Preparing to Bring your Puppy Home

Watch cesar milans rules for getting a puppy ...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6An7kahUhK

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Welcoming a new puppy home is a really exciting time. Puppies are adorable and fun but they are also energetic and time consuming. This is one of the toughest changes your pup will ever have to go through, so every detail counts from the moment you bring your puppy home, a puppy can bring joy and happiness to any home when care and thought is given to its needs so lets make it easy for them by preparing your home to make your puppy on their arrival less stressful for them as they leave the security of their mother and littermates, ready to experience a multitude of new sights, sounds and smells.

Teaching them to fit in to be a part of your life and the decisions you make for them on their health, nutrition, socialising and training, needs to be just right for them as they counting on you for their future development, behaviour and providing security, love and affection.

The time and effort spent will be returned many times over in companionship, devotion and unquestioned love. 

Research a quality puppy trainer, you don't have to select one as close to home as possible, only to be disappointed at the lack of the quality in the classes, look around, so that you find a knowledgeable trainer.

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Puppy proof your home inside and out, you have time to look around inside your home and backyard, not forgetting what plants you might have that are toxic to dogs. 

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The Backyard

• Check your fencing is secure that your pup can't escape through gaps in the fence or previous holes.

• Teach everyone to shut the gate/s if you have them, they are opportunist, they will see it and grab it and don't understand danger.

• Check shed/roller door/pool access is secure.

• Puppies often look straight ahead and don't see depth yet, so help them with steps and stairs inside and outside and don't allow them to slip on floors.

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Inside

• Start by working out what rooms/area you would like your puppy to settle in, that is a designated smaller area you will allow access to start with, this helps to not overwhelm them with the entire house all at once. This small area will be a positive secure place for a crate or pen area to be spending lots of play and cuddle time.

• Temporarily remove anything that your puppy might chew: cords, rugs etc. until they can be trusted not to chew on them.

• Secure anything that a curious puppy might have access to on low shelving in the kitchen etc.

• Choose your veterinarian if you haven't had one before.

 

Make sure you have these essentials to keep your puppy happy...

• Food

• A jar of training treats on standby...always

• Stainless steel food and water bowls as they are chew proof and easy to clean

• Multiple leads/collar

• Grooming tools

• Treat pouch, clicker

• Crate/pen for inside and out

• Car travelling crate or harness

• Bedding they can grow into

• Toys

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Children and the Family

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Parents are committed to the mix of their children and the new puppy and shouldn't assume they do not need supervision. Discuss with your children some basic ground rules that everyone must agree on.

Toddlers are the most difficult because they are harder to reason with and are unpredictable and can treat them like a toy. 

• Never allow the pup to join in running games with children, they will think of them as prey and might being to nip and chasing them will frighten them.

• Never allowing teasing, always showing children to be gentle and calm.

• Never allow aggressive play and avoid tug of war with a puppy, this can lead to biting and aggressive behaviour.

• Never argue about who is going to hold your puppy and never scream at the puppy when they do something wrong, they are not deaf and do not respond well to shouting, never hit or loose your temper at your puppy.

• Never wake a sleeping puppy, they need their rest to0.

• Always be cautious around meal times and especially with bones, never leave children without adult supervision at the pups meal time, we do not want growling/guarding to start over the food bowl or when your child is snacking on food accessible by the pup.

• Always communicate well as to who is going to feed the puppy and use identical training words to avoid confusion.

• Always teach sitting quietly and allowing the pup to approach when the pup is ready.

• Never leave puppy alone with young children.

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Teach the children that the pup will explore things as this is natural for them, including little hands, they will jump when excited until taught to sit. (See page: First Days: Section Jumping on you and Furniture)

They will take their shoes, socks and toys if left around at the pups level, it's a good idea to get down low on the floor to see what the pup will see. (See page: First Days: Section Chewing)

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Are you bringing your puppy home to another dog?

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Consider the needs of any other pets you may have. Ensure they are up to date with health checks and vaccinations.

Do not change the habits of your other pets when bringing your new puppy home, they may feeling it already as this new puppy needs constant attention with house training, 3 meals a day and obedience training etc.

 

The first meeting is best to be done outside the front of your house or neutral ground, as there is plenty of room rather than inside, supervise them both and play for a short period of time and always be near, when you make your way inside, have your puppy inside and have your pups new friend on the outside, they will both be overexcited, but have your puppy focus on you and allow them both to settle seeing each other through the back door/window etc, then allowing short interactions together inside and outside gradually increasing exposure while preserving a tranquil atmosphere. Always keep an eye out for signals of tension or discomfort in their body language.

Use praise and toys to promote good interactions. Keep any children calm.

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