Tips for Bringing Home a Puppy

There’s nothing quite like bringing home a puppy. It’s a time of love, happiness and a little bit of frustration. Preparing your home and gathering supplies beforehand can relieve some future stresses. Here are our teams helpful tips and supply recommendations for when your puppy comes home!

Supplies You’ll Need

• Premium pet food to get your puppy off to a good start.
• Stainless steel, non-tip food and water bowls.
• A collar and a leather or nylon 6-foot leash. (Consider using a “breakaway” collar with plastic clips that will unsnap in case your puppy gets hung up on something)
• A home and travel crate that will accommodate your puppy’s adult size. This crate will serve as your pup’s new den at home, when traveling, or when going to the vet. His scent in the crate will provide a sense of security and comfort during these stressful times.
• Stain remover for accidental soils.
• Brushes and combs made specific for your pup’s coat.
• High-quality, safe chew toys to ease with teething.
• Flea, tick and parasite controls.
• Lots of treats, of course!

First Days at Home

Treat your puppy the same you would an infant or toddler, with patience, constant supervision and gentle touch. First, establish a daily routine and follow these steps:

Step 1: Before bringing him inside, show him his designated potty area outside and spend a few minutes there. Be sure to take him to this spot each time he goes outside.

Step 2: Take him to the room with this crate in it. This restricted area will serve as his new “den” for several days. Make the crate comfortable with bedding and chew toys. Leave the door open and line the area outside the crate with newspaper in case of an accident. Let him sniff out the room. If he begins to chew or urinate on his bedding, permanently remove it from the crate.

Step 3: Observe and interact with your puppy while he’s getting used to his new den. This will help create a sense of “pack” and establish you as the pack leader.

Special Concerns

At this age, the way you interact with your puppy is crucial to his socialization. These tips will help acclimate him:

• Don’t bring home a puppy before you go on vacation. You want to be able to spend a lot of time with him so he can adjust to your normal routine.
• Supervise your puppy at all times and interact with him regularly.
• Be alert for sniffing or circling, as these are signs he needs to go to the bathroom.
• A young puppy has no bladder control. He will need to urinate immediately after eating, drinking, sleeping or playing. At night, he will need to relieve himself every three hours.
• Don’t punish an accident. Never push his nose into his waste or scold him. He won’t understand and may learn to go potty when you aren’t looking.
• Praise your puppy every time he goes to the bathroom outside.

Fencing Options

There are several fencing options to chose from to keep your puppy safe in your yard. The one you should pick depends on your puppies personality, your property, and your budget. Here are some options to consider:

• Privacy fencing. These types of fences have no openings and provide excellent containment.
• Underground fencing. These electronic systems cannot be seen, jumped over, or dug under. Wire is buried, configured, and connected to a transmitter. Your dog will wear a special collar that gives warning tones and issues a mild shock when he nears the buried wire.
• Chain link. Inexpensive chain link works well and is durable.

Helpful Hints

• For a comfortable collar fit, allow two fingers of space between your pup’s neck and the collar. Consider using an adjustable collar.
• No teasing. Keeping a toy out of reach will reinforce bad habits such as jumping and excessive barking.
• Feed your pup a formula designed for puppies. Like a baby, he needs nutritious, highly digestible food.

Taking care of a puppy can be overwhelming and exhausting. But with these tips and lots of love and care, you’ll be a great puppy parent in no time.