Wednesday, November 20th 2019
Keep It Calm
When bringing a puppy home, it is helpful to put yourself in their place. They are leaving their mom, littermates and first family. You are still a stranger. You do not want to flood the puppy with experiences and energy. Some people call it the Christmas puppy: where you introduce a dog to their new home in a high energy, overstimulating environment. This type of introduction is detrimental to the puppy. You want to bring a puppy home like a baby: select people with calm energy and lots of positivity. This will better acclimate your pup.
Have Help
Puppies are work, and having help will benefit you. If you work full time, you will need someone to be at home with your puppy during the day. Puppies are in a strong learning period until ~12 weeks old. To maximize the learning, having someone at home to teach and play with your puppy will prove beneficial. If you cannot have someone to help the pup during the day, it may not be the right time for a puppy. You will not be able to enroll the puppy in doggy daycare when you bring them home because they do not have all their shots yet.
Search for a Vet
Most people pick their veterinarian based on proximity to their home. While this is smart in terms of emergencies, it is not the best way to choose a vet. You want to be picky. Ask for a tour of the clinic. If they do not allow tours, it may not be the right clinic. How long does it take to get an appointment? Do they take emergencies or send you elsewhere? We have an article on choosing a vet below.
Be Patient
Just like most things in life, it takes time to get your footing with a new puppy. Even if you’ve had dogs before, getting a new dog is like making a new friend. It takes time to understand each other and how to communicate. It may seem silly, but the relationship will take time to mature. I always tell Bee that I love him more every day because every day I learn more about him. You will become best friends with your puppy, but don’t be upset if it takes a couple days.
Educate Yourself
Owning a puppy means choosing how to care for your companion. Crate training? Diet? Socialization? Activities? All of these factors and more will be part of your responsibility. It is important to understand the pros and cons of each choice you make; therefore, I recommending using published books as a guide because the internet can be contradicting/misleading. We have an article on our favorite below.
Never Yell
Everyone has a different opinion on puppy-rearing, but it is my belief to never yell or get angry at your dog. You will only teach the puppy to fear and distrust you. There are moments that your puppy will disobey or do something bad, but please try to remember that he/she is learning. The best thing you can do to help your pup is to provide constant love and understanding.
Take Caution
Puppies are delicate. They do not have developed immune systems, and they are just getting their footing in the world. I cannot stress how important it is to protect your dog’s health. There are many things to be cautious of, but try to educate yourself on all the risks such as parvo virus, toxic foods and proper socialization. You are your dog’s first line of defense.
Document It
Puppy days are incredibly special, and you don’t get them back. It may seem silly, but take as many photos or videos as you can. Even the videos that you think are dumb in the moment will become sentimental when the puppy is older. I may have used up a lot of storage on my phone, but I don’t regret a single photo or video that I took of Bee growing up.
Get Prepared
Having a puppy is a huge time commitment at the beginning. Although there are ways to have things delivered, it is less stressful to have everything when you bring the pup home. We had Bee’s play area all set up when we brought him home, and I am grateful that all I had to do was put him inside. We also had an emergency kit, toys, food, etc. Better to be prepared!
Thoughtful Fun
When picking toys and activities, try to be thoughtful about the decisions. Not all dog toys and treats are safe, so make sure you are thinking about choking when choosing. Also, the puppy is absorbing so much at the age when they first come home, so try to add variety. When Bee was a puppy, we did some sprinkler toys and a bubble maker to switch things up.