A New Owner’s Guide to Puppies
Puppies
Bringing a puppy into your family can be an exciting, rewarding experience. It can also be a stressful one for which you need to be prepared. Puppies are as needy and demanding and you have to be ready for this. When selecting a puppy, there are many choices available to you. While you could go to a breeder or pet store and get a precious purebred, consider the fact that not only will you be spending a fortune to buy the puppy, there are also vet bills and food costs. And, many purebred dogs are predisposed to certain health problems associated with their breed.
If you have your heart set on a certain breed, then go for it, but if you’re not sure, seriously consider adopting. Shelters are filled with puppies of all ages as well as adult dogs who need homes. And if you look in your local paper, there are likely to be ads for puppy giveaways. It can be hard to shop for your puppy before you bring him or her home. (I once bought a leash and collar for a tiny puppy but brought a large dog home from the shelter.) There are some things you can buy before you get your puppy and some things best saved until after.
Definitely go out and purchase a food and water bowl. You will also need puppy food. If you’re not sure what kind to get, do some research. Some dog owners are adamant about certain brands, and the vet will try to sell you the puppy food they carry. However, most puppies will do fine with a name brand puppy food from the supermarket. You’ll also need a collar and leash but that is best purchased after you bring your puppy home so you can measure their neck in order to get the right size. All puppies need chew toys, so stock up on them. There are even specialty chew bones (that aren’t actually made of bone) designed for teething puppies.
Once your puppy comes home, the first thing you should do is show him or her the food and water area, as well as the bathroom area. For some puppies this will be outdoors, others will use paper indoors. Either way, expect plenty of accidents as puppies cannot hold their bladder or bowels like adult dogs can. It takes lots of practice and persistence before your dog will be potty-trained. It’s a good idea to get some high-quality carpet spot cleaner made especially for dog urine and feces as regular carpet cleaners don’t remove all traces of the odor which means the puppy might go to that spot again.
Puppies are a great joy, but they are a lot of work to take care of. If you are getting a puppy for your child, be prepared to help out with a lot of the care while your child is at school. If no one is home during the days, you may want to crate your puppy and let him out to potty at lunch breaks and when you get home until the puppy is housebroken. There are lots of great books on raising and training puppies that can give you some extra help and knowledge in this area.