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Preparing for your puppy to come home

Preparing for your puppy to come home

Any dog owner will know that the first few months of having a puppy at home requires work and a lot of preparation. Below are some important tips for preparing for the arrival of your cute puppy:

 

Create a ‘safe area’ for your furry friend

This can be a playpen or a large box and doesn’t have to cost much. But it’s definitely important to prepare a puppy friendly zone before your pup arrives home. Make their ‘safe area’ a comfy place for the dog to play, sleep and eat. Place newspapers on the ground of the area for when they need to go toilet (change daily), as well as the food and water bowls and of course their comfy dog bed.

 

Prepare the bedding

Speaking of bedding…. another must before your adorable friend comes home is setting up the bedding. Experienced dog owners all have their different preferred type of bedding, but make sure that the doggy bedding you use is waterproof and that the cover is washable, just in case of any accidents. There’s a wide range of doggy beds out there to suit the needs of different canines. For example if your new puppy has an odour problem you can purchase an ‘odour eliminating’ dog bed.

 

Puppy proof your house and garden

Once you’ve done setting up the ‘safe area’ and choosing some comfy bedding, you’ll have to consider the rest of your home and garden. Just like baby proofing, there are some dog proofing activities that should take place before your puppy arrives home. Many dog owners will attest to the fact that puppies love chewing beautiful leather high heels (especially when they’re teething) and also love to wreak havoc, with all that little doggy energy. Make sure you put away any dangerous cords, tools and household products, because puppies have a huge amount of energy and love to get stuck into anything they can get their paws on.

 

Buy some fun puppy toys

A great way to prevent your pup from making your expensive shoes their next lunch is to buy them some fun chewy toys. This doesn’t have to cost you a fortune as you can purchase dog chew toys online, or in your local supermarket. So whenever you see your puppy chewing on something they shouldn’t be give them the chew toy instead. They will soon understand what is bad to chew (your furniture) and what is good to chew AKA their chew toy. Keep in mind that it’s better to get a chew toy that is also a dental toy.

 

Stock up on puppy appropriate food

Puppies are largely carnivores, so it’s important to remember this if you’re considering making your own dog food. Natural dog foods should be made of human-grade raw meat and it’s important to avoid any pet meat that contains sulphite preservatives, also don’t give your pup any cooked bones. Of course not everyone will want to make their own dog food, so when purchasing dog food from the store make sure the food is high quality and is appropriate to your puppy’s age by reading the packaging.

 

Bringing a puppy into your home is an exciting experience, and is very rewarding. All the best with your puppy dog training.

 

 

Author bio: PawClub’s Dr Katrina Warren is a veterinarian who first appeared on our television screens in 1994 as a presenter on the children’s show, Totally Wild. Dr Katrina regularly appears across all media platforms- television, radio, print and internet. Katrina is passionate about helping people enhance the special bond that is shared with pets and currently shares her home with her daughter, Charlotte, a Maine Coon cat called Mr Fox and an adopted Golden Retriever called Riley.

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