Caring for a new puppy

It’s always a very exciting time purchasing and bringing home your new puppy. Usually after careful thought you will have chosen a puppy suitable for your home and lifestyle. You may have other dogs and be aware of what is required but in case you don’t this is to help you prepare for your puppy’s arrival and help him or her settle into your home.

Basic requirements
Your puppy will have some basic requirements including a food and water bowl for fresh water, a suitable puppy food, a bed to sleep in and find a quiet time if the house is busy, a place to exercise and a place to start toilet training .Also some safe toys suitable for puppies.Some people buy training pads for him or her to learn to urinate and defaecate on or you can use newspaper. This can be placed near the back door so it learns one place to go to the toilet and gradually moves to going outdoors. Buying some books on puppy training both toilet training and behaviour training to help you is a good idea. A lead and collar is also needed for when it starts to go out.

Veterinary considerations
If your puppy hasn’t yet been fully vaccinated it will not be allowed outside until a week to  ten days after it’s second vaccine especially if you have foxes or other dogs around which can carry infections your puppy will be susceptible to. It’s a good idea to register with a vet before bringing your puppy home and make sure it comes from a breeder registered with the kennel club or a family home so it does not come home with infections from other puppies which are more likely to be picked up in pet shops where many puppies are mixed together .Once it has settled for a day or two take it to the vet for a health check and advice about a worming protocol and vaccinations. The vet may also microchip your puppy if you wish in case it goes missing. Insurance cover is also advisable in case of illness or injury.

Settling in
Make sure at least one household member is at home for the first few weeks at least if possible as a young puppy needs 4 meals daily and lots of attention to play and learn. If you have to go out a radio left on for some noise  to help it feel less alone as it will have been used to having it’s mother and litter mates for company.