If you’ve decided to bring home a puppy or an older dog; congratulations, they’ll be your new best friend before you know it. However, you’ll need to be prepared for some hard work, before pup will successfully integrate and become a member of the family. The following are some things to consider to help your new dog’s arrival go as smoothly as possible.
Dogs are at the heart of your home
Get To Your Vets ASAP
Your dog will need regular trips to the vets, even when they’re not unwell, for flea prevention, veterinary dental work, vaccinations, and general checkups. It’s, therefore, a smart idea to get acquainted with your local veterinarian practice before your furry friend arrives home. You can book in for an initial checkup for the day, or within the following couple of days, that you pick your puppy up.
It’s especially important if you’ve chosen a rescue dog, to ensure they’ve had a full medical examination and all their vaccines, as you won’t know their history. If you’re bringing your new canine home to live with your other dogs, you want to eliminate any risk of them passing on illnesses and diseases, and ensuring they’ve already seen the vet will take a weight off your mind. Your local vets will also have some useful contacts for dog trainers and groomers and will be able to advise you on what, and how much, you should be feeding your dog.
Create the Right Environment
You’ll need to make sure that your dog or puppy has an area that they will know is their own. Dogs enjoy time out and will usually return to a place where they sleep, and that feels secure. So, put their bed and blankets under a cover, or in a corner somewhere in your home. If you’re bringing home a new puppy; they’re unlikely to be toilet trained, so bear that in mind, when deciding what rooms they are and aren’t allowed inside. Expensive items should be picked up off the floor, to reduce the risk of them being chewed or peed on; new pups tend to spend a lot of their time chewing and peeing in places they shouldn’t.
Take a thorough look around your house and garden to check for any hazards; you’ll need to brush up on your pet safety and make sure your home is a safe-haven for your new family member. In the first few weeks (and let’s face it, months), you’ll need to be extra vigilant to ensure your pup isn’t putting themselves in harm’s way because you don’t want them to have to learn the hard way.
Plan Ahead
It might be a wise choice for you to take some time off work when you plan to welcome your new dog into your life. New pups have been taken away from their mum and will be frightened and unsure of their new surroundings, so they’re likely to whine, cry, bark, and howl for attention during the night. Whatever you feel is the best method of training for your dog, for them to sleep quietly through the night, it can take a week or longer for the noise to die down. Therefore, some time off work is advisable and will give you the chance to get them into a routine and start with the essential training.
