Getting Your House Ready for a New Puppy

Ah, there is nothing like that new car smell is there? Right? Right?  Wait . . . scratch that. There is nothing like that new puppy smell. Yes, puppies smell great. Unlike buying a new car, getting your house ready for a new puppy, is far more important than you may think. Prepping the home for a new puppy takes a well-thought-out plan, which should enable new pup owners to avoid problems and make puppy feel at home, sooner rather than later.

Now, I know there may be some out there who are thinking, “It’s just a dog.” However, as VetBabble points out, your new puppy has most likely spent his first eight weeks with his mother and siblings and you’ve just taken him from their warmth and comfort. Unfortunately, that can cause separation anxiety, which can create a bad start to a long relationship.  

Therefore, prepping your home for a new puppy is just as important to you and your home, as it is to your new pup. However, before that, it is important to ask yourself, are you ready for a pup?

What You Should Know Before Bringing Home a Puppy

Well, as I said before, separation anxiety with puppies can be a real problem, because they miss their furry families, which is why we need to make separation anxiety with puppies last as short as possible.

Conclusion: Puppies need a lot of attention the moment you bring them home. If you are planning to crate them or spend time away, make sure it’s only for short durations or they will get lonely.

Besides that, there are many things you should know before bringing a puppy home, and most of them are actually common sense.

Puppies are Rambunctious

Yes, puppies can be really rambunctious when growing up. But to be honest, it depends on the breed. A sporting dog or a working dog is going to have far more energy that a normal companion dog. However, a Boston Terrier or even a Chihuahua pup is going to spend a good deal of time investigating the world, mouth and nose first.

Conclusion: Puppies require a lot of exercise and without it, well read the next part . . .

Puppies Chew Anything and Everything

Yep, this usually begins after eight weeks. This is how most puppies learn about the environment around them and also when they begin teething.

Conclusion: Puppies require a lot of exercise so they’ll tire out and chew toys, so they won’t make kindling out of your furniture.

Puppies Need the Proper Nutrition

Yes, just like our own babies, puppies need proper nutrition to grow up healthy and strong. Even though they are dogs, they shouldn’t eat normal adult dog food.

Conclusion: Puppies need proper nutrition that is geared towards their age. And never feed them table scraps.

There are many other things to consider, but I think I have hit upon the basics.

Getting Ready For a New Pup

Getting ready for a new pup is something which should start well before the new pup arrives. In fact, you can create a wonderful and safe home for your new pup by just starting a couple of weeks beforehand.

Puppy Goods Shopping

Yes, it is time to break out the wallet. But it shouldn’t be too expensive. Here is a list of items you should acquire before your pup comes home.

Portable Dog Crate

From the moment you pick up your puppy, you should have a portable dog crate. Crates are great for transporting your puppy home, especially if you are traveling by car or public transportation. They are also necessary for transporting your puppy to and from appointments to the vet or traveling long distances in the future. And since puppies have very little control over their bladders, it helps contain those little accidents until you cat get home. Portable crates can cost from $30 ~ $70 and come in a variety of sizes and styles.

Permanent Crate

Now, I can hear some of you exhaling in disgust, but hold on now. I don’t mean as a place to permanently keep your new puppy. And I would like to discourage anyone who thinks a crate should be used to hold a dog for hours and hours at a time.

Now that I have got that off my chest, please understand that buying a crate, covering it with a nice, simple blanket in a quiet corner of the house is great for all dogs, especially puppies. Puppies play a lot, but they sleep a lot too. Therefore providing them with the aforementioned is a great way to make sure they grow up happy and healthy. You can find good, solid dog crates ranging in various sizes for as low as $20.

Dog Beds

Well, that is a no brainer right? Having a comfortable bed for your puppy will make it that much easier for you to establish his/her very own sleeping place. Since you are going to be bringing home a puppy, I highly recommend using old blankets you are no longer using to make a bed out off for two reasons.

1. There will be accidents.
2. There will be chewing.

If you have the means, there are so many doggy beds on Amazon you can consider as well.

Puppy Food

I know I have already talked about this, but I’m going to one more time. Nutritionist have worked very hard for decades to come up with puppy food which is geared towards their dietary needs, so even though it may cost a little more, please refrain from feeding your puppy, adult dog food. And that goes the same for food from your plate, which not only isn’t good for your puppy, but encourages begging.

Grooming Supplies

Now, this depends on the type of puppy you get. Naturally a long haired dog will require different grooming utensils then a short haired dog. A larger dog will require a different type of nail clipper than a smaller one as well, so it is good idea to get on Amazon and do some shopping well before you bring your puppy home.

Cleaning Supplies and Deodorizers

Cleaning supplies and deodorizers are something you really cannot get enough of when you get a new puppy. There will be accidents. So, it always a good idea to get a good supply of them before bringing your new puppy home.

Create a Puppy Safe Home

Remember when I said that puppies were rambunctious creatures who explore the world mouth and snout first? Well, that being the case, it’s best to puppy proof your home. Here a few ideas which may help.

• Fence off your puppy’s access to most of the house for the first few or more weeks.
• Make sure all lower cabinet doors are locked.
• Remove all plants or anything which you think may be chewed into oblivion.
• Remove all electrical cords.

Once you have done that, Fetch by Web MD recommends getting down on all fours and playing puppy for a while. What would you be chewing on if you had no idea what was dangerous or not?

The Bottom Line

Getting a puppy is not as simple as just bringing one home. Or at least it shouldn’t be. Careful planning and intelligence is required to make sure that both, you and your puppy enjoy his first day and every day after.