This is a collaborative post
We had discussed getting a family dog for many years before we actually made the decision. We waited until the time was right for us to welcome Lola into our family, but despite doing a lot of research before hand, I still don’t think we were fully prepared, and not sure we knew what to expect when getting a puppy.
Welcoming The Puppy Into Your Home
A puppy will averagely arrive in your home around the age of 8 weeks old. They are still very tiny at this point. Even if you have a larger breed dog like a Labrador you will still be able to pick the dog up and walk around with it.
This wont last very long though so make the most of it!
If you’re lucky, the breeder will have already started some of the puppy’s life lessons such as toileting. When your puppy arrives in your home you’ll have to re educate the areas where it’s OK for your puppy to relieve themselves in your garden. You may want to think about artificial grass in the garden if you don’t want a puppy to dig holes.
We were lucky with Lola and she learnt very quickly with only a few accidents in the house. One rule of thumb is that your puppy will need to relieve themselves in the time frame relating to their age. For example a two month old puppy will need to be taken outside every two hours.
Related Post – A day in the life of a Labrador
You will soon notice the patterns of your own puppy, something that I couldn’t understand when people said it to me, but you get to know your puppy’s ways very quickly.
Settling In
We hadn’t considered a crate when we were getting Lola, but someone mentioned it so after some research we bought one. Despite her being tiny in the extra large crate when we brought her home, she quickly became to understand that this was her sanctuary and it also meant we didn’t need to worry as much when we went out of the house that she would chew everything she saw.
In the beginning you shouldn’t leave a puppy in their crate for too long, and again the rule of thumb is guided against their age. One hour for every month old they are plus one hour up to a maximum of eight hours.
We never left Lola for longer than six hours and that’s at a push. It’s safer for her to be in her crate with her toys and comfy bed than it is to wander the house when we were out and eat things she shouldn’t.
Many people have different views on how long a puppy should sleep in their crate. Lola is now almost six years old and still prefers to sleep in her crate at night. The door stays open all the time now, and has done since she was around a year old, but she still loves her sanctuary.
Will My House Ever Be Clean Again With A Puppy In The House?
The muddy paws that have come tearing into the house over the years isn’t much fun but thankfully we have some wood floors which really help. Being able to steam mop the floors has taken the stress and dirty paw prints away quickly.
When my floors get muddy, and I step in water in the kitchen where she has gotten excited with the water bowl, or when I find pieces of chewed up tennis ball after I leave the room for a minute, it’s worth it when you see the love your puppy gives you back.
Which Puppy Breed Is Right For Your Family?
Remember every breed of dog is different so do your research before inviting one to share your home. It’s easy not to see beyond the cuteness of a puppy, but they don’t stay a puppy forever.
I couldn’t wait for Lola to grow out of the puppy stage personally, but despite her behaving worse than a toddler most days, we wouldn’t be without her for the world, I just would have liked to have been better prepared when getting a puppy.