Savvy Pet Tips

What You Wish You Would Have Known Before Getting a New Puppy

What You Wish You Would Have Known Before Getting a New Puppy

When you first get a puppy, it can be similar to having a new baby in the home. You need to train it, feed it and quite often will be up in the night with him or her. A lot of people can find themselves wondering what they have gotten themselves into. It can feel a bit overwhelming if you aren’t prepared and that is why you need to read this article. This will help to prepare you for getting a new puppy because proper training and care is crucial during the first few months of a puppy’s life. The experiences they have will set them up for the rest of their life. So you want those to be positive ones. So here is a selection of little tips that can help you to make those first few months run smoothly. Good luck as a puppy is completely worth it!

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Prepare Your Home

Like with a baby or toddler, things in your home can and will get destroyed. So while you are in the midst of training your puppy, it is a good idea to prepare your house for what is coming. Getting things like baby gates for the stairs are a great idea. You can even put them on doorways to keep your puppy out of certain rooms. If your puppy is left to roam free, who knows what will happen. So keep your puppy in the places you want them to be with stair gates. Other tips to prepare your home are by having things like newspaper put down. This can be most helpful when you are toilet training them, especially if you have carpet. You’ll want to toilet train them as soon as possible so check out this Pupster Passion article for help.

Another thing to consider at home is using cleaning products that are not ammonia-based. The smell of it to puppies is similar to urine. That ammonia scent increases the chances of your puppy using that area as a toilet, more often than not. Use more natural based cleaners when you have a puppy to help prevent this dilemma.

Read Up About Your Breed of Puppy

While there are general things that work for all dogs, some breeds of dog need specific care or treatment. For example, if you have a Basset Hound or a bulldog, they can be quite low energy breeds. They won’t need as much walking as Dalmations, Terriers or retrievers. So knowing some specific information about your breed of dog is extremely helpful. This is especially key if the breed of dog you have is a little more unusual. If you were thinking of getting a Siberian Husky, for example, then you’d need specific info on Siberian Husky puppies. That way you will be best prepared to care for them.

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Give Them Time Alone

It is important to not create any kind of separation anxiety with your puppy. So to help prevent this, it is a good idea to give them time alone. If they have a kennel or a crate, give them some time just in there. When you do this or when you leave the house, don’t make a big deal out of it. The less fuss there is, the less your puppy will become bothered. When you do leave them in the house, it might be a good idea to keep the radio on or perhaps the TV. Having a little background noise will help them quite a bit. This will all work to help prevent any kind of separation anxiety.

See a Vet

In the first few months, there will be many things that you need to see a vet for. So research vets in your area in advance and make sure you know where to take your puppy. There are vaccinations for your puppy, as well as other checks that will be needed. It is good to have regular checkups with the vet, as dogs can be pricey when it comes to anything major at the vet. So it might be worth looking into insurance for your pet too. It can save you a heck of a lot of money in the long run.

Remember They Are a Puppy!

It can be hard in the early days as your puppy may bite a little or scratch on furniture. You need to be careful to not overreact. You have to remember that they are still a puppy! They are learning not to bite or scratch. Even if your dog is just a puppy though, they are still able to bite and cause injury. If you have been in a situation similar to this, it may be within your best interest to speak to a personal injury lawyer las vegas (if you live in and around this area) to help give you professional advice on what to do next. This can be a lot for anyone to go through, even if you love dogs.

Remember that they will not be there immediately and reacting in any negative way, like shouting or pushing them away can be quite detrimental. So take your time and be patient with them. They are only little and will learn the well behaved ropes eventually.

8 Comments

  • vickie couturier

    good information,,everyone should know this before getting a puppy,its like getting a baby a lot of care

  • Lynne B

    I agree with you that it’s important to read up on the breed you’re getting so that there aren’t any surprises.

  • K-Squared

    The worst thing you can do is be unprepared to that of what is meant for you to know, understand and do before taking on such a responsibility! The member of the family that’s going to have the largest impact is our four-legged member so be sure to research as you would that of a gift for a very special person!

  • Kristen Schwarz

    This is a great read that everyone should read before getting a dog. Sometimes people don’t realize what a huge responsibility it is.

  • Majenica Moles

    Everyone should be required to read this before they get a dog as a Christmas gift for their child. It saddens me that people get pets as gifts, just to take them to the shelter because they don’t have time or they don’t want to deal with them.

  • Dotty J Boucher

    I think its so important to find all the information on the puppy you are planning on adopting, and we like alone time, so do they..
    @tisonlyme143

  • Lynne B

    I think it’s very important to do your homework i.e. all the things you listed, before getting a new puppy. I think it’s terrible when people get a puppy and are in love with it until it starts to get bigger or they think it chews too much; and then they drop the puppy off at the shelter.