Things to know with a new puppy
New puppies are a great addition to any family but they can sometimes be a bit of a handful. Here are some great tips for new puppy owners.
Be Prepared
Being prepared is the key to getting a new puppy to feel at home. Before bringing the puppy home make sure you have all the necessary supplies already. This includes food, bowls, leash, collar or harness, a bed, and most importantly lots and lots of toys and treats.
Other then having all the “stuff” you will also need to be ready in other ways. One decision that needs to be made is how you are going to house train your new puppy. You need to decide where your new puppy will sleep, in bed with you or in their own bed. Where you will have the food dish, and when feeding time will be. You will also need to make sure that everyone in the house understands these decisions so the puppy has a consistent message from everyone and isn’t confused. These are all things that help the new puppy feel at home in your home and help them get adjusted as fast as possible.
Be There
Plan on bringing your new puppy home when you have some time to spend with them. You don’t want to bring them home to a new home and then leve them there alone all day. You should at the very least try and have a full weekend to be there to help the puppy feel at home before being left alone all day. After the puppy starts to become adjusted to the new home give them an hour or so alone before being gone a full day.
Let Them Explore
When you get home for the first time let your puppy wonder around and explore their new home. Puppies will want to wander around and smell everything. They are going to want to explore the new smells and check out everything.
Get some Exercise
Getting exercise is great for both you and your new puppy. No matter what size puppy you have exercise is important for physical and mental well being. After the puppy has had a little time to explore their new house you will want to get them outside so they can go potty and explore the outside. They will want to explore the outside space as much if not more then the inside space. This can also help the new puppy get settled in to their new home.
Puppies are full of energy but they run out fast also. After a little exercise its a good idea to introduce your new puppy to their bed. They might be ready for a small nap after all the exercise. Getting them adjusted to the new bed helps them feel safe and know they have a space thats theirs, somewhere they can sleep and play.
Lots of Potty Breaks
You may have gotten a puppy that’s already potty trained. That’s fantastic but puppies are still small and need to go often. Puppies are good to try and let you know when they need to go but they don’t always have much time between needing to go and going. You need to take many potty breaks during the day so they don’t find a place inside they feel they are comfortable going. After a trip outside you can also give them a treat to encourage the idea of going outside.
Keeping these things in mind will help you and your puppy adjust to being together. Keep in mind puppies are great friends but take a little patience at times.