You must be excited to have finally own your very own first puppy in your life. In this article, we will be sharing with you some tips and tricks which one of our team had personally experienced on her first month of owning a puppy. Everyday with your puppy, you will learn something new. It will be a joyous and exciting journey. So here are 7 tips for first time puppy owner, according to personal experience:
1. Be Prepared with Basics
If you are a first time puppy owner and your new puppy has just arrived, here is a tips for you. Be sure that basics are already set up for a stress-free environment. The basics include the same brand of dog food used by the breeder for the puppy, water feeder, poop tray, pet training pads, puppy cage/playpen and dog shampoo. These essentials are the most basic and a must-have for your new puppy.
All puppies are adorable, be mentally prepared that you will be taking care of a baby that never grow up. Commitment and responsibility are important when deciding to have a pet. Please remember to clarify on how many vaccine jabs had been done by the breeder and remember to follow up puppy’s remaining mandatory vaccination jabs.
2. First Week Discipline
During the first time of being a new puppy owner, the first 3 days observation plays an important role and here are the tips.
You need to observe if puppy has appetite, finishes food in 5 minutes and has a playful attitude. It means you are doing great. Be sure that you confine puppy in he/his cage or puppy’s playpen for the first week. This step is essential to ensure from the start that puppy knows her/his limit of roaming in your house.
This habit is important as you might not have 24 hours to spend with puppy, thus she needs to know this from the start. The habit of not simply wondering around your house and staying in her cage/playpen helps to instill discipline which must be cultivated from the first week itself.
Some breeders even advised not to give puppy too much attention on the first week, so puppy can be more independent.
3. Potty Training
Training your new puppy to poop and pee at the correct place takes time, patience, and consistency. Puppy will not know what you mean, thus repetition and clear instructions is the key.
Use one-word instructions. An effective method you could try at the very beginning of training will be watching her do her first pee and poop after puppy had eaten.
Once puppy poop or pee on the wrong spot the first time, you can say “NO” in a stern voice but not a scary tone, do not scare puppy too much. Keep indicating with your hands on the correct spot for puppy to do her business.
The next poops and pee spot will change area as puppy knows and will avoid the previous time you had been stern. Thus, the moment she peed and poop at the correct spot, you need to reward puppy with a bright big smile