How to Take Care of a Puppy
Bringing a new puppy into your home is as good as getting a new baby into your home. Before becoming a pet parent, you must be equipped with as much information and knowledge as possible to help you care for your new puppy. Whether you are a new pet parent or an experienced one bringing home a new pup, reading up on the basics of puppy care is always recommended. Here’s a list of tips to help you care for your puppy.
Pick the Right Breed:
Suppose you consciously choose to bring a puppy home from a licensed breeder or a shelter. In that case, you need to know about the various breeds and select the one that suits your lifestyle. The kind of home you have, an apartment or house, and the climate of the state you live in will play an essential role in choosing a breed. A breed that doesn’t require much exercise is suitable if you don’t have an active lifestyle. For warm climates, a Husky or Saint Bernard is not recommended.
Puppy Proofing your House:
Like toddlers, puppies are curious and like to explore. They will sniff, chew and swallow anything they can get their paws on. Therefore, removing or covering all breakables, small objects, electric sockets, exposed wires, rugs, and valuables that the puppy can reach is essential. Puppies are notoriously famous for getting themselves into hazardous situations. Hence sweeping/vacuuming frequently is recommended to prevent them from swallowing anything toxic.
Install Puppy Gates/Puppy Pen:
It is wise to install puppy gates in areas you don’t want your puppy venturing into. For example, the kitchen or the stairs. But remember that puppies can jump or climb over these, so they must be monitored at all times. A puppy pen is your best option to keep your puppy from wandering everywhere in the house.
Essential Puppy Supplies:
Ensure to get all the supplies for your puppy, like chew toys, food and water bowl, leash, collar with identification, a dog bed, and preferably a crate or a kennel. Remember that as your puppy grows up, items such as its collar, bed, and create will need to be replaced with larger ones.
Taking your Puppy to the Vet:
Vet visits are essential so that your puppy gets used to the vet and the vet can monitor its growth. Puppies, like babies, also need vaccines for most common diseases, as the maternal antibodies will fade after they are weaned. Some diseases can be fatal for your pup; therefore, vaccinations are vital.
Puppy Food, Diet, and Exercise:
While at the vet, also ask him about your puppy’s nutrition needs. A puppy’s diet is crucial for its future health and well-being. In today’s world, there are several choices of diet for pets. You can go for premium foods, holistic/natural diets, homemade, and even raw diets. Make sure you choose a food that is appropriate for growth. Usually, puppies are fed three-four times a day, but follow your vet prescribed timings and portions. Puppies are very active and curious but require much less exercise than their adult counterparts. Excessive exercise can lead to life-long issues in their limbs, so moderate the amount of walks/playtime your puppy gets.
Socializing:
Leaving its mom and littermates to move to a new home is a challenging experience for a puppy. Therefore, it is essential to make them feel safe with you and your family in your home. Give them much love, cuddles, and pets to reduce their anxiety. Since puppies are naturally curious, let them meet your friends, maids, postmen, etc., one by one in their own time, and become used to them. To raise a confident pup, also introduce them to bigger dogs, and other pets, one on one.
Potty Training:
Puppies cannot control their bladders and bowels until they are 12 weeks old. Therefore you need to be patient with your pup when you get it home initially. Observe your puppy’s body language to know when it has to go and immediately take it to the designated area. Usually, a puppy will relieve itself after a meal, drinking water, or waking up from a nap.
Your puppy will look anxious, walk in circles, and start sniffing in corners for a suitable place to relieve itself; that is your queue to take them to the yard, outside your house, or in case you live in an apartment, to the bathroom.
Obedience Training:
Puppies are very smart and eager to please; therefore, you should start training your puppy immediately. You can start teaching them basic commands like sit, stay, down, come here, and no as soon as you bring it home. Giving them leash and heel training early is also recommended, so they don’t get over-excited when you take them outside. Along with the basic obedience training, you can also teach your pup boundaries and rules they are supposed to follow in the house.
Training your Pup to be Alone:
This is often overlooked while raising a puppy, and your pup may develop separation anxiety as an adult. You can start by crate training, leaving the room while it is in the puppy pen for a few minutes, and then gradually increasing the time they are alone. Giving the pup something fun to do, like a stuffed food toy, is a great way to ensure they don’t miss you. Slowly your puppy will become confident of staying by itself for a few hours.
Apart from this, ensure you have plenty of fun with your pup and develop a bond. As dogs grow out of the puppy stage very fast, ensure you enjoy your time with them to the fullest and get lots of love and cuddles.
Let us know of any other puppy-raising tips that you know of in the comments below!
References:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Woodhouse
2. https://dtua.org/
3. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/665806/the-art-of-training-your-dog-by-monks-of-new-skete-marc-goldberg/9781682685020
