Bringing home a new puppy?Congratulations!Bringing home a new puppy to your family is always exciting, even magical! It's a special time, and you have lots of hopes, dreams and expectations for that little furball in your arms.
However, the first few days can be a bit of a shock if you're a new (or first time) puppy parent. I've designed this page in the hope that, when you're first bringing home a new puppy, it will help you negotiate those early 'ups and downs' and cope with any unexpected questions or situations. I always tell people that raising a puppy is just like raising a child! True, it involves a much shorter time frame, and there are obvious differences between a baby and a puppy, but the general concept is the same, and many of the hurdles you will encounter will be that much easier to handle if you have child-rearing experience. Don't worry if your puppy is your first 'child' though, all it takes is a little common sense, a little preparation and a whole lot of patience :o) Preparation for bringing home a new puppyMost of the time, people plan on adding a puppy to their family well in advance of the actual 'big day'.This is highly recommended as it gives you a chance to choose the best dog breed, visit breeders and evaluate litters so that you can be sure that you choose exactly the right puppy. It also gives you time to buy the puppy supplies you're going to need, to puppy proof your home and so on. Bringing a puppy home on the spur of the moment can lead to 'buyers remorse' later on, which is bad news for both you and your new family member. It's important to realize that this little puppy is going to be a long-term family member, and you're going to need to invest a lot of time, love, patience and money into his upbringing. So, be prepared that way you'll be able to ensure a long, happy relationship with your new four-legged best friend. Puppy-proofing your home before you bring puppy home is highly recommended. You'd be amazed at how much trouble a tiny puppy can get into! Personally I'd recommend removing any ornaments, magazines, books, shoes or other household items that are at your puppy's level. Put them all away in closed closets, or on shelves that are well out of his reach. Don't leave any small items lying around that could be swallowed, keep the lid firmly on the trash can and make sure no cleaning products or human food items are unattended. Hide electric cords behind heavy furniture or get some plastic plumbing piping and slit it on one side so that you can fit it over the cords. This will prevent your puppy from electrocuting himself if he starts chewing on them. No matter how carefully you puppy-proof your home though, you're going to need to supervise your puppy at all times as it only takes a minute for him to get into trouble. If you already own a dog, you can expect a little bit of jealousy and perhaps a bumpy ride during the first week or so. Generally it's best to add a pup of the opposite sex as it reduces the risk of fighting between the two as the puppy reaches adolescence and adulthood. Check out my Introducing A New Puppy To Your Dog page for lots of tips and advice on keeping your home a battle-free zone. If you are bringing home a new puppy in your car, make sure you're prepared for all eventualities. Some puppies get car-sick, and an old towel, some kitchen towels, wet wipes and a bottle of water are good to have on hand. If you can put your puppy in a crate that is the safest way for him to travel. If it's small enough you can put the crate on your lap so that the puppy is comforted by being near you. Your pup is unlikely to have more than one set of vaccinations if he's young, so don't allow him access to any public areas where other dogs may have been. He could pick up a serious, or life threatening canine illness. If you want an overview of what you're going to need to do in order to properly care for your new furchild, check out my New Puppy Care page. It has all the tips, advice and information you need to get off on the right foot.
Bringing Home A New Puppy - The Big Day!
The day you find yourself bringing home a new puppy, it's difficult to be calm! You (and your family) are excited, the puppy is adorable, and all is right with the world. But remember, your puppy is a tiny baby, he needs love, attention and playtime - but he also needs lots of peace and quiet, naps and potty breaks. Take things slowly and you'll all benefit. BEFORE you bringing new puppy into your house, take him immediately to his 'potty spot' outdoors and let him relieve himself. This helps him to get started on his housebreaking right away. Once you take him indoors you can let him explore his new surroundings at his own pace. It's vital that you supervise him at all times though, even if you've 'puppy-proofed' your home to the max, he may surprise you! Don't allow your puppy to have full access to the house to begin with, it will hamper his housebreaking and be confusing and maybe a little scary to him. Instead either use a puppy play-pen or exercise pen to contain him, or use baby-gates on doorways to limit his access to your rooms.
If you have children, encourage them to be very gentle and quiet around the new puppy to begin with. Bringing home a new puppy can create a lot of noise and hyperactivity in young children, and this will overstimulate your new furbaby. Once he feels more at home, in a few days or so, he may well thoroughly enjoy some rough-and-tumble (supervised of course and within reason), but now is not the time for this. Your pup should have his crate inside his playpen/special room and be allowed to spend plenty of quiet time there for the first few days. I highly recommend that within 24 hours of bringing home a new puppy, you take him to the veterinarian of your choosing. This is important because you need to make sure there are no underlying health issues that you are not aware of, or that need treatment. If you've bought a purebred puppy from a reputable breeder, you will likely have a health contract. Honoring these on the breeders behalf, usually depends on the puppy being examined by a vet within 24 hours of your taking possession of him. This is just a good, common-sense practice. One other important thing to consider when you add a new puppyto your family, is the cost of veterinary care if he should need more than just the usual preventative care. Injuries, accidents and serious illness do happen (even though we always hope they won't happen to us, or the ones we love!), and veterinary costs just keeps going up. To make sure you can afford whatever care your pup might need in an emergency, or crisis, I strongly recommend getting him some pet health insurance. There are now some very comprehensive, yet affordable, options and they can be a lifesaver... literally. Here are two of the best companies around. Click on the banners to learn more without any obligation at all. It's definitely worth it. 
