What You Need to Know Before Getting a Puppy
It’s fair to say that most people love dogs, and especially puppies. Puppies are adorable and friendly, and they can grow into loyal companions. However, puppies are also a lot of work. Here are some ways to get your life prepared for your new bundle of joy and fluff.
Puppy Proofing
In a lot of ways, puppies are like children. Yes, there are some significant differences, but puppies and children alike are fantastic at getting into trouble when you least expect them to. One way to mitigate this is to puppy proof your home before the puppy enters your life for good.
Puppy proofing means that you keep your house secure and safe. You can do this by keeping any chew or choke hazards away from where the puppy can find it. Puppies aren’t destructive out of malice, but they do explore the world with their mouths.
Keep dangerous things out of reach. Another good way to control your puppy’s destructive tendencies is to use baby gates to control where they go in your house. This means that you only need to puppy proof the rooms that they get into, but be ready for inevitable escapes.
Feeding Your Puppy
Dogs, unsurprisingly, need food. But not all dog food is created equally. When it comes to feeding your puppy, most owners want the best food possible. You should look for food that is puppy-friendly, which means that it’s high in protein and calories for your growing pup.
Ideally, look for food that has fewer carbs and grains. Dogs don’t have the same needs as humans, which means that you should focus on meat supplemented with veg above all else. Wet food is a good option, but you can use high quality kibble as well.
As well as keeping your puppy well fed, make sure that they have constant access to water. Another thing to consider is puppy milk. Your puppy should be weaned when you first get it, but sometimes supplementing their food with formula puppy milk can be helpful.
Training Your Puppy
When your puppy arrives, it might already have some rudimentary training, but it’s up to you to make sure that they are well trained. House training is a must. You can use puppy pads to prevent accidents, but the sooner that they know to go outside, the better.
You also need to train your puppy to behave. Puppies can bite and nip playfully and often don’t realize that this hurts. You should also train your puppy to obey you, as well as some simple tricks to keep them entertained. Dog training courses can help with this.
Grooming Your Puppy
As your puppy gets older, they might grow a thicker coat that sheds or needs grooming. You can use a brush for a shedding dog, or arrange to get them clipped. Grooming keeps them clean, comfortable, and looking nice.
If you do have to deal with excess hair in your house and on your clothes, then gadgets like the FurZapper can keep you free of pet hair.
Our puppy is currently 8 months old. I didn’t realize all the work they needed. They are really just like having a baby. Puppy proofing is super important. We put up our old baby gates. We survived the teething phase.