Congratulations! You’re a first time puppy owner, which means you’ve just opened your home and heart to a lifetime of unconditional love, companionship, and adventure. This also means that you are a part of the fellowship of dog owners, who will all agree that caring for a puppy is equal parts rewarding and challenging. Fortunately, we’re here to set you up for success with our beginner’s guide to puppy care.
Puppy-Proof Your Home
For puppies, boundaries do not exist. Puppies lead with curiosity, which can leave them in a potentially hazardous situation without the proper precautions in place. To mitigate injuries and accidents while protecting your home from little puppy teeth, it’s important to be proactive and puppy-proof your home before their arrival. We recommend using a baby gate to block off a designated space for your puppy to call home until they are well-trained enough to explore. In this puppy-proof area, make sure that all wires, chemicals, toxic cleaning products, and other valuable or potentially hazardous belongings are removed away to protect your home and the health of your puppy.
Contact a Local Veterinarian
Before bringing your new companion home, it’s essential to do some research to find a reputable local veterinarian to take on your puppy’s care. Puppies require vaccinations within days of arriving home. As such, it’s wise to plan ahead and find a trusted veterinarian before you bring your puppy home. We recommend reading plenty of reviews and calling around to get a feel for the type of care and support different veterinarians may offer. When you find one you like, register your puppy right away to prepare for their puppy check-up, which will include deworming, parasite management, vaccinations, and eventually spaying or neutering.
Purchase New Puppy Supplies
Puppies come with a shopping list of essential items that support their growth, development, physical, mental, and emotional stimulation. To ensure you’re ready to fulfill your puppy’s many needs, we recommend following this checklist:
- Food and Water Bowls: We recommend stainless steel or ceramic.
- Puppy-Friendly Toys: Choose items that cannot be easily torn up or swallowed.
- Crate or Kennel: Jumpstart training with a safe space for your puppy.
- Puppy-Food: Choose high-quality puppy food to support your puppy’s development and growth.
- Treats: Treats are an excellent way to facilitate training with your new puppy.
- Collar, Leash, and Identification: Get your puppy used to walks when they’re young and ensure they are identifiable should you get separated.
Discover puppy preparations made easy by contacting your local veterinarian to learn more about the puppy care basics.