Preparing for a New Puppy

By Susanna Parker

You want to get a new puppy? Fabulous! You've done your homework, picked out the breed, and know exactly where you will be getting it from, whether purchasing from a reputable breeder or adopting from a rescue organization. Before you go pick up that new bundle of fur, be sure you have "puppy-proofed" your home, and prepared a few things to ease the stress on your new companion.

Talk with the breeder or rescue group and find out exactly what kind of food the puppy has been eating. Find out the brand, whether it is regular puppy kibbles or large breed, or some other style of puppy food. Have they fed it dry kibbles only, or have they mixed in canned puppy food as well? The closer you can get to bringing your puppy into a similar routine at your home, the easier the adjustment will be on both you and the puppy.

If you want to feed the puppy a different brand, that is fine. Just be sure you make a gradual, and I do mean a very gradual, change. Too quick of a change will likely upset the puppy's stomach, and cause diarrhea and possibly vomiting, and even just a droopy puppy. If you are used to vegetarian food only, and you were suddenly thrust into a strange environment with only meat products to eat, or you are used to fast food hamburgers, and you suddenly get switched to shrimp and lobster every day, you would be a little sick too.

Also, be sure to go ahead and set up an appointment with your vet to have your puppy checked for diseases and parasites. It will get your puppy off on the right start in its new life.

A few other things you might want to consider would be a food and water bowl, a few puppy safe toys, and some puppy safe treats. A big plus to have, especially if the puppy will be a house dog, is a pet crate. This is an excellent tool in house training, because a dog does not like to mess in its den, which it will consider the crate. Plus, a crate gives a puppy a dark, safe place that it can feel secure in to nap and rest up after those play times with you. Be sure the toys you pick are safe for puppies. They do not need to have buttons or anything the puppy could potentially pull off and swallow. Do not give a puppy an old shoe as a toy. Not only is it not a good safe toy, but the puppy will not be able to differentiate between the old sneaker and your eighty dollar dress shoes. To the puppy, they are all shoes, and you did give them the first one with your approval.

You also need to puppy proof your house. The best way to do this, whether you think it silly to crawl on all fours or not, is to do just that. Get down on the puppy's level, and look for anything it could potentially grab hold of, chew on, swallow, or destroy. Loose coins, marbles, lots of electrical cords in the open, and many other things pose definite hazards to your puppy.

Everyone wants their puppy to grow into a beautiful adult dog, and live a long, healthy life. With these few steps, you can get that long life, and your new friendship, off to a great start.

© Doityourself.com 2006