One of life’s delights is bringing home a new pet. Although the experience is exciting, it can be quite tiring if you haven’t prepared well for the arrival of your new pup. A puppy is like a new baby. Before the arrival of a new baby, you ensure that you make all the necessary arrangements for the homecoming of your bundle of joy. The same case also applies if you want to adopt a new pet.
Once you have held household discussions with your family on the puppy you want, you need to make various preparations. Adopting a new puppy can only go smoothly once you anticipate and make your home friendly for the newest addition in your family. Let’s look at some of the tips to help you prepare your home for a new puppy.
1. Sleeping arrangements
It’s not easy figuring out a sleeping arrangement for a new puppy. You might get tempted to allow your new-found pet into sleeping with you on your bed. Instead, you should prepare a cozy nest for them to sleep in, such as a puppy crate, and put a cozy bed inside. You can neatly place newspapers inside to soak up spilled water.
The puppy bed or crate should be placed in a quiet corner where you can observe the puppy while inside. Additionally, this will give the puppy a good rest since it will be far from the noise. Also, make it a habit that no one should disturb the puppy while sleeping.
2. Get appropriate toys
Ensure that you get your pup lots of new, fun, safe, and durable toys prior to coming home. You have to keep in mind that pets explore their surrounding with their mouth and mostly when they’re young. It’s your duty to ensure that you keep materials that shouldn’t be chewed or licked far from reach.
You can stock a toy box next to the puppy to play as a distraction and for comfort. Ensure the toys you get are the perfect size for your dog. For example, you should buy balls that are large enough to carry but not too small since they can easily be swallowed, endangering the life of your new pet.
3. Puppy proof your home
Before bringing your new friend home, you need to puppy-proof your home. You need to ensure that you remove all your valuable and precious items from the puppy’s reach. Also, scan your house as this might highlight hidden dangers in which a small puppy can get stuck or hurt when exploring. Also, remove jewelry and other valuables from nightstands as they might get damaged. Instead, place them in a faraway place away from the reach of the new pup.
4. Educate Young children on how to behave around a new puppy
Kids are unpredictable, and that is why it’s necessary to educate them on how they should behave around a new puppy. The first thing to educate your children on is respect. They should respect the puppy (and vice versa), and this will create a strong bond between them. You should teach them how to play with the dog and how to give it attention. A child’s idea of attention might be different than your dog’s.
The second thing you should inform your children is that dogs don’t like to share. One of the significant causes of dog bites is resource guarding. This is whereby a dog becomes aggressive when they see a person or animal getting close to something they believe belongs to them. Tell your kids that they should not be anywhere near when your puppy is chewing a bone or eating treats. Also, ensure that you avoid leaving your kids unattended when your dog is eating.
5. Appropriate food and feeding schedule
Once you welcome your new puppy home, you need to feed your new companion with high-quality food and come up with a good feeding schedule. You need to give your puppy appropriate food to live a healthier life. The problem with most pet foods in the market is that they don’t have higher minerals and vitamins.
It’s perfectly okay (and natural) to feed a puppy a raw food diet. You can refer to this feeding guide if you’re interested in a raw food diet for dogs. Raw feeding comes with a range of benefits including high natural vitamin and mineral content, it’s more digestible, and free from additives and preservatives. Certain commercial dry foods come with a whole host of preservatives and contain fillers and grains which are not beneficial for your dog.
It’s vital that you come up with a consistent feeding routine as this will help your puppy train well and make them less fussy.
6. How to train your puppy
It’s not easy to train a puppy. They bark consistently and go to the bathroom in the house. Training a pup can bring order in a household, and it can also help you have a strong bond. Some of the things you need to train your dog include using a crate, how to socialize, how to walk on a leash, bathroom rules, and how to sit. You can train your dog for at least 15 minutes daily. The 15 minutes can be divided into 5 sessions throughout the day. Also, let your family members partake in the session and remember to train your puppy in every room.
7. Toilet training
One of the critical steps to take once you bring your new puppy home is toilet training at the right place and time. House soiling is one of the main reasons why dogs end up in shelter homes or homeless. You should come up with a house training routine for your dog.
Puppies have a small bladder, and solid waste and water pass through them quickly. You have to ensure that you give your dog enough time to release the waste. Make a habit of taking your puppy to the toile first when they wake up, before going to bed, after eating, after playing indoors, and after drinking. Also, train them in a specific place where they are supposed to potty and let them know the off-limits places.
It can be overwhelming bringing a new puppy home to join a new family. At the end of the day however, even with all the ups and downs, there are few greater joys that a new puppy can bring to a home. Show them lots of love and affection, and you will be gifted a loyal friend for life!
BIO: Melissa Smith is a pet lover, part time pet-sitter and writes for Raw and Fresh on all things pet-related. She adores her pug, Samson, and chester cat, aptly names Chester.