A new Puppy can be a bundle of joy, but they are also a big responsibility…
Initial Check off List:
- Your puppy is going to need a place to sleep. Make sure you have a crate and bedding. The crate should have a divider.
- Two dog bowls, one for food and one for water.
- Puppy food. Ask your Vet for a healthy and nutritious food to help him grow but not become overweight.
- Six foot leash and harness. You want to keep him in control without tugging on his developing neck.
- Three or four chew toys to keep him occupied and focused. Stay away from plush toys because he may mistake a pillow as another plush toy.
- Natures Miracle to clean up any potty accidents.
- Several old towels to wipe up accidents and clean his feet when he comes back in the house.
Puppy Proofing your Home:
- Just like toddlers, puppies are very inquisitive and love to explore. This will cause them to get into trouble in places we would never imagine.
- Walk around the area you are going to keep your puppy and examine everything from the floor to about three feet above the floor. Move all electronics, breakable items, plants, and other things you wouldn’t want destroyed out of this zone.
- Make sure that all electrical and speaker wires are not accessible. Think about wire covers, wireless speaker systems, and baby electrical plug protectors.
- Place baby latches on lower cabinets.
- Define where you want your puppy to roam. Put puppy gates across all exits. If there are places you will never want him go to, always keep the door closed.
- Pick up loose rugs in his area. These might become future potty areas or teething/chew toys.
Potty Training Tips:
- Always keep your puppy in your sight or in his crate. He naturally tries to hold his potty in his crate and would rather find a quiet place than to potty right in front of you.
- Measure your puppy’s food so you don’t overfeed him. Monitor his water so he drinks to stay hydrated and not because he is bored.
- If he is overly excited and playing inside, take him out. Pottying normally follows excited play.
- Clean up any potty accidents as quickly as possible. Use a cleanser such as Lavender Fabuloso on hard surfaces and an enzyme cleanser such as Nature’s Miracle on porous surfaces.
- Make a Potty Log to monitor his activity. Review it to understand when he needs to go.
- All the family should help in the potty process.
Spending Time with Your Puppy:
- Never leave small children under the age of eight and your puppy unsupervised by an adult. You never know when a child’s quick movement, poke, or pull might cause a nip.
- Do not play roughly with puppies, even though they might grow up to big, strong dogs. Rough play at a young age teaches the puppy to be rough with humans the rest of his life.
- Socialize your puppy with the world around him. Introduce him to the vacuum cleaner, the broom, a car ride, etc. Do these slowly so he becomes used to them in the safety of your presence.
- Play games where you actively interact with him. Roll the ball to him. Hide a goodie and guide him to find it. Do not play tug of war.
One Last Thing…
- Puppies provide unconditional love and when they do “annoying things”, they don’t mean it. Don’t get mad, take a deep breath and call us for help.
A new Puppy can be a bundle of joy, but they are also a big responsibility…
Initial Check off List:
- Your puppy is going to need a place to sleep. Make sure you have a crate and bedding. The crate should have a divider.
- Two dog bowls, one for food and one for water.
- Puppy food. Ask your Vet for a healthy and nutritious food to help him grow but not become overweight.
- Six foot leash and harness. You want to keep him in control without tugging on his developing neck.
- Three or four chew toys to keep him occupied and focused. Stay away from plush toys because he may mistake a pillow as another plush toy.
- Natures Miracle to clean up any potty accidents.
- Several old towels to wipe up accidents and clean his feet when he comes back in the house.
Puppy Proofing your Home:
- Just like toddlers, puppies are very inquisitive and love to explore. This will cause them to get into trouble in places we would never imagine.
- Walk around the area you are going to keep your puppy and examine everything from the floor to about three feet above the floor. Move all electronics, breakable items, plants, and other things you wouldn’t want destroyed out of this zone.
- Make sure that all electrical and speaker wires are not accessible. Think about wire covers, wireless speaker systems, and baby electrical plug protectors.
- Place baby latches on lower cabinets.
- Define where you want your puppy to roam. Put puppy gates across all exits. If there are places you will never want him go to, always keep the door closed.
- Pick up loose rugs in his area. These might become future potty areas or teething/chew toys.
Potty Training Tips:
- Always keep your puppy in your sight or in his crate. He naturally tries to hold his potty in his crate and would rather find a quiet place than to potty right in front of you.
- Measure your puppy’s food so you don’t overfeed him. Monitor his water so he drinks to stay hydrated and not because he is bored.
- If he is overly excited and playing inside, take him out. Pottying normally follows excited play.
- Clean up any potty accidents as quickly as possible. Use a cleanser such as Lavender Fabuloso on hard surfaces and an enzyme cleanser such as Nature’s Miracle on porous surfaces.
- Make a Potty Log to monitor his activity. Review it to understand when he needs to go.
- All the family should help in the potty process.
Spending Time with Your Puppy:
- Never leave small children under the age of eight and your puppy unsupervised by an adult. You never know when a child’s quick movement, poke, or pull might cause a nip.
- Do not play roughly with puppies, even though they might grow up to big, strong dogs. Rough play at a young age teaches the puppy to be rough with humans the rest of his life.
- Socialize your puppy with the world around him. Introduce him to the vacuum cleaner, the broom, a car ride, etc. Do these slowly so he becomes used to them in the safety of your presence.
- Play games where you actively interact with him. Roll the ball to him. Hide a goodie and guide him to find it. Do not play tug of war.
One Last Thing…
- Puppies provide unconditional love and when they do “annoying things”, they don’t mean it. Don’t get mad, take a deep breath and call us for help.
Follow Us!