Nothing comes as close to happiness as when you’re returning home from work, and you hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet running across the floor to greet you. And no, we don’t mean children; we mean puppies.
Despite looking like butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths, puppies can be very destructive, cause friction between other pets, strain your budget, and demand significant attention, so if you’re planning to bring one home anytime soon, it’s essential that you prepare!
From puppy-proofing your home and gathering puppy supplies to creating a space for it and registering for a vet, there are many preparations to ensure the transition is as easy as possible for you (and your new puppy!). We outline some of the main ones below.
Puppy-Proof Your Home
As discussed in our introduction, puppies can be unintentionally destructive during their first year. You’ll soon discover that your new canine companion can get themselves into a whirlwind of trouble by gnawing on your furniture, ripping open rubbish bags to get any leftover morsels, chewing the wire to your internet router, eating toxic plants – you name it, they can do it.
Therefore, to ensure you avoid damaging your home (or your puppy!), you must puppy-proof the entire home by locking away medications/cleaning supplies in high, hard-to-reach places, keeping flowers out of the house, tidy away small items that could be choking hazards, unplugging long, trailing electrical cords and keeping sharp objects out of the puppy’s reach.
However, protecting your furniture is more challenging. Ensure complete protection of your furnishings by using personal storage solutions like the ones from Safestore, which allows you to save your furnishings from your canine friend on a short or long-term basis. Consider visiting their website and discover how their services could help you prepare for your puppy’s arrival today.
Register With A Vet
Although talking about vets often creates negative connotations, registering with a veterinary practice is one of the most vital preparations you’ll have to make before bringing your new puppy home. Despite being a place your pup’ will go to if they feel under the weather, it’s also a place that will carry out their vital check-ups to ensure they’re growing as expected and healthy.
If this is your first dog, and you’ve never registered with a veterinary practice before, it is best to conduct research and not register with the first local vet you find. Ultimately, you want to find a reputable place to deliver your new canine friend the best quality care possible.
You can ensure this by asking your friends/family members for recommendations, conducting internet searches, or posting on your local community group on Facebook and seeing the different kinds of responses you get. As well as ensuring the practice you choose has a good reputation, you should also see what additional services they offer, like 24/7 emergency care, or payment plans.
Create A Nook For Your New Canine Friend
Like bringing home a new baby, when you first bring your new canine friend home, they will be presented with a unique selection of smells, noises, and sights that might cause overstimulation. Instead of thrusting your puppy into a new environment all at once, allow them to familiarise themselves bit by bit by creating a cosy nook for them.
Since dogs are den animals, giving them a safe, quiet place to retreat is helpful if they ever feel frightened and need to escape for several minutes. You’ll want to place their little nook in a less-busy area of the home so that they can decompress when required without any distractions going on around them.
