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What to Know When You Bring Your Puppy Home
What to Know When You Bring Your Puppy Home

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What to Know When You Bring Your Puppy Home

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Taking care of your new puppy can be overwhelming, but with these tips and lots of love, you’ll be a great puppy parent in no time.

 

Picking Up a Puppy

Just like a baby, a puppy's body is fragile. Avoid picking up your puppy unless absolutely necessary. If you must, be careful and use these steps:
 

Step 1: Place one hand under your puppy's rump, and place your other hand under his chest.
 

Step 2: Lift with both arms. With a small adult dog, use the puppy technique. For larger dogs, wrap both arms around his legs, draw him to your chest, and lift.

 

Supplies You’ll Need

Before you bring your puppy home, be sure you have the following supplies:
 

  • Premium pet food to get your new puppy off to a good start
  • Stainless steel, non-tip food and water bowls
  • Identification tags with your puppy's name, your name and phone number, and your veterinarian's name and phone number
  • A collar and a leather or nylon 6-foot leash that's ½- to ¾-inch wide (Consider using a 'breakaway' collar with plastic clips that will unsnap in case your puppy gets hung up on something.)
  • A home and travel crate that's airline approved and that will accommodate your puppy's adult size. This crate will serve as your puppy's new 'den' at home, when traveling, or when riding to the veterinarian's office. His scent in the crate will provide comfort and a sense of security during these stressful times.
  • Stain remover for accidental soilings
  • Brushes and combs suited to your puppy's coat; ask your veterinarian or breeder about an appropriate brush or comb for your dog.
  • Dog shampoo, toothbrush, and paste
  • High-quality, safe chew toys to ease teething
  • Flea, tick, and parasite controls
  • Nail clippers
  • Treats

 

 

Helpful Hints

  • Use stainless steel, non-tip food bowls, which won't break or absorb odors.
  • Toys with parts that squeak or whistle can be dangerous if swallowed.
  • For a comfortable collar fit, allow for two fingers of space between the collar and your dog's neck; consider using an adjustable collar.

 

 

Fencing Options

Keeping your puppy safe in your yard requires good fencing. There are several options to choose from, and the one you should pick will depend on your puppy's personality, your property, and your budget. Here are some of the options you should consider:
 

  • Privacy fencing. Privacy fences have no openings and provide excellent containment.
  • Chain link. Inexpensive chain link works well and is durable.
  • Underground fencing. These electronic systems cannot be seen, jumped over, or dug under. Wire is buried, configured, and connected to a transmitter. The dog wears a special collar that emits warning tones and issues a mild shock as he nears the buried wire.
  • Kennels. A covered kennel run, especially one with a concrete floor, will keep your puppy from digging, climbing, or jumping out. Ask your veterinarian or breeder to recommend an appropriate size.

 

 

The First Days at Home

The ideal time to bring home a new puppy is when the house is quiet. Discourage friends from stopping by and don't allow overnight guests. First, establish a daily routine and follow these steps:
 

Step 1: Before bringing him in the house, take him to the designated potty area in your yard and spend a few minutes there. If he goes, praise him. Be sure to take him to this spot each time he potties.
 

Step 2: Take him to the room with his crate. This restricted area will serve as his new 'den' for several days. Put bedding and chew toys in the crate, leave the door open, and line the area outside of the crate with newspaper in case of an accident. Let him investigate the crate and the room. If he chews or urinates on his bedding, permanently remove it from the crate.
 

Step 3: Observe and interact with your puppy while he's getting used to his new den. This will help forge a sense of 'pack' and establish you as the pack leader.

 

 

Special Puppy Concerns

Don't treat a puppy as young as 6 to 12 weeks like an adult dog. Treat him the same way you would an infant, with patience, constant supervision, and a gentle touch. The way you interact with your puppy at this age is critical to his socialization. Use these tips:
 

  • Don't bring home a puppy while you're on vacation. You want to be able to spend a lot of time with him so you can acclimate him to your normal, daily routine.
  • Supervise your puppy at all times and interact with him regularly.
  • Be alert for signs (sniffing and circling) that he has to go to the bathroom, and take him outside immediately.
  • A young puppy has no bladder control, and will need to urinate immediately after eating, drinking, sleeping, or playing. At night, he will need to relieve himself at least every three hours.
  • Don't punish an accident. Never push his nose in the waste or scold him. He won't understand, and may learn to go to the bathroom when you're out of sight.
  • Praise your puppy every time he goes to the bathroom outside.
  • Feed your puppy a formula designed for puppies. Like a baby, he needs nutritious, highly digestible food.

 

 

Children and Pets

Ideally, your kids should help you choose your puppy. When you bring him home, don't let them play with him constantly. Puppies need a lot of rest, just like a growing child. Limit puppy-children play sessions to 15- to 30-minute periods, two to three times a day.
 

  • Young children might be tempted to shout at a puppy if they think he's doing something wrong. Be sure kids understand that puppies and dogs can be easily upset and startled by loud noises.
  • No teasing. Keeping a toy just out of reach will reinforce bad habits such as jumping up and excessive barking.
  • Wagging tails and play biting can be too rough for young children. Supervise puppy-child interactions and separate them if the play is too rough.
  • Teach kids to care for a dog by showing them how to feed and groom him.

 

 

Meeting Resident Pets

  • Keep resident pets separated from your new puppy for a few days.
  • After your new puppy is used to his new den area, put an expandable pet gate in the doorway or put your puppy in his crate.
  • Give your resident pet access to the area. Let pets smell and touch each other through the crate or pet gate. Do this several times over the next few days.
  • Give the resident pet access to the den area with your new puppy out of his crate. Supervise their meetings and go back to through-the-gate/crate meetings if trouble arises.

