Welcoming a puppy into your home
Careful planning and supervision in those first few weeks of a puppy's arrival home will help ensure its future role as your special companion and family member. A well-socialized and well trained dog is certainly man's best friend. By following these 8 simple guide lines, bringing a puppy home can be an enjoyable experience and alleviate stress for both you and your new dog[1].
[1] Jane Harvey, "Going Home" in Puppies Australia Annual (Michael Vink, Woolloongabba, Queensland) Vol 3 ISSN 14428059 Pages 23-25
Planning your new puppy's homecoming
Bringing a new puppy home is much like planning a child's first day at school. That single experience can make or mar the future success of a dog's life with you.
Take your puppy home early in the day
Arrange the homecoming as early as practicable in the morning, on a day you can devote to your new puppy. Then it not only has a whole day to get used to its new home, it becomes accustomed to understanding that but you are the substitute 'mother who mother to attend to its needs.
Organizing Puppy Sleeping Arrangements
Have its bed prepared and decide where it is going to sleep. Puppies rarely soil in their beds, so sleeping on a blanket or something that resembles its littermates is a good idea. For a puppy under three months, a warm confined spot inside the house is recommended.
Imagine the devastation if the puppy was home just a short while and a horrible accident occurred. So, it is vitally important to check your whole home in order to ensure your puppy's safety.
Routine is very important to young puppies and this must extend to meals, at least for the first two or three weeks. Have two bowls ready - one for food and one for water.
Toilet Training (House Breaking)
Toilet training begins from day one. It is exactly the same process as toilet training a young child. The trick is to 'catch' them. Puppies cannot hold on for longer than about half an hour when they are awake. Additionally, they usually wee and/or eliminate after food or when they wake up.
Introducing Puppy to Another Family Pet
Introducing the puppy to another adult dog or cat that already lives with the family requires careful handling. Imagine how that dog must feel when a new puppy is suddenly dumped into its territory. Dogs and cats are territorial animals.
There is no substitute for advice from a conscientious breeder in the first instance, followed by classes with a reputable training school or club which may operate 'puppy socialisation' classes or 'puppy kindergartens' in your area.
You are about to take your puppy to your veterinarian for the first time. But first consider whether or not to de-sex it and if so, at what age. De-sexing means to spey in the case of a female and to neuter in the case of a male. As de-sexing involves major surgery, especially in the case of a female, the veterinarian may be keen to de-sex at an early age when the surgical risk is less. The purpose of this section is to assist you in considering both sides of the story.