8 Best New Puppy Tips

Bringing a puppy home is an exciting time for everyone. When people hear you’re getting a puppy, you wont be short of receiving lots of new puppy tips from other dog owners. Everyone has something great to share, and whilst everything wont suit you and your new puppy, there are some great tips to help your new puppy settle in at home.

We’ve done a lot of research and asked a lot of people for advice before settling on our final list.

Should You Crate Train Your Puppy?

Deciding whether you will be crate training when you bring your new puppy home will be a personal preference. We have weighed up the pros and cons and decided that we will crate train our puppy.

A crate is a safe space for puppies and dogs alike. They can be used as a bed, or a den, and also creates that safe space when you need to leave them in the house alone when they’re young. Puppies should only be crated for an hour per month of their life to begin with. It’s important to remember not to leave them too long and make sure they have access to food and water.

I suggest buying a larger crate than you need, as even though your puppy will be small to begin with, they grow quickly!

Puppy’s and dogs like their own space and a place for them to go to not be disturbed. Having the crate means the puppy can escape when she has had enough of the attention.

During the night, a crate teaches the puppy it’s time to go to bed now. You don’t have to close the door if you don’t want to.

During our time as a dog owner, we have realised the crate was one of the best purchases we ever made. Our Labrador uses her crate as her bed every night, and often uses it for a snooze during the day as well.

Stair Gate

One of the best new puppy tips we received was the suggestion of a stair gate. After you get your puppy, you might want to decide whether you want to let the puppy upstairs or not. Are there areas in your home that you don’t want your dog accessing to begin with. A star gate was a good idea to be able to section off part of the house and access to upstairs, especially when they’re young.

Dog Food

It’s always a good idea to talk to the breeder to see what food they are feeding the puppy before you bring it home. As a puppy you can change their diets but it’s best not to give them a big shock by doing it drastically. Not all brands suit every puppy, and it’s important to make any changes slowly.

Water / Food Bowls

The biggest piece of advice I was given here was to buy stainless steel bowls. The puppy can’t chew stainless steel and it’s very easy to clean.

• Three years later and we have been through many types of bowls. Our Labrador prefers to eat her food from a stainless steel bowl, but she likes her water bowls to be plastic.

Grooming

Short or long hair dogs will need grooming. It’s a great way to bond with your dog to brush them, so introduce them to it quickly. We have found the best grooming tool for our Labrador is a Kong Zoom Groom.

It attracts the loose hair like a magnet and brushes straight off. A top tip is to groom your dog in the garden to avoid hair all over the house.

Toys

Puppies like to play. You don’t have to spend a fortune on toys, but a couple would be a good idea. Choose toys that look sturdy so they wont be chewed in half. Also make sure you buy approved toys so they are safe and don’t fray or cause choking hazards.

A Kong is a great investment that can be used to keep a puppy and dog entertained for hours. It’s also a good way to give healthy treats.

Lead and Collar

There are so many different leads on the market it can be a minefield deciding which to buy. A collar needs to fit nicely without being too tight or lose. You also need a tag attached to your collar with contact details on.

Depending on which breed of dog you decide to welcome into your home may determine the type of lead you purchase. A lead attached to the collar of a dog can be uncomfortable if your dog pulls. If you have a strong dog, such as a Labrador, a harness that clips the lead from the chest is a good investment. Dogs have their strength in their front legs.

A puppy will possibly be very excited and skittish when going out for first walks, so lost of lead training is a good idea to help get them used to walking nicely when out and about.

The Vet

Have the puppy registered at the vet’s for when she comes home. Many puppies wont have their first vaccinations with the breeder. It’s a good idea to make the appointment for a few days after your new puppy arrives home. This gives them a chance to settle inn before visiting the vet.

Remember a puppy shouldn’t be taken out until they have completed their vaccination set which are two weeks apart.

I hope these new puppy tips help you in your preparations for welcoming your new puppy into your home.

SaveSave

SaveSave