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What Do You Need to Know About Getting a New Puppy

Welcoming a puppy into your home is an exhilarating experience filled with laughter, cuddles, fun, and that unmistakable puppy smell. However, caring for a puppy entails a lot of responsibility, and preparing your home and family for their arrival is vital.

Puppies, like babies, require a lot of supplies and safety precautions. They will need food and water bowls, treats, toys, and other items to live a healthy and enriching life in their new home. If this is your first puppy or you have never been in charge of a shopping list, you may be unaware of everything you require for your new arrival. Use this new puppy checklist as a guide.

Are You Prepared to Adopt a Puppy?

Puppy care takes a lot of time, despite how adorable they are. If you’ve never owned a puppy, you might need help understanding what you’re about to embark on. Being prepared to purchase a dog, particularly an adult dog, is one thing. An even greater level of dedication is needed when raising a puppy.

Young puppies require three to four feedings per day. After eating or drinking, they must be taken outside immediately to go potty and learn to use the bathroom properly. While they are still being housebroken, puppies will have accidents inside the house. That might require a lot of cleanups.

You might wake up several times during the night because of a puppy. It could be that the puppy needs to use the restroom outside or simply that the puppy is bored.

Leaving a young puppy alone for more than a few hours is not advised. When left alone, the puppy needs to be kept in a crate; this helps with housebreaking and prevents the puppy from gnawing through your entire house. But after a few hours, a puppy can no longer control its bladder.

Some other questions you might want to ask yourself; Are you willing to care for your puppy after leaving work in the middle of the day? Are you able to tolerate being woken up in the middle of the night? Can you devote several hours per week to socialization and training? Do you have any other animals or people living in your house?

Be ready to put in a lot of extra time with your new puppy if you get one, especially in the beginning. If all of this seems excessive but still want a dog, think about adopting an adult dog.

What Breed of Puppy is Best for You?

You’ve considered the advantages and disadvantages of owning a puppy and have determined that the time is now for you to bring one into your home. Now, it’s time to start looking for your new pet right away. But how do you get started?

• First and foremost, decide what type of puppy is best for you. Make a list of the characteristics or characteristics you must have, those you prefer, and those you do not want.

• How big or small do you want your dog to be? Small dogs often thrive in small spaces, which is ideal for city living. Whereas large and giant dogs require more space and lots of exercise time.

• Do you want a dog that stays very active as an adult, or would you rather have one that will likely calm down in a year or two? Think about how much physical activity can you provide.

• Consider the type of hair coat as well. Can you put up with shedding? Or do you prefer a dog that sheds very little instead? While low-shedding dogs frequently need to visit the groomer, does this work with our budget?

Where to Look for Your Puppy

It’s time to start looking for a puppy once you have a general idea of the kind you want.

You might be set on getting a purebred dog. Many people have a preferred breed or want to know more precisely what to anticipate once the dog has reached adulthood. In a purebred dog, characteristics like size and coat type are very predictable. Health issues, personality traits, and energy levels can be predicted only sometimes.

If you decide to purchase a purebred dog, you must exercise caution. Find a reputable dog breeder who has years of experience. Avoid breeding in your backyard. Never buy a dog from a pet store, as these animals frequently come from puppy mills. Avoid purchasing a dog from a flea market or an advertisement; these puppies’ backgrounds are unknown and might be sickly.

It will just feel right when you find the best puppy for you. Most dog owners will tell you they were chosen by their canine friends, not the other way around!

Make Your Home Puppy-Proof

You must set up your house before inviting your little friend in. Make every effort to puppy-proof your home. Destructive puppy behavior is typical and annoying, and your dog may be in danger. Your puppy will undoubtedly discover all the tiny objects that could harm it.

Maintaining constant supervision over your puppy is the best way to keep it safe. While you’re gone, confine your puppy to a crate, avoid leaving for more than a few hours when your puppy is still young. A puppy should only have complete access to the house once it is more mature and trained.

Look for dangers at a puppy’s eye level by getting low:

• In the best-case scenario, conceal all electrical cords.
• Lock cabinets contain food, medications, hazardous chemicals, and other potentially dangerous household items.
• Place indoor plants high, so your dog can’t chew on their leaves.
• Consider purchasing a trash can with a locking lid or hiding the trash can behind closed doors.
• Keep small objects like shoes, clothing, and laundry out of reach. Puppies occasionally swallow or chew on these.

Buying Puppy Supplies

You’ll need plenty of dog supplies before you bring home your new puppy. Begin with the basics before you end up with stuff you don’t need, such as toys your puppy won’t enjoy or beds your puppy won’t sleep in. To begin, you will undoubtedly require the following items:

• Standard leash of four to six feet. Llater, you can get an extra-long one for training.
• ID tags on an adjustable collar
• Pet food and water bowls made of metal or ceramic. Avoid plastic as it may cause skin irritation and is easy for puppies to chew up.
• Good quality puppy food, best suited for their age.
• A simple dog bed with space for expansion as they grow.
• A dog crate with additional space.
• Some basic dog toys. Try one of each: a squeaky toy, a plush toy, a chew toy.
• A grooming tool suitable for your puppy’s coat, such as a brush, comb, or mitt

As your puppy ages, you will need more things, such as grooming tools and preventative medicines. Choose the items your veterinarian can assist with that best suit your dog’s needs.

Finding the Best Veterinarian for You

Within a few days of moving into your home, your new puppy should make their first appointment with the vet. Even if no immunizations are due, the puppy should have a physical examination. This is an opportunity to confirm that the breeder, shelter, or rescue organization did not miss any health issues.

Before bringing your puppy home, it is best to fine a reputable veterinarian. Oftentimes, if you get your puppy from a breeder, you would need to have you puppy checked within a certain time period to not void the health guarantee of the breeder. Look for a veterinary clinic near you. Make sure their prices are within your means and that they have good credentials.

Researching potential vets and asking around are the best ways to find one. Consult with friends and family who own animals. Check online reviews. Even better, meet the staff and tour the hospital to get a sense of the atmosphere.

Bring all the paperwork the breeder or adoption organization provided with your puppy when you take it for a first visit. The examination and the vaccination schedule for puppies will be discussed with you by your veterinarian. Puppies need several essential vaccinations, starting at six weeks old. Within a year of the final dose of the initial vaccination series, some vaccines call for a booster shot.

How to Raise a Puppy Properly

All puppies require special care to ensure they are healthy and happy as they grow older.

• Pick a nutritious diet designed especially for puppies.
• When your puppy first arrives at your house, start house training him. Recognize that this could take weeks or even months.
• Start small when beginning obedience training at home. Be persistent and patient. Don’t be overly strict; let your puppy be a puppy.
• Be sure to socialize with your puppy. Take your puppy to a variety of locations so that it can encounter new sights, sounds, people, and animals. But make sure to only introduce your puppy to healthy, fully vaccinated dogs.
• Enroll in puppy-training courses with a reputable trainer. This will facilitate socialization as well as learning for your puppy.
• Create a schedule that includes physical activity.
• Keep puppy vaccinations and vet visits on schedule.
• Make time for play and bonding. Even playing games with your puppy is fun.

Set up the structure in advance if more than one person in your home will interact with the puppy. When and by whom should the puppy be fed and walked? Make sure everyone agrees on the guidelines for where the puppy is permitted to go. Be consistent in your training by working together. Make sure any kids living there are aware of proper dog behavior. If other pets are in the house, ensure they are appropriately introduced and always under close supervision.