Bringing home, a puppy is a big deal – for you, your family, and especially for your new puppy. To start things off on the right foot, there are a few guidelines you should follow. Check out our guide to a seamless puppy homecoming.
Prepare for Your Puppy
Once you’ve selected the right breed for your family and picked out a pup at www.mdpuppiesonline.com, you can start preparing for the big day when you bring home the newest member of your family. Make a shopping list of everything you’ll need, including a crate, puppy gates, bedding, food, food and water bowls, a leash, a collar or harness, and ID tags.
Once you’ve got all of your necessities, it’s time to puppy-proof your space. Close off a room or part of a room with childproof gates to keep your puppy from getting into trouble in the rest of the house. Make sure to secure any electrical cords so that your puppy can’t chew on them. Remove anything that he shouldn’t be chewing, such as plants and chemical cleaning solutions. Also make sure there’s nothing in the space that he can break, such as glassware. Inside the gated space, set up your puppy’s crate. Make sure you carefully go through the space and clear it of anything that might cause your puppy to hurt himself.
Start Slow
When you bring your puppy into his new home, make sure you take things nice and slow. Many new pet owners make the mistake of turning the puppy lose in the house at large, thinking that he will want to explore. Don’t do this. Turning your puppy lose in the house will leave him feeling overwhelmed. He may seem excited as he runs from room to room, giving things the once-over with his nose, but this is actually not the case. Your home is an unfamiliar space, full of alien scents, and your puppy isn’t sure there’s an exit.
Instead, introduce the puppy primarily to his new puppy-proof space and save the rest of the house for later. Slowly introduce your puppy to the rest of the house, one room at a time. But wait to do so until after you’ve given him some food and water. Once his belly is full, he’ll feel more secure as he feels out his new living space.
Introduce Your Puppy to His New Family
Even from the very beginning, consistency is key. Soon after you bring him home, take your puppy outside for a potty break. That’s another reason why you don’t want to let a young animal run amok in your house – he may leave you a rather nasty surprise, perhaps on an expensive rug.
Stick to a Routine
Before you bring your puppy home, plan a puppy routine. Decide which family members will feed him at what times. Plan daily walks according to how often your breed of puppy needs to be walked. Puppies need exercise and are much easier to train if they’re consistently releasing the right amount of energy. You’ll also need to schedule potty breaks and figure out the logistics of crate training. That way, your pup will be house trained as soon as possible. Schedule family time with your puppy, but also make sure he spends brief periods alone to prepare him for this inevitability. Many puppies have never been alone before, creating yet another new experience that your pup needs to be eased into.
Make the Necessary Arrangements
Young professionals and working families will inevitably leave their new puppies alone for long periods at a time. Instead of cooping your pup in a crate for hours on end, arrange for a dog walker to come by and give him a break from his solitude. As your pup grows accustomed to his new living space and slowly learns the house, room by room, you’ll also want to further puppy-proof the house. Make sure there are no electrical cords to chew or low-hanging plants to snag.
Puppy Training
For first-time dog owners, training schools can teach both you and your pup a lot about one another. You’ll learn more about how to be an assertive owner, even as your pup learns to obey your commands. Group obedience classes will also give your pup the opportunity to socialize with other dogs, an important aspect of his development.
