New Puppy Care
a 6-Step Plan

The amount of work involved in new puppy care can sometimes seem a little overwhelming if you're a brand new puppy parent (especially a 'first-timer').

But don't worry, it's really not that hard! That cute little furball in your arms definitely has needs... but if you follow our 6-Step Plan for new puppy care, you'll be ahead of the game in no-time.

From personal experience, I've found that taking care of a new puppy is a whole lot less worrying if you have some clear guidelines to follow.

Ready for some helpful puppy care information? OK, let's take a look...

Step 1: Good Health

I wanted to mention here that many puppy owners worry about their new puppy's behavior during the first few days after they get them home. They are often concerned about the possibility that their pup is sick, due to the fact that he/she seems to sleep a lot, isn't very hungry, and may seem 'sad or depressed'.

Now, although these symptoms can be early signs of some serious illnesses or diseases, even Parvo, a puppy can exhibit these behaviors due to the stress of leaving his canine family and joining yours.

You can learn more about this, and what to expect during the first few days or weeks with your new pup on my Bringing Home A New Puppy page.

A new pup may sleep a lot as a way of 'shutting out' what is making him feel scared, and the loss of appetite can be due to anxiety. If your puppy has periods of happy activity during the day, isn't suffering from recurring diarrhea and/or vomiting, and shows interest in his toys, treats and so on, chances are he will soon be the active, playful puppy you expected. This adjustment period usually only lasts for a few days, to a week or so at most.

However, if your puppy seems sick in any way, is showing any of the symptoms of illness mentioned above, or even if you're just concerned, always check with your veterinarian. Sometimes the stress of leaving his canine family, travel, vaccinations and so on, can weaken a pups immune system and leave him susceptible to conditions such as Giardia or Mange.

It's always far better to be safe than sorry.

In order to keep your new puppy healthy and happy, follow the new puppy care guidelines below, and all should be well.

• Regular health check-ups
  As soon as you bring little Fido home for the first time, make sure you take him to your veterinarian for a thorough check-up.


• Approved puppy vaccination schedule
  A vital part of new puppy care is making sure that little Fido keeps up to date with all his puppy shots. There are several very dangerous, and potentially fatal, puppy illnesses that can easily be prevented by following a recommended vaccination schedule.


• Parasite prevention
  There are a whole host of parasites such as puppy worms and fleas and ticks who can make your puppy's life miserable if they get the chance. Follow the de-worming schedule recommended by your vet (and only use the medication she prescribes, not OTC products which can be ineffective and have unwanted side-effects too). As soon as your puppy is old enough, use a flea and tick preventative, such as Frontline Plus, on a regular basis.


• Heartworm Prevention
  Heartworms are parasites that are deadly to your dog, and unfortunately by the time your pooch shows signs of infestation, he's already very, very sick. So, Heartworm prevention is really essential.

Pet health insurance coverage works pretty much the same way as your family's health plan does. It's easier and cheaper to get pet health insurance while your puppy is young and healthy, so why not get a free insurance quote right now?

Step 2: Good Nutrition

What you feed your puppy during those early, fast-growing months, has a direct impact on his future growth and development.

Be absolutely certain to choose a well-balanced, highly nutritious, and breed-appropriate puppy kibble. There are many brands of commercial dog food to choose from, or you may want to consider organic or all-natural dog food.

Trying to decide which dog food is best for your pup, is definitely not an easy task! To make this aspect of new puppy care just that little bit easier, we've got a unique and valuable method of comparing different brands of food according to the quality of their ingredients. You'll find a list of the most popular, high quality foods and their 'report cards' PLUS there's even a page showing the Top 25 Best Dog Foods with links to purchase from the comfort of your own home.

Step 3: Good Hygiene

Keeping your furchild clean and his fur from getting snarled or tangled is important. It helps to keep him free of parasites, and his skin healthy.

Another important part of grooming is cutting those little puppy nails on a regular basis.

Step 4: Good behavior and training

The first task you'll want to tackle is housebreaking (aka potty-training). An untrained puppy, and eventually dog, is not pleasant to share your home with, so put this at the top of your 'to do' list. Crate training is the simplest and quickest way to housebreak a puppy...highly recommended!

You want your puppy to grow up to be a friendly, confident dog - one you can take anywhere with you. This won't just happen by itself though! To help your puppy mature into a sociable, well-mannered adult you'll need to provide him with plenty of positive socialization experiences. This will show Fido that the world is one big happy place, and that people or places he doesn't know are not necessarily scary.

As soon as he's had all his puppy shots, start taking him out with you on errands, to the park, to Petsmart, to play-dates with other vaccinated dogs, to puppy classes etc. etc. Make these outings fun for him and you'll be rewarded with a sociable family pet in the years to come.

New puppy care involves many different kinds of training and basic Puppy obedience training is important.

Once again, as soon as Fido has his full set of shots, enroll him in one of your local dog obedience training schools. Puppy obedience classes are usually fun and informal places where Fido can learn some basic manners, and how to get along with other puppies. You get a chance to meet other new puppy parents too, and experience your own learning curve!

Step 5: Make good decisions

Once you've picked out your new puppy, knowing what to expect when you first bring him home will make the transition much easier.

After that you'll want to choose a puppy name that's just right. Take your time over this, there's so many different options, and once you've named your puppy it'll be a bit tricky to go back and redo it!

If you didn't pick a show-quality puppy with the eventual intention of breeding, the responsible decision is to spay or neuter your puppy as soon as he/she is old enough. There's a staggering number of unwanted, abandoned dogs and puppies already. Don't add to the problem.

You'll need lots of dog toys to keep your puppy busy and entertained. Puppies may be small, but they can be a lot stronger than they look. You'll be surprised at the damage those little teeth can cause.

For safety reasons, any large-breed puppy needs super-strong, durable toys that will stand up to his powerful jaws. Check out our great selection/recommendations for indestructable dog toys that will keep him safe and happy!

Large and giant breed puppies have some unique needs in terms of feeding and health issues. If you've added an 'XL or XXL' Puppy to your life, check out my Extra Large Breed Dogs page for all the information and advice you need.

Keeping your puppy healthy is really important, and it can be costly at the best of times. As mentioned earlier on this page, pet insurance coverage can be a lifesaver if your puppy should become seriously unwell, be involved in an accident or need surgery.

Step 6: Give him lots of love!

Puppies are basically just little babies in fur coats. They're totally dependent on you, their 'parents' and they desperately need lots of love and attention.

Don't worry too much about spoiling your little one, at least at first. New puppy care involves plenty of love, patience and petting, which will help him to settle into his new home with the minimum of trauma. However, there are limits, and a young puppy can get overstimulated if handled too much in the early days. Be sure to give him plenty of 'space' and peace and quiet so that he can recharge those little puppy-batteries.

Lots of time spent playing with your puppy, exercising him, talking to him and generally just 'hanging out' with him, is definitely time well spent.

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Want to know more about new puppy care?

If you'd like to even more excellent books on new puppy care, you can find several of the very best on our Dog Books page.

There's one to suit every style, and to help you choose we've included a review and description of each book shown. You can check them out right here.

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Bringing Home A New Puppy

Choosing A Puppy

Extra Large Breed Dogs

Puppy Kibble

Puppy Shots

Crate Training

Introducing A New Puppy

Puppy Socialization

Puppy Training Tips

New Born Puppy Care

Grooming

Puppy Training Basics

Dog Books


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