Top 10 To Dos When You Are Bringing Home A New Puppy

It's hard to beat the excitement of bringing home a new puppy. Have you been drooling over every picture the breeder sent for weeks? Are you finally coming back from an adoption event with just the right new family member? Either way, the moment that a new dog comes home is sure to be one that you'll remember.

However, this is also a delicate time for your puppy and your family. You don't want to be so caught up in the excitement that you aren't careful about making good decisions. Here are 10 things that are essential when you first bring home a puppy.

1. Stick to the Routine

It's okay to be excited when you bring home a puppy, but as much as possible, you want to stick to your normal routine. If you get your puppy settled into eating, potty, and sleeping habits right away, you’ll have fewer problems with potty accidents, nighttime crying, and other typical puppy problems. A routine will also help to give your puppy confidence at a time when they may be prone to feeling insecure. 

2. Delay Having Company

You probably want to show off the adorable new puppy, and kids are sure to want to bring their friends over as soon as they can, but it is important to get your puppy established before you bring any new elements into the equation. Give your dog time to learn who their family is before they meet a lot of new people. This period will be comforting for a puppy in a new place, away from their families for the first time.

3.  Prevent Traumatic Experiences

When most people bring home a new puppy, it is between 8 and 10 weeks of age. Incidentally, this is also the time when puppies go through their first fear period. During this time, your puppy may be especially susceptible to bad experiences. Traumatic experiences at this time may have lasting consequences. 

Even if your puppy is older or you are rescuing a shelter dog, the first couple of weeks together are critical. Therefore, it is essential that you protect your dog from any kind of traumatic experiences at this time. 

4. Demonstrate Confidence

Things that may not seem scary to you may be very frightening to your puppy. Here are a few potential structures that name might frighten your puppy that you might not have thought of:

●      Shiny and slippery floors

●      Loud sounds likes storms, fireworks, television or stereo

●      Other pets, including small animals

●      Rough handling, even if playful or affectionate

●      Experiences with water in which they don’t feel they have control

If you're thinking that this list sounds like a lot of things in an average puppy’s life, you're right. A good breeder should have exposed the puppy to these kinds of stimuli before they came to live with you. However, when your puppy is going through the fear period, even a slightly new experience can be frightening. 

It is your role to be a strong and confident leader for your puppy. Make sure that your puppy never goes over their stress threshold, but encourage them to meet the world with confidence. If they are frightened of something, teach by example. Allow your puppy to watch from a safe distance as you demonstrate how to interact with whatever they're afraid of.

If your puppy is afraid of something ongoing like a storm, demonstrate your lack of fear by playing with toys, being light and cheerful, and generally showing your puppy that there is nothing to be afraid of. Small amounts of affection may be appropriate to reward shows of confidence, but this is not a time to comfort your puppy. You want to convince your puppy that nothing is wrong.

5. Offer Lots of Toys

Toys are essential for the happiness and well-being of your puppy and your household. It is natural for puppies to explore their environments with their mouths. Even the smallest breed of puppy is prone to a level of destructiveness. 

Offering plenty of toys enables your puppies to explore and use their mouths safely without destroying your home. From the second you bring your puppy home throughout your dog's life, offer plenty of different kinds of toys, and interact with your dog with them. Whenever your dog does something with their mouth that you'd rather they not, redirect them to the toy.

6. Train Constantly

It is a tremendously mistaken belief among some dog owners that is occasionally perpetuated by trainers that puppies shouldn't be trained until they are several months old. This belief may have come from the very true point that young puppy should not be strenuously exercised. However, training is very safe.

Your puppy's mind is open and eager to learn, so this is among the best possible times to teach them all kinds of basic obedience and tricks, as well as modify behavior like excessive barking or jumping up.

7. Be Patient

One of the most important parts of puppyhood is the opportunity to explore their surroundings at their own pace. For many of us, this means a very slow walk. Whether you're letting your puppy out in your own backyard, allowing them to explore parts of the house, they may not always have access to, or going for a walk, take your time. Let your puppy follow their nose and fully understand the environment that surrounds them.

8.  Teach Bite Inhibition

Puppies who have been raised for a sufficient amount of time with their mother and littermates generally learn a good degree of bite inhibition naturally. Puppies who are separated early or puppies who are the only one in the litter may not learn bite inhibition as well. 

Either way, puppies need to constantly relearn to resist the impulse to put their sharp teeth on your skin. The agreed-upon method is a sharp sound of pain and removing yourself from the play situation when your puppy bites too hard. If your puppy continues to bite, it is appropriate to remove yourself from their reach until they calm down.

9. Puppy Proof Regularly

Puppy proofing isn't something you do once and consider the job done. You must constantly be on the lookout for ways your puppy could get into trouble. As your dog gets older, they'll find new ways to get into mischief. This is especially true for large breed puppy, who seem to gain new physical skills overnight as they grow.

10. Be a Constant Positive Force

For your puppy to grow into a confident, happy, well-adjusted dog, they must feel the security of constant support and encouragement. You have a lot to teach your dog, and sometimes you will be frustrated and angry. However, nothing should stop you from being a positive force in their lives.