Thinking about getting a puppy! Congrats, then you are in for some wonderful time of joy and unconditional love that only a dog can provide!
Make Your New Puppy’s First Day at Home a Success!
However, new pet owners might be a bit anxious about bringing their puppy home, especially if they’ve never owned a dog before. The good news is that with a little bit of preparation, your new puppy’s first day at home can be a huge success, and set the stage for what’s to come. Here are some tips that will help you introduce your puppy to its new home:
Prepare the Home
First, you should make sure you have everything the puppy will need:
- Food and water bowl
- Extra treats for training
- Puppy food
- Lots of toys
- A bed or blanket
- Indoor potty
Additionally, the first day in their new home can be a bit , so even though you can’t wait to introduce them to your friends and family, give them a few days to accommodate before you have guests over. Ideally, their new days should be rather quiet and uneventful, just to give them the chance to smell the place and get comfortable.
Ease Them in
Ease your puppy into their new home. Too much too soon can be overwhelming, so it’s a good idea to let your puppy explore a designated area only, such as the living room. Once they get more at ease, you can let them into other rooms or areas of your hours.
This is especially true if you already have other pets at home. Adult dogs might not be too happy at first with their younger sibling, since puppies don’t have the developed communication skills to be able to interact with adult dogs yet. Your older pet might need to growl to let them know what’s appropriate behavior or not, and that’s perfectly fine.
If your puppy can only explore the designated area, your older dog can enjoy the rest of the house to “take a break” from their energetic sibling.
Enforce Rules from the Beginning
The puppy’s cute face makes it almost impossible to be stern and enforce the house rules – still, it’s essential you do it from the very first night. If the dogs aren’t allowed on the couch, this rule should be clear from the very first moment that puppy’s in your home. Praise them for good behavior and give them a treat to help them learn. Be sure you give your puppy enough toys and comfy places to snuggle as well to avoid them using your own belongings for these purposes.
Still Haven’t Found Your New Puppy?
The amount of joy a puppy can bring into your life is hard to put into words, and you’re no doubt excited to begin this new chapter in your life as a dog owner.
If you’re still looking for a pup, check out all the cute faces from The Barking Boutique, or contact us here to learn more about us and our puppies.
