Preparing for Your Puppy

When you add a puppy to your family it’s not only a big change for you, it’s a big change for the puppy. For most puppies, the first night with you will be their first night away from their mother and their litter mates. This huge transition can be very overwhelming and maybe even frightening for your puppy. These are some of my tips you can use to prepare for your puppy’s arrival.

Prepare a safe place:

As exciting as having your new puppy home is, and as much as you would like to cuddle him/her all night long, it’s important to give your puppy a safe place to retreat. Your puppy needs a place it can go to be alone when it feels overwhelmed or frightened, even if it’s just a small dog bed or a pile of blankets in a corner of the living room. This is especially important if you have a large family and/or small children. On the plus side, puppy’s usually have short attention spans, which means your puppy probably won’t be gone long.

Potty training plan:

Oftentimes, people get a puppy and seem to think the puppy should know exactly what it’s supposed to do. Chances are, even if your puppy was potty trained before you brought it home, it’s going to have potty accidents. Puppies have tiny bladders and short attention spans, and both of these equal potty accidents. Before you bring your puppy home you should have a potty plan. You will need a potty schedule, make sure you take your puppy to potty frequently to help avoid accidents. If you catch him/her in the act of a potty mishap, simply scoop him/her up and take them to their potty area. If your expectations are too high you are going to get frustrated, which is going to affect your relationship with your puppy.

Chewing:

If you’re lucky, you will get one of the very few puppies that doesn’t chew, but odds are your puppy is going to want to chew something he/she isn’t supposed to. To help prevent the stress and frustration for both you and your puppy, you should assess your home for potential problems before bringing your puppy home. Anything that is within the puppy’s reach is in danger of begin chewed on, so if it’s something you care about you should move it higher up. Puppy proofing your home before you puppy moves in is as important as baby proofing your home before your child starts to crawl. Not only will it save you time and money, but could help protect your puppy as well.

Remember that your puppy is like a baby. He/she doesn’t know what you expect from him/her. If you remain patient and take the time to prepare yourself, your home, and your puppy’s surroundings, your puppy’s transition into your family should be relatively smooth for all involved.


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