Between 2020 and 2021, 23 million households became new pet owners. We expect this trend to continue to rise as more families invite furry friends into their homes.
All new pets require preparation, but none compare to a new puppy. Puppies have tons of energy, require a lot of training, and have an endless capacity for destruction.
How can new pet parents get their house in order before bringing their puppy home? We’re here to tell you.
Read on as we talk about the steps to take before bringing home a new puppy.
Get Breed-Specific Pet Care Products
Once you’ve learned about the available puppies in your area, it’s time to start learning about their breed and buying breed-specific pet care products. That includes:
- age-appropriate puppy food
- grooming care catered to your puppy’s fur
- a size-appropriate harness and collar
- toys
- food and water bowls
- poop bags
- a carrier and/or crate
- barriers (like baby gates)
Make sure that you have all of the essentials before your puppy has come home.
Create a Puppy-Safe Space
In those early weeks, you may not want to give your puppy free reign of the entire house. This will benefit both your belongings, which puppies tend to chew up, and your puppy, who will need to adjust to her new environment.
Use barriers to section off a full or partial room for your puppy. Make sure that anything that your puppy could chew up, from shoes to kid’s toys, is removed from the puppy’s space. Add the food and water bowl, crate, and toys to your puppy’s area.
Put Toxic Foods and Plants Out of Reach
As we’ve mentioned, puppies like to chew things up, and they don’t have a sense of what could be bad for them. Sweep your home and yard to look for toxic foods and plants (ie chocolate, grapes, and rhododendrons). Make sure that all toxic items and substances are kept out of reach of your puppy.
Talk to Your Household Members About Puppy Care
Chances are, everyone in your household can’t wait to bring the new puppy home. Make sure that everyone is also on the same page about any rules, training initiatives, and safety measures put in place to make the transition a good one.
Look up the closest emergency vet and put that phone number where everyone can find it. Talk about what the puppy can and can’t do and remind everyone that puppies need to stay on a leash when they’re not in a fenced-in outdoor area. If you have children, teach them how to play nicely with the puppy and remind them that puppies do get rambunctious.
Get Excited About Your New Puppy
The final step? Get excited about your new puppy! The more prepared you are, the more fun the experience of adding a new furry friend to your family will be.
Looking for training and grooming tips? Wondering what pet care products are the best on the market? Take a look around for all things pet-related.
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