Puppy Preparation Crash Course: What to Do Before Bringing a New Dog Home
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For any dog owner, bringing home a new puppy is a lot like welcoming a human baby into the home. With that arrival comes so much anticipation and excitement—and, all too often, the surprise guests of panic, anxiety, and overwhelm are right there too. Even experienced dog owners can find themselves exhausted and regretful, especially if they’ve never raised a puppy before.
Puppy-raising can easily start to feel like the blind leading the blind. The process requires hard work, and nerves are completely normal and justified. It is possible to set both yourself and your puppy up for success. A little thoughtful planning and preparation ahead of time can make this new chapter much more enjoyable for everyone involved.
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Puppy-Proofing Your Home for Safety
Just like baby-proofing, a new puppy requires a thoughtful evaluation of safety risks in the house. When they’re not sleeping, puppies are supposed to be inquisitive and explore everything around them as they learn about the world. Their lack of experience and insatiable curiosity can be endearing. However it can also lead to tragedy if we’re not careful, so you have to be vigilant.
Puppies are also going to have limited control of their bathroom habits, especially when first arriving, and be unsure of the daily routine. The tendency to chew anything in reach can also be a real risk to both your home and the puppy.
Before the new pup arrives, work together as a family to make a checklist of safety risks in each room. Electrical cords, toxic plants, cleaning products and easily ingestible materials must be kept out of the way. Also take note of anything a puppy might accidentally damage with their little teeth. It’s easy to underestimate how quickly a moment of distraction can result in a puppy finding fun activities that result in household damage.
Map out what spaces in the home are best suited for puppy playtime. Novice owners can especially benefit from management strategies to limit any effects of accidental damage. Consider using playpens and leashes indoors to limit freedom while a puppy is learning. This is puppy proofing at its finest.
Potty Training Your Puppy from Day One
It’s essential to have a reliable bathroom spot for your puppy to imprint on from the first day home. First, determine an outdoor spot that’s a safe area and secure for the puppy to learn to use the bathroom. If you don’t have a yard, map out nearby outdoor spaces you can bring the puppy on leash, or order a fresh grass patch subscription that can be used on a balcony or patio for easy access. If an outdoor option isn’t possible in your set up, designate an indoor “litterbox” space that’s clearly designated as the bathroom space.
Many new puppy families fall into the trap of covering their home with pee pads, not realizing their dog has just learned that all of the indoor spaces are a lovely toilet option. The extra time and effort managing your puppy’s bathroom routine and freedom in the home can drastically affect their long-term performance. Consistency from first arrival will help build strong potty training habits that keep your home clean and your puppy reliable for their entire lifetime with you.
Essential Puppy Supplies Checklist
Your new four-legged friend is arriving soon. You should have all your puppy supplies accounted for and set up in advance. Rather than frantically searching stores and waiting on deliveries, you’ll be able to be fully present for the new puppy and put all your focus on bringing them home.
Basic Puppy Essentials
- A crate (enough room for the puppy to lay comfortably but not enough space for them to have a bathroom area).
- Exercise pens for restricting freedom (can be useful indoors and outdoors).
- Plenty of safe chews and toys (you can never have too many toys!).
- Bowls for food and water.
- Cozy and washable bedding.
Food, Training, and Travel Gear
- Puppy food (keep your puppy on the same diet they had been eating before coming home).
- Training treats (the most important item, if you ask me).
- Travel carrier and/or seat belt attachment for the car.
- Leash/walking equipment and ID tags.
- Cleaning wipes and enzymatic pet cleaner for any accidents.
Building a Puppy Support System
Your essential support system is crucial as you welcome a new puppy into your home. Research and consider professional support systems ahead of time. This professional team will not only provide their expertise to prepare you for the puppy’s arrival, but will be primed and ready to assist your family with any needs and challenges during this potentially stressful time.
Veterinary Care
Your veterinarian will be your puppy’s primary care doctor. Have an exam booked right after the puppy’s arrival to ensure baseline health records are up to date. Always save the contact information for your closest emergency vet, just in case.
Puppy Training and Behavior Help
As a trainer, I love when clients consult me and begin the learning process even before the puppy arrives. Proactive clients are able to have an informed homecoming plan in place. Damage control in the moment can be a disaster: scrambling for professional guidance, running up against limited availability and waitlists.
Daily Care and Coverage
For busy families with schedules to coordinate, there needs to be an established plan for puppy coverage. Whether that’s a family calendar rotation, or outsourcing help from a puppy nanny, walker, or friend who can be hired to spend time with the puppy when needed.
Creating a Puppy Homecoming Plan
For puppy arrivals with travel factors, consider transportation options and size limitations as far in advance as possible. If your puppy will require air travel, make sure you are well-versed in airline restrictions and requirements for pets in the cabin (inside a travel bag) as well as flying in cargo.
Some families may opt for a long road trip, but must also consider lodging plans (a potentially noisy puppy having accidents in a hotel can be quite stressful). A puppy may never have been on a leash before and not have reliable recall in a foreign environment with someone they don’t know.
Additionally, while not completely vaccinated, a new puppy should be protected from higher disease-risk spaces as best as possible. Seek out professional pet transportation services for advice and recommendations.
First Day Puppy Tips
Remember, a new puppy will be processing the most change that they have ever experienced. So take steps to make the day calm and supportive. Busy holidays with lots of company might not be enjoyable for the puppy, even if it feels like a Hallmark moment. Although we might want the puppy to meet all our friends and be immediate best friends with every family member (human and animal), a gradual introduction is often far more helpful.
Puppy Introductions and Socialization
Be observant if the puppy appears nervous or overwhelmed, and give them time to get comfortable and relax before continuing further introductions. Young children and other animals will require extremely diligent supervision. Make sure no kids are allowed to carry puppies they might drop. If kids or older dogs are running and playing, make sure to prevent a little puppy from being caught underfoot and potentially getting injured.
Many animals, including other dogs, might be confused by or even very unwelcome to a new puppy at first. Despite your aspirations of best friendship, do not force it! Create separate areas of the home space using barriers to prevent mistakes or conflict. Both animals are then given time to acclimate and get used to the sight, sounds and smell of each other while emotions dissipate.
Definitely do not expect animals “to just work it out” on their own. Seek professional guidance with safe introductions if you do have difficulty.
Managing Puppy Expectations in the Early Days
Remember your new puppy, while not a newborn infant, is still facing a huge learning curve and acclimation process. Your puppy should not be expected to be a robotic obedience star, yet we also want to start guiding choices and habit foundations right from day one. Prioritize teaching your puppy where their desired bathroom location is and how rewarding it can be to successfully use. Teach them how to look at alone time as an opportunity for much-needed rest, as something normal, safe and part of regular daily life. Consistently show them they can trust you in whatever new experiences you might bring their way.
Housetraining, emotional regulation, and socialization are the key tenets to set your puppy up for life in your home — but also remember to hold space for learning and error on both your part and the puppy’s. Just like raising human babies, the process does not just come intuitively or automatically. Thankfully, it’s the work and journey of learning together that cements the bond of a lifetime.
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