Bringing a Puppy Home? Everything You Need to Know
So, you’ve decided to add a puppy to your family? Congrats! Taking care of a puppy is an adventure from the very first second, with cute overload highs and frustrating “not again on the carpet!” lows. To help you prepare for bringing your puppy home, here’s some advice to ease the transition, from puppy-proofing tactics to knowing when to call the vet.
When to Bring a New Puppy Home
First things first: You shouldn’t bring a puppy home until they’re ready to leave their mother. For most dogs, that means waiting until 8 weeks of age. Separating puppies from their moms earlier than 8 weeks old can negatively impact their social and emotional development. No matter how old your puppy is, bringing them home means committing to spending time caring for your dog each day. Puppies can be especially time-consuming, so when you’re planning to introduce your puppy to their new digs, timing is everything. If you’ve got a lot going on, whether it’s starting a new job or renovating the bathroom, it might not be the best time to add a puppy to the mix.
Supplies for Bringing a Puppy Home
From toys to treats to grooming and beyond, the choices can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re a first-time puppy parent. Start with one of the most important items to purchase: a crate. Crate training a puppy is a way to protect puppies from their own curiosity and are the best way that we have to keep them safe when we can’t keep our eyes on them. Puppies tend to like crates because they’re den animals. They really do like a little cozy place to be able to get themselves into, especially when they’re new and nervous about things. It is most recommended to look for a crate with a divider panel so you can adjust its size as your puppy grows.
Prepping Your Home for a Puppy
Puppy-proofing your house is such a crucial step in bringing your puppy home.
To start, get down on your hands and knees — it’s the best way to get a pet’s-eye view of your place—and its potential safety hazards. Puppies are capable of gulping down everything from socks to underwear to tiny toys, so keep your stuff off the ground and teach two-legged family members to put their things away, too.
Look for electrical cords, which your pup will be tempted to chew, and prevent your dog from getting to them by securing them to the walls or baseboards, hiding them inside dog-proof tubes, or simply blocking off their access.
Use pet gates. If any one area simply can’t be puppy-proofed, gates can be really helpful if there are specific areas you don’t want your puppy going into—like the baby’s room or the formal living room.
Lock the lids to your toilet seat and trash cans, as well as the doors to cabinets with cleaning supplies or other toxic substances.
Rules for Your New Puppy
Here’s the thing about bringing a puppy home: It’s a lot of fun—and also a lot of work. Everything is brand-new, so your puppy is going to jump up and nip and mouth and want your attention — You have to set the rules early on so that you get what you need from the dog. From house training to “sit” and “stay,” get ready to address training topics head-on
Potty Training
This is the stage new dog parents dread most, but it pays to have a Zen-like attitude. Having accidents is just part of it when dogs are getting used to being in a new place. They’ll learn, but you just have to give them a little bit of grace when it comes to that.
Chewing
Why is your puppy chewing on everything in sight? Between 4 and 6 months old, when puppies’ tiny needle teeth begin to fall out and their adult teeth come in, the chewing instinct kicks in hard. Whether it’s painful, or just a little itchy, or feels weird, we’re not 100 percent sure. But they certainly want things to chew on, and massage their gums, and help those teeth to break through. Provide plenty of safe chewy toys, and restrict access to the things your pup shouldn’t gnaw on, like your furniture, rugs or shoes.
