Preparing to bring your puppy home
Preparing to bring your puppy home for the first time is the so exciting. A new member of the family to love and care for. Dreaming of all the adventures you are going to have together.
There is so much to look forward to but it can also be rather overwhelming walking into the pet shop. Being faced with so many decisions, what will they need, what is a waste of money. It can take hours of time and lots of your money but it really doesn’t have to!
We have done all the hard work for you and have created a simple tried and tested checklist containing everything you need for to set your puppy up for success. We talk about all the products in the post but you can download your FREE checklist here!
Why so many people run into problems.
There are many, many stories where people run into problems with their new puppy either straight away or even months down the line. Many puppies end up in rescue centres sometimes even getting euthanised before the age of 3 due to undesirable behaviours.
Reasons problems can occur:
- lack of guidance altogether with no experience of what works.
- the wrong guidance about about what is really important
- don’t know how to stop the undesirable behaviours such as play biting, barking and chewing.
- they end up innocently rewarding the wrong behaviours.
- they don’t get help soon enough so many behaviours become established.
- responding in the wrong way causes confusion and gives mixed messages to the puppy.
We really can help you get off to a fantastic start with your puppy so keep reading!
Preparing your Home
Preparing your home for your puppy’s arrival is really important. Here are some things you should do:
- Remove small items and objects at floor level, anything that looks like it may be a temptation to chew, shoes, kids toys, wires any other hazards.
- Consider a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs or anywhere that would help contain your puppy to a designated area where you would like them to be.
- Check all fencing in the garden is secure with no small gaps. 8 week old puppies can squeeze through tiny gaps. If needs be run a length of chicken wire round the bottom of any trellis or unsolid fencing.
- Remove any hazardous objects from the garden.
- Set up the crate in an area that your puppy will spend much of their time. It is helpful to be in a slightly quiet corner but also in the heart of the home and not too far from the way out side to the toilet.
Setting up the Crate
This part is critical for success with settling in your puppy and to make toilet training an absolute breeze. The most important things to do are:
- make sure the whole base of the crate is covered with vet bed, leave no space uncovered.
- you can then make it extra cosy with a blanket to snuggle and a cuddly toy.
- absolutely no puppy pads needed at all.
- cover the crate with a big blanket to make it like a cosy den.
- make sure you have fresh water outside of the crate at all times and inside the crate but with a screw on water dish so it is less likely to get tipped over.
- leave the crate door open so your puppy can choose to go in there any time.
Top Ten Products you will need
1. A Crate and Bed
A good quality crate to fit the size of your puppy when they are fully grown. It is vital that the bed fits the full base of the crate. Some crates come with beds or you can buy vet bed off the roll to the exact measurements of your crate.
2. Food and Water Bowls
These Beco dishes are non-slip, eco-friendly, dishwasher safe and really robust. Available in a range of colours and sizes.
3. Kongs
We recommend having at least 2 kongs for your puppy so you can always have one filled and ready for when you need it. Here are a few of our favourite ones. Click the images for more info.
The kongs suitable for puppies are normally baby pink and baby blue in colour and the colours change as they get more robust and stronger teeth.
Kong are such good quality they will last forever so definitely worth the investment.
4. Kong Wild Knots Bear
Again this is tried and tested and a really robust cuddly toy to withstand lots of play and teething. Available in a variety of sizes, we like the large ones as they are a good size to snuggle up with in the crate.
5. Collar and Lead
Although this won’t fit them for long, a good quality collar and lead with strong fasteners are a must for your puppy. Here are a few of our favourites that are strong, versatile but look great too in a range of lovely colours.
6. Puppy Fresh Spray
As tempting as it is to bath your puppy, it is not recommended to do it too often as it can strip essential oils from their skin. This is a really lovely deodorising puppy spray to freshen them up.
7. Low Ammonia Cleaner
A low ammonia cleaner such as G9 is really important for any toileting accidents as it gets rid of the scent so the puppy is less likely to toilet repeatedly over the soiled area. This can generally only be purchased from your veterinary practice.
8. Poo Bags and Dispenser
Unfortunately you are going to get through lots of these poo bags!! We love this handy Beco poo bag dispenser that you can slide onto your dogs leads. The poo bags are environment friendly too and can be bought in bulk for a big saving.
9. Treat Pouch
With positive training, you are going to need a really good quality treat pouch. Here is a great versatile one that we recommend and use every day with out pups with space for poop bags, keys, phone and a clip on water collapsible water bowl too.
10. Training Treats
You are going to need LOTS of high value treats at the ready so things that are fresh like chicken, cheese, hotdogs, cheese spread, cocktail sausages, ham are all fantastic. Here are a few other things that can add to your collection of fresh training treats to make life a little easier and quicker. Pure dried meat treats are always tastier and healthier for your puppy.
The kong filler is a quick and easy way to seal the end of your kongs in a hurry.
Once your puppy starts teething, having a selection of chews will help fulfil their natural urge to chew and soothe their teething issues.
Additional Items not essential but useful!
Screw on water dishes
Not essential but these are a great way to ensure your puppy always has access to fresh water but without them knocking it over and making the bed wet.
Time to Get started
Now you are set up with every thing you need, it’s time to get started settling in your puppy.
But wait . . . what happens next? You still might have LOTS of questions!
Do you want to learn more about settling in your puppy with success?
We have a free lesson especially for you today to show you how to use all the recommended items above and how to introduce the crate positively so your puppy will LOVE it from day one!
Commonly Asked Questions
Here are a few commonly asked questions relating to settling in a new puppy that you might find helpful.
Do I need to use puppy training pads?
How long does toilet training take?
When will my puppy sleep through the night?
Summary of Settling in your Puppy
- Preparation is key! Before your puppy arrives, have your home ready and puppy proof.
- Have all the essential products recommended in this post ready to go so you can start day one with huge success.
- Have plenty of yummy treats on hand as you will need LOTS. High value treats such as chicken, hot dogs, cheese and homemade tuna or liver cake are fantastic to keep your puppies attention.
- Set your puppy up to succeed by signing up to our FREE SETTLE YOUR PUPPY IN 24 HOURS LESSON to learn how to use all the recommended products and how to get off to an awesome start with toilet training, crate training, mouthing and child safety.
- Are you feeling more prepared to welcome home your new puppy?
Enjoy every minute of this new adventure with your puppy! We look forward to hearing your success stories and seeing some lovely pictures of course!
To learn EVERYTHING you need to know about training your puppy from day one right through to adulthood so they can be the calm, confident an well-mannered family dog you have always dreamed of, check out our WELCOME HOME PUPPY course today!
