Bringing Home New Puppy
The transition of bringing home a new puppy is an important experience for everyone. This includes your new puppy, members of your family, other pets in your home, and visitors you have in your home during the transition time.
Prepare for Bringing Home a New Puppy
As soon as you know you will be welcoming a new puppy into your home, begin to prepare for the transition. Include members of your family, other pets who live in your home, and visitors who may drop by. Here are a few ideas about how you can prepare for your new puppy.
Prepare Family Members, Other Pets, and Visitors:
- Name your puppy. If you have picked out a name for your puppy, please let us know the name you have chosen. We will start using it and get him/her familiar with the sound.
- Set up sleeping area. This needs to be a space where your puppy will not be disturbed. Create this space and include family members to plan and discuss this is a quiet zone where the new puppy will feel safe and secure.
- Determine where your new puppy will eat.
- Determine where your new puppy will potty. Consider other pets and how they will react to a new pet in the family.
- Have toys and supplies ready. Your new puppy’s toys and play area can be prepared ahead of time so there will be consistency for your new puppy.
- Practice how to hold a puppy. children may find it helpful to practice with other pets or stuffed toys.
- –For small puppies, hold using one hand under the chest and the other under the hindquarters.
- –For larger puppies, hold in a cradle position.
Bringing Home New Puppy – First Few Days Home
You will be excited and filled with anticipation as the day your new puppy is coming home arrives. Here are some ideas to help your puppy adjust to new surroundings during the first few days.
- Keep your puppy under close supervision. Keep him/her safe and respond with praise to correct behaviors.
- Take your puppy out to potty immediately after arriving home, and then again after eating, playing, napping, and about every two hours. Give your puppy time to learn this is the potty area. The American Kennel Club states a puppy will need to eliminate 15 minutes or less after playing, eating, or napping.
- Involve family members in play time.
- Limit visitors the first few days. This will help your puppy know who lives in his/her new home.
New Puppy Care – Continuity – Ongoing Plan
Avoid sudden changes to the environment unless they are unavoidable. When something needs to change give your puppy time to adjust. The transition period can vary depending on the approach to introduction, and the age, personality, and self-confidence of your puppy.
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