5 Preparations to Make Before Bringing Home a New Puppy
Congratulations! You’re about to embark on an exciting journey with your new puppy!
But, are you prepared??
The first six months of your puppy’s life are crucial for training and development, so now is the time to get started.
This preparation beings before bringing your furry friend home and can shape the following years with your dog.
In this blog, I’ll share the five main tasks I completed before bringing home Emma.
Buy supplies
Here is the checklist I used. I can’t promise you’ll want/need all of the exact items, but this will give you a good starting point to see what you may need to purchase ahead of time.
2. Plan Socialization
Socialization is paws-down the most important part of puppy training!
There is some urgency to this step as there is a window of critical development before three months of age that will shape your puppy’s temperament and behavior habits.
While training can happen at any age, it is easier to shape behavior during the optimal development time rather than go back and rehabilitate undesired behaviors.
There are two kinds of socialization:
1) Dogs with people
2) Dogs with other dogs
Socialization - Dogs with People
Socialization includes your dog interacting with 100 people within the first three months. This means exposing your dog to a variety of people and ages. A dog’s temperament is largely a result of its socialization during puppyhood. Do not miss this golden opportunity!
🐾 Pro tip: Make a list ahead of time and be proactive about inviting people over to visit your puppy. You want to ensure these meetings are not in public spaces (such as a dog park) if your puppy is not fully vaccinated.
Socialization - Dogs with other dogs
Socialization with other dogs is also important to teach polite canine interaction and work on bite inhibition, which will be carried into adulthood.
I enrolled Emma in puppy socialization classes from 9-14 weeks old, where she will learn polite canine interaction and puppy manners. This is a safer option than a dog park as the facility is cleaned and all dogs present have to show proof of their initial vaccinations (usually received around 6-8 weeks old).
🐾 Pro Tip: Book early! When I looked for local puppy socialization classes for Emma, they were already booked 1-2 months out, so I would recommend beginning your search as soon as you know when your puppy will be coming home.
Read more about puppy socialization in our blog.
3. Schedule a Vet Visit
First, research and find a reputable vet in your area before bringing home your puppy.
Then, schedule an appointment for your puppy to visit the vet within the first few days of bringing them home. I picked up Emma on a Saturday, and I scheduled a vet visit the following Monday.
Plan to visit the vet every 3-4 weeks for the first few months. Vet visits ensure your puppies receive their vaccinations, identify any potential health concerns and provide a plan of care for your puppy in the upcoming months.
Consider Pet Insurance
You can budget for routine wellness visits, vaccinations, and preventive care. Everyone hopes their pet lives a long and healthy life without hiccups. However, unforeseen circumstances may arise (emergency illness, tests/Xrays, medications, surgery), and the vet bills can add up very quickly.
Pet insurance covers those unexpected veterinary bills and can be a lifesaver.
🐾 Pro Tip: Purchase pet insurance as a puppy since pre-existing conditions are often not covered. We purchased pet insurance for Emma when she was 6 weeks old so that there were not any pre-existing conditions.
4. Read. Read. Read.
We recognized the need for convenient and effective dog training solutions, which is why we created The Hapco Puppy Program. The best part is it is completely FREE!
The Hapco Puppy Program includes:
Before Getting Your Puppy. The most important things to do in order to prepare for this new addition to your family.
After Getting Your Puppy. A four-week program to build a solid training foundation.
Resources. Additional guides about our most asked topics, such as potty training, crate training, and puppy biting.
5. Puppy Proof your Home
Put yourself in your puppy’s paws and look around your surroundings through the eyes of your puppy.
These are some of the areas in our apartment I targeted:
➤ Cords
➤ Houseplants - here is a list of plants poisonous to dogs
➤ Cleaning supplies - keep out of reach or in secured cabinets
➤ Medications - out of reach
➤ Toilet lids - keep closed
➤ Small items - put away anything that could be a choking hazard
➤ Trashcans - use lids
Summary
Buy supplies
Plan socialization
Schedule a vet visit
Read. Read. Read.
Puppy proof your house
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