  • Everything You Need to Know About Healthy Dog Skin and Coat
    Everything You Need to Know About Healthy Dog Skin and Coat

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    Everything You Need to Know About Healthy Dog Skin and Coat

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    Some of the best indicators of your dog's health are its skin and coat conditions. A healthy dog coat should be shiny and smooth, not rough or brittle. When it comes to healthy skin, your dog's skin should be soft and smooth, not greasy or flaky. Good nutrition is one of the main factors in maintaining your dog’s health in terms of a luscious coat and soft skin. Apart from that, your dog’s coat and skin can also be taken care of through regular grooming and skincare routines that will help keep its hair free of tangles and its skin free of any irritation.

     

    If you think that achieving healthy skin and healthy coat in dogs is difficult, it’s time for you to learn more about dog health and grooming. Let’s explore more about how you can achieve a healthy dog coat and skin for your floof. 

     

    How do nutrients help my dog’s skin and coat health?

    The first thing that any pet parent thinks of when it comes to maintaining their dog’s skin and coat health is grooming. While grooming plays a significant role in making sure that your dog has a shiny coat and soft skin, health plays a bigger part in ensuring your floof’s appearance.

     

    If you have been grooming your dog well and are still wondering why its coat and skin are not appearing the way they should, chances are that there is an internal issue. A shiny coat and supple skin on the outside start with a healthy dog on the inside. If your dog has flaky, bumpy, dull, or dry skin/coat, it could be an indicator that something is wrong. The first thing you need to do is book an appointment with your vet and cross out any underlying issues.

     

    The skin is the largest organ of any animal's body. For dogs, most of their skin is covered with hair that sheds regularly or is constantly growing, in non-shedding breeds. Just like how we require a balanced diet full of high-quality digest table food types to keep our skin and hair in a healthy state, dogs also need to maintain their diet and make sure that their body is receiving the right amount of calories each day to maintain energy levels. If a dog is not eating well or is eating poor-quality food, its body will take longer to eliminate the waste products and cause the kidneys and liver to work twice as hard.

     

    That being said, good nutrition is key to a healthy dog coat and skin. A dog that meets its dietary needs every day will boast soft, supple skin, and luscious, glowing hair. 

     

    Tips to help maintain healthy dog skin and coat

    Many pet parents struggle with maintaining their dog's skin and find it to be one of the most difficult tasks. In reality, achieving goals as such is fairly easy, provided you feed your dog the right nutrients and make sure that its diet meets its bodily requirements. Here are a few things you can do to maintain a healthy dog coat and skin: 

    • Balanced diet

    Your dog needs to maintain a complete and balanced diet to achieve healthy skin and a glossy coat. Proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins need to be fed to your dog in balanced ratios. It is very important for dogs to meet their daily calorie intake so that they have enough energy to facilitate new hair growth and skin cell turnover. If your dog's diet is not easily digestible or contains poor-quality ingredients, it may not be able to create enough energy through its diet. Make sure that everything you feed your dog contains high-quality ingredients and does not pose a risk to your dog's health.

    • Supplements

    There are so many supplements available in the market today. While you may get confused between jars and bags of supplements promoted for healthy coat growth in dogs, the majority of these products contain a source of omega-3 fatty acids combined with a range of other ingredients. Omega-3 fatty acids have scientifically proven to be one of the most beneficial supplements that you can give your dog for a glossy coat and smooth skin. Omega-3 fatty acids are not just effective anti-inflammatory agents but are also capable of bulking up your dog’s skin’s natural fatty acid barrier to add that extra shine. 

    • Bath time routine

    Bathing your dog is extremely important as it will remove any dust, debris, dirt, and odour from its skin and coat. If there are any allergens on your dog's skin, a good bath is the solution to this irritating problem. Generally, dogs should be bathed every 2 to 4 weeks depending on their breed's needs. If your vet has advised a different routine, make sure you follow that. It is best not to bathe your dog too much because that can result in flaky skin and can dry out your dog's coat. If your dog has any allergies or does not react well to a dog shampoo or soap, consult your vet and find the right products for your floof.

    • Allergies and parasite prevention

    Dogs that suffer from allergies experience inflammation in their skin that can cause redness and itchiness. This makes them itch and scratch which ruptures their skin barrier, allowing other infections to enter your floof’s body. Unfortunately, allergies cannot be cured and can only be treated. For this reason, it’s important to know how to manage your dog's allergies by consulting a wet.

     

    Fleas and ticks are the most common parasite irritants that will affect your dog's skin at some point in its life. These parasites can cause intense scratching, chewing, and biting of the skin. These acts of self-inflicted trauma can lead to tears in the skin barrier, leaving your dog with crusty, irritable, and red skin. Additionally, some fleas and ticks carry illnesses that can be fatal. It is best to keep your dogs protected against these parasites all around by consulting a vet and doing the needful.

    • Overall health

    Maintaining overall health for your dog to achieve a shiny coat and soft skin is extremely important. Make sure your dog is being fed a balanced diet and the right nutrients. it is also important for your dog to have a good exercise routine so that it is just not lazing around the house. A dog that is well rested, well fed, and receiving the right nutrients is set to flaunt healthy dog skin and coat. 

     

    It is imperative that pet parents keep good food for dog skin in mind and also administer nutrients that aid in a shiny, glossy coat. Now that you know what you need to do as a responsible pet parent, you are all set to give your floof its best life.

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