Congratulations on the arrival of your new puppy at home! It's an exciting and rewarding time, but it also requires careful preparation and attention to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Here's a useful guide to help you welcome your puppy and ensure a smooth transition into your home.
Preparing for your puppy's arrival
Even before welcoming your new four-legged friend, it's essential to prepare your home to ensure its safety and comfort:
- Dedicated space: Create a dedicated space for your puppy, such as a confinement area appropriate to his size. This gives him a secure place to rest and retreat to when needed.
- Necessary equipment: Make sure you have all the essentials, such as food and water bowls, age-appropriate toys, a comfortable bed, grooming products, and a proper leash and harness.
- Home safety: Identify and eliminate dangerous objects within your puppy's reach, such as poisonous plants, accessible electrical wires and small objects he could swallow. Puppies are stomachs on four legs - they'll eat anything and everything!
Puppy home
When you welcome your puppy home, make sure you create a welcoming and reassuring atmosphere:
- Gradual introduction: Give your puppy time to adapt to his new environment. Avoid stressful situations such as excessive interaction with other pets or visits from lots of people.
- Feeding routine: Maintain a regular, healthy feeding routine by following your vet's recommendations on appropriate puppy food (see our section on puppy feeding).
- Toilet: Teach your puppy where to relieve himself by taking him outside regularly or using suitable training mats. As soon as he does his business in the right space, reward him with a treat!
- Socialization: Start socializing your puppy by exposing him to a variety of people, animals and environments gradually. This will help develop his confidence and prevent anxious behavior. It is essential to wait for at least the second booster vaccination before exposing him to many other dogs (normally around 3 months of age). The dog's socialization period lasts from 2 to 5 months, so it's crucial to introduce him to new environments and animals during this period.
Care and education
To ensure your puppy's long-term well-being, invest in his physical and mental health:
- Exercise: Make sure your puppy gets enough age- and breed-appropriate exercise to promote healthy development and maintain an appropriate body weight (see our section on puppy exercise).
- Training: Start training early to establish desirable behaviours. Use positive, encouraging methods with treats to reinforce good actions.
- Regular care: Maintain proper hygiene by regularly brushing your puppy's coat, cleaning his ears no more than once a week and monitoring his dental health by brushing his teeth.
- Play and interact: Set aside time to play and interact with your puppy on a daily basis. This strengthens the bond between you and contributes to his emotional well-being.
Do you have concerns or questions about your puppy's arrival? Is the adaptation not going as planned?
Click here to book an appointment with one of our vets, who will be able to advise you and help you make the most of your puppy's arrival!