What's normal behavior for a new puppy?
After bringing home a new puppy, many new owners are confused by their puppy's behavior during the first few days. A puppy who was bold and outgoing when with his siblings, may suddenly seem quiet and withdrawn. He may not want to eat much, and not seem interested in playing with his (truckload!) of new toys. This is perfectly normal. Bringing home a new puppy who has just left his canine family and come into a totally new environment, with new people, is often scared, lonely and anxious... even homesick. It's totally understandable, but often unexpected. Many puppies seem to 'withdraw' into themselves, sleeping more than usual, losing their appetite and generally not behaving in a very 'puppy-ish fashion'. This generally only lasts for a few days, maybe a week, and then you will begin to see your puppys' true personality emerge. If you start off with what seems to be a calm, laid-back pup - you could find that within a week of bringing home a new puppy that you have a 'whirling dervish' on your hands, so don't be surprised at the metamorphasis - be ready! Also, some puppies seem to get so stressed that they don't feel the need to poop (or even pee) for a while! Although a young puppy generally has very limited bladder/bowel control, it's not unheard of for a pup to 'hold it' for several hours (as many as 8 - 10). This is instinctive rather than something he's choosing to do, so don't panic if your new pup doesn't poop or pee right away. But, make sure you are watching your puppy to make sure he's not sneaking off to pee behind the sofa or under the bed in the spare room without you noticing. However, for safety's sake it's important to point out that young puppies are very prone to catching certain canine illneses/diseases, some of these (like Parvo can be fatal. Some of the symptoms of homesickness as described above, can also be early symptoms of illness in your pup. Extreme lethargy, loss of appetite, and disinterest in his surroundings are among them. A puppy who is getting sick is also likely to be suffering from repeated, watery diarrhea (although a sudden change in diet can also cause loose stools), and will often vomit and be unable to keep food/water down. This can quickly cause dehydration, which is serious in itself. A sick puppy will also often have dull eyes and can't be tempted to take tasty treats, or play for longer than a couple of minutes, if at all. One other thing that seems to worry owners who are bringing home a new puppy, is the way their puppy breathes! If you've had a baby, you'll probably remember that they tend to breathe a bit erratically at first, especially when they're sleeping. Well, new puppies do this too. It's not unusual for a sleeping pup to breathe very fast, or to seem to 'stop' breathing for a few seconds, or to cry, whine, twitch or even bark in their sleep. All of this is perfectly normal. If your pup is stressed or anxious (which he/she is likely to be during the first couple of days or so), then he may breathe extra-fast when awake as well, or even pant or shake a little - again normal. You can read more about this, and learn when your puppy's breathing could mean that there's a problem on my Why Is My Puppy Breathing Fast? page. Severe lethargy, weakness, disorientation or dizziness accompanied by breathing irregularities is quite different and needs veterinary attention though! Obviously, for a new (and possibly inexperienced) dog owner, it can be difficult to tell whether a puppy is truly sick, or just homesick. Take a look at my A Sick Puppy? page for tips on recognizing true illness. However, if you're in any doubt at all, I'd strongly recommend taking your puppy to your veterinarian. It's ALWAYS better to be safe than sorry, as young puppies can get very sick, very fast indeed.
After Bringing Home A New Puppy
Puppies are living creatures not cute cuddly toys and, just like human babies, their needs can seem a bit overwhelming at first. The average 8 week old puppy will need a potty break approx every 30 minutes to 1 hour during the day, and at least once (probably twice at first) during the night. He'll also need to be supervised whenever he's not in his crate or playpen, and can't be left alone, unattended for long periods. To make sure that your adorable little furball, grows up to be a friendly, well adjusted and well behaved adult, you will need to make sure that he gets plenty of socialization, learns basic manners and commands and attends a dog obedience classes (at least one Puppy Class and a Basic Obedience Class is recommended). Obviously a puppys' growth and development moves at a faster pace than that of humans, but you still need to deal with the 'baby, toddler and adolescent stages' before your cute puppy becomes a mature adult. Each of these stages has it's own joys and problems, but if you're armed with the correct knowledge and advice, you will be able to weather them with ease (or at least without tears!) and bringing home a new puppy will be one of the best decisions you ever made. This website has tons of tips, advice and information on all aspects of puppy care to help with any questions.issues you might have when bringing home a new puppy - and beyond! To learn more about taking care of your new pup, visit my New Puppy Checklist page for an easy-to-read guide. Search my site for info. on any dog-related topic you're interested in by using the searchbox below. I hope you enjoy the experience of bringing home a new puppy and that you enjoy a long, happy and fulfilling relationship with your new best bud!
New Puppy Checklist
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