppy toys are a great way to burn off some energy. Not only do they help to consume some of their boundless energy, but they can keep them from boredom. Bored puppies find things to chew on and trouble to cause. As I mentioned before, chew toys, a ball to chase, and a tug toy are all helpful. There are also some great interactive toys to stave off puppy boredom that you should consider. Outward Hound® makes excellent interactive toys. Another interesting device, not so much a toy, is a snuffle feeding mat. Snuffle feeding makes feeding time more interesting for your puppy. Some dog owners report their puppies are calmer after using a snuffle mat.
Be prepared for puppy messes. All puppies will have accidents and make other messes when chewing and eating. Have plenty of paper towels, cleaner, and patience on hand.
Buy your puppy some puppy treats. Treats combined with positive affirmation are a great way to start. You will need to create a training and socializing program immediately. We recommend Puppy Culture® programs for the best outcomes for your puppy. A good puppy class can be an excellent addition to solidify training and socialization for you and your puppy.
Additionally, we recommend buying a training clicker and learning how to properly implement it in your puppy training. I also recommend a puppy training book to assist your training. The book or books should instruct in potty training, crate training, socializing, and obedience. Regardless of how you decide to train your puppy, ensure you choose a plan and be ready to implement it when you bring your puppy home.
PREPARING FOR NEW PUPPY SHOPPING LIST
Leash
Harness
High-Quality Puppy Food (i.e., Royal Canin)
Weighted Wide Food and Water Dishes
Crate
Crate Pad
Heating Pad*
Plush Sleeping Toy (i.e., Snuggle Puppy®)
Ball
Tug Toy
Chewing Toy
Interactive Toy
Paper Towels
Cleaning Solution for Puppy Messes
Puppy Treats
Training Clicker
Puppy Culture® Books, DVDs, VOD
Puppy Training and Socialization Books
Puppy Fence
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