Bringing a new puppy home is always an exciting experience. Perhaps you have been keeping up with their development over the past few weeks and it’s finally time to start thinking about getting your home ready to welcome them. Moving away from their mum and into their forever home can be quite a stressful experience for young puppies, so it’s essential to make sure that you provide them with everything that they need to feel safe, secure, and loved the moment they walk through the door. We’ve put together an ultimate checklist to help you make sure that your new puppy gets off to the best start ever in their new home.
Nutritious Food
Your puppy will be developing for quite some time and as they grow up into an adult dog, you will want to give them the best food and all the nutrients that they need to grow up strong and healthy. A raw diet is often considered to be the best way to do this since it provides dogs with the nutrients that they would naturally get in the wild, and does not contain any wheat, corn, or other carb-heavy filler materials that dogs tend to commonly develop allergies to.
Feeding raw might sound complicated at first, but it’s actually easier than ever, thanks to Bella and Duke. These raw dog food suppliers provide pre-made, pre-packaged raw food meals that are tailored to your dog to ensure that they are getting everything that they need from their diet at every stage of their development. And along with being raw dog food suppliers, Bella & Duke’s website is filled with tons of handy guides and articles to help you ensure that your dog is only getting the best.
A Comfortable Secure Space
Crates for dogs might not look very appealing, but they can actually help your puppy feel more safe and secure, particularly during their first few days in their new home. Dogs naturally look for somewhere warm, cosy, and sheltered to spend their time, so prepare a comfortable crate that has a dog bed, and some water and toys inside for your puppy.
Covering the crate up with a blanket when your puppy goes to sleep is a good way to help her feel even more secure in it. Crate training can also be beneficial to keep your puppy out of danger; when she feels safe in her crate you can leave her there if you need to leave the house and there’s no risk of her getting into something she shouldn’t or chewing up electrical wires and hurting herself when you’re not around.
A Visit to the Vet
Ideally, you should take your new puppy to visit the vet within the first couple of weeks of bringing him home. You should call your local vet and ask for their guidelines – some vets will see your pup straight away while others recommend keeping them at home for a minimum of one week before their first visit.
Once you visit the vet, your pup will need a series of vaccinations that are usually given in three sets and are very important. These protect your dog against serious diseases such as canine parvovirus, and you should not allow your puppy outside, except in an enclosed garden, until the vaccinations are completed. Your vet will also be able to perform a general health check on your pup and provide them with their first round of flea and worming treatment.
Socialization
Even though you won’t be able to walk your new puppy for the first few weeks of having her while you wait for her vaccinations to be complete, these first few weeks are crucial for socializing and what she learns now will stay with her for life. So, come up with as many ways as you can to get your puppy used to everyday life.
Having visitors around is a great idea or take your pup out in the car to meet up with other people to get her used to travel too. You may also want to carry your puppy around the neighborhood for a walk so that she can get used to the smells, sights and sounds – but don’t put her down on the ground until she has been fully vaccinated.
Playtime
Puppies are hugely playful creatures and now you’ve become a pet parent you’re going to become very familiar with the joy that is the zoomies. Puppies tend to have short bursts of crazy activity before tiring themselves out and going for a nap. You can help channel your puppy’s energy by providing her with lots of toys to play with and playing interactive games with her like fetch if you have space. Now is the perfect time to start showing your puppy how to play politely and training her not to bite your wrists and ankles; she will be tempted!
Chewing
Puppies are notorious for chewing and after all, they are teething, so it helps them to have something to gnaw on at all times. And when you have a puppy, you simply can’t have too many chew toys, otherwise, your furniture, shoes, and even your walls are going to get it.
Flavored chew toys are a great choice since they’re appealing to dogs and will distract your pup away from the items you really don’t want them to ruin. Beware of rawhide chews; while these will last for ages and might seem like a great idea for a pup who loves to chew, they can also be very serious choking hazards, so only give a rawhide chew if you are able to fully supervise your pup.
Training
It’s never too early to start training your new puppy! in fact, young puppies are like little sponges and with a few treats and encouraging words, they will quickly begin to pick up what you mean when you ask them to do certain things. Training is a fantastic way to keep your puppy occupied and mentally stimulated at home while you are waiting for him to be fully vaccinated and walks are off the table. You can start by training the basics like ‘sit’ and ‘come’ and move on to cute tricks like getting him to give you his paw. Take it slow and only train one thing at a time to avoid making your pup confused.
Lots of Love!
Finally, what your puppy really wants from you is your love and attention. For a small puppy just starting out in the big world, it can really be a scary place and as his human, you’re going to be his forever best friend. Nothing quite compares to the amount of love that you are going to get from your puppy over his lifetime and the one thing that’s going to make him really happy is having you reciprocate that. Spend plenty of time with your puppy soothing him, petting him, and letting him know that he’s loved and cared for – especially if the change has left him a little stressed and anxious.
Bringing a new puppy home is always an exciting experience, and congratulations, you now have a best friend forever. Keep these tips in mind to make sure that your new puppy gets off to the best start in their new home.
