Considerations and preparations when bring a
new puppy into the home
Bringing a new puppy into the home is a large commitment and one that must be given considerable thought. It is important to be certain that the household has the time, commitment and living conditions needed to look after and train a puppy.
Even once a family has decided to take on a puppy there are many considerations and preparations that need to be made before and after bringing a puppy into the home.
Equipment
To prepare for bringing a new puppy home certain equipment is needed:
- A dog bed
- Toys (puppy safe ones and not too hard for puppy teeth)
- Food and water bowls
- Puppy pen (optional)
- Grooming equipment
- Lead and collar
- Books on puppy care and training
- Food and treats
- D.A.P. diffuser (optional)
Puppy pens are useful to give a puppy their own space and as somewhere to keep the puppy enclosed when it cannot be watched.
‘Puppies can learn many bad habits if left unchecked…’
This means puppies that are not watched cannot be corrected when they do something they shouldn’t e.g. chew shoes, this action uncorrected could become a habit that owners will have trouble breaking. Keeping a puppy in a puppy pen when you are unable to watch it prevents this problem.
Toys are very important to keep a puppy stimulated and to satisfy a puppy’s need to chew during teething and save household objects from being destroyed.
A D.A.P. diffuser is not necessary but is something to consider when getting a puppy, as it may make the first few nights easier for the puppy and owners.
‘D.A.P. helps establish the puppy in a new environment, such as arrival in the new home…’
D.A.P. stands for Dog Appeasing Pheromone, it simulates the hormone released by a bitch to calm her puppies and is used to calm dogs in stressful situations. A D.A.P. diffuser can help to calm a puppy on their first few nights away from the litter and to help them to settle at night.
Puppy-proof the home
When getting a new puppy it is vital to consider the safety of the home and to puppy proof any areas of the home that the puppy will have access to.
‘Puppies are extraordinarily inquisitive. Remove breakable and chewable items from your puppies territory’
The best way to do this is to look at the home at a puppy’s eye level, checking for anything in reach that shouldn’t be i.e. electric wires, breakable ornaments, shoes (anything you don’t want chewed). Any hazards should be removed or made safe.
Collection
The puppy should not be fed before the journey home to prevent mishaps the prospective owner should call the breeder to find out when would be the best time in the puppies routine to pick them up and to ask the breeder not to feed them if they are to be picked up around meal times.
The best way to bring the puppy home is on somebody’s lap, travelling in a car for the first time is very frightening for a young puppy. If the puppy’s first experience of a car is a bad one they may have problems travelling in future. Travelling on a lap being cuddled and stroked will calm the puppy making the journey less stressful for it.
The puppy may have an accident or be sick during the journey so blankets and towels will be needed protect clothes and the car.
The length of the journey will need to be considered and stops will have to be made in a long journey to let the puppy go to the toilet if it wants and to stretch its legs.
The first day/ night
The puppy should be given time to settle in and explore its surroundings without being fussed and picked up constantly.
Before the puppy comes home it should be decided where the puppy will sleep, if the puppy will not be sleeping in the bedroom it will have to be considered whether to allow the puppy to sleep in the bedroom for the first night. Being in the same room as its owners will comfort the puppy, there are different views on whether to start as you mean to go on and leave the puppy on its own at night from the start, or to break the puppy in gently having it in the bedroom to start with then moving it to where it will sleep eventually, once it is more settled.
Wherever the puppy sleeps for the first night it will cry at least a little as it will miss its litter and will not be used to being alone. There are things that an owner can do to help the puppy to settle easier.
- A week or so before the puppy is picked up (if possible) a blanket could be left with the breeder to put in with the litter. The blanket can be picked up with the puppy and wrapped around a warm (not hot) water bottle and put in the puppies bed for the first night. This will provide the familiar smells of the litter and imitate the warmth of the dam comforting the puppy.
- Using a D.A.P. diffuser as mentioned earlier will calm the puppy helping it to settle and hopefully to sleep.
- There are toys/products available that make a similar sound/rhythm to a dog’s heartbeat this is meant to comfort a puppy as they will be used to hearing the heartbeats of the dam and the litter. (A ticking clock apparently has a similar rhythem and could be used as an alternative)
Other pets
A family with pets especially cats and dogs will have to consider how the pets and puppy are going to react to each other and how best to introduce them. Finding out if the puppy has had any contact with similar pets before bringing the puppy home will help when predicting how the puppy might react and when deciding how best to introduce the animals.
A dog might take quite awhile to adjust to and accept the new arrival. They may feel put out because the new puppy will be getting a lot of attention.
‘An older dog may resent the arrival of a rambunctious new comer’
This needs to be taken into consideration when introducing the dogs and a plan needs to be decided for how to introduce the animals in the safest and most sensitive way.
Written by Lokibear