How To Prepare For a New Puppy

Preparing for a furry new member of the family is exciting and overwhelming. There’s a never-ending whirlwind of things to do, things to buy, things to learn and names to think up. To help take some of the pressure off, we’ve composed a list of things to do to prepare for your new puppy to help you both with this transition.

Choose a Vet

Like finding a pediatrician when you have a kid, the first thing you should do when adopting a new dog is find a reliable veterinarian. If you are new to the area and don’t know where to start, try using social media.   Your breeder or adoption center might also have a list of referrals.

Local Facebook groups are a great place to start making connections. Alternatively, you might try asking on a community board such as Nextdoor. We suggest asking on multiple sites. The more you ask, the more suggestions and options you’ll have.

If you hear a few names repeatedly, it’s time to do some research. Start with google and yelp reviews to narrow down your top candidates. Once you’ve established those, investigate their websites to see the services provided and pricing. If you can’t find pricing online, try calling and asking for the prices of a few essential services you’ll be needing. Get a base price to see the doctor or get vaccinations.

Learn Training Basics

A well-trained dog is a happy dog. Your dog is eager to please; you also want a dog that listens when you need it to, so learningtraining basics is a must. First and foremost, whenever you are training a dog, remember that the two most important things you can be are positive and consistent.

Your dog doesn’t like getting yelled at, and you don’t like yelling at them. What’s more, dogs don’t have the cognitive capability to understand what you’re ranting about beyond knowing they’ve upset you. Furthermore, how can you expect your dog to be fully attentive and enthusiastic about training if they’re anxious about upsetting you?

Second, you must be consistent. Like humans, it takes dogs time and effort to build or change a habit. If you allow too much time to lapse between sessions, your dog’s retention of that knowledge will drop, and you’ll start from square one all over again.

Grab the Essentials

One of the many similarities between preparing for a puppy and a baby is the never-ending list of things you need to buy to entertain, feed, and otherwise keep them alive. A few things you might want to check off before bringing your pup home include:

• Treats
• Food
• Bowls
• Adjustable harness and collar
• Leash
• Toys
• Bed
• Play Pen

While this certainly isn’t an exhaustive list, it will at least get you through the first few days. You may also consider buying poop bags for your walks and anenzymatic cleaner for the inevitable accidents.

Puppy Proof Your Home

Yet another similarity between young dogs and young humans: filling your home with anti-invasion methods against their endless onslaught of energy. To puppy-proof your home, start with the obvious, like closing off areas you don’t want your dog to have access to with baby gates. 

If you’re having trouble thinking of the trouble a puppy could get into, get down on your hands and knees and crawl around. Look at your home from their perspective, and you might be surprised by what seems enticing from below. 

Remove any objects you don’t want damaged or potential hazards. If the item can’t be removed, try hitting it with somenon-toxic bitter spray to keep curious mouths off.

Set Up a Confinement Area

Use the playpen to set up a confined, safe space for your puppy to rest or when you can't supervise. If the idea of cooping your pup up breaks your heart, don’t worry! Dogs seek den areas by instinct for comfort and safety, so it's just as good for them as having a quick break is for you.

Don’t make the confinement area too big. Just enough room for a BrilliantPad, a bed, water, and a bit of space for a toy if you have it. You want to keep this area nice and cozy both because it’s a den and because it will help start your pup's potty training process.

Dogs will instinctively keep the areas they eat and sleep clean, so they avoid using them to relieve themselves when possible. Your newborn puppy will require a bit of grace as he gains control of his bladder.

With your help, your pup will learn potty training and much more. There’s a whole world for you to show them. Go forth and conquer it together.