Dog, Just for Fun
Bringing Home a New Puppy – A Few Quick Tips
Dog Bed or Crate
First up, it’s probably the most obvious on the list – a dog bed! I think we all understand just how important it is for a puppy or dog to have their own place to sleep and rest. So, making this a priority on your list is a must.
It is also recommended to consider a dog crate. These can act as a guard to save letting your puppy wander off when you’re not looking. But, it is advised to not lock your puppy in there as a punishment, as this can make the puppy feel unsafe, and they will then think of the crate as a negative thing.
Dog Food
You could actually argue that this is the most obvious on the list, but probably a bit more important. What are they going to eat? Well, the standard advice is to carry on with whatever food the puppy was on where they were previously being held. You can probably keep them on this for about seven days, and then start to wean them off it and gradually introduce them to whatever food you’ve decided on.
Now, picking a suitable dog food can be tricky. Because dogs come in all sizes and grow at different rates, they also have different tastes, whilst some can have specific allergies to certain ingredients. We’d recommend speaking to your vet before deciding on what type of food to feed them.
It is also always important that your puppy has access to clean fresh water at all times. We’d recommend also taking time to look at some stainless steel dog bowls.
Collar and Lead
Puppies cannot walk outside, or at least in areas other dogs have been until they’ve had their vaccinations. Therefore, you can probably hold off on this for a bit, but nevertheless, it’s still an important part of settling your puppy and getting them used to this kind of stuff.
So getting them used to a collar and lead early on will be in your best interest. Also, puppies tend to grow quite quickly, so keep checking that the collar isn’t getting too tight. You should be able to fit two fingers between the collar and the puppy’s neck.
Toys
When introducing dog toys, make sure to take time and look for something that isn’t too hard. Their teeth will not yet be fully developed. But also something they can chew on, as this can help with teething and should stop them from chewing on household furniture.
House Training Pads and Poo Bags
This is probably one of the most challenging parts about bringing home a new puppy – house training. Getting this right early on can be a massive benefit in the long run, and will definitely save time cleaning up in the future! So investing in some training puppy pads is advised. And when they’re vaccinated and ready to get out and about, poo bags will be important as you can be prosecuted if you do not pick up your dog’s waste.
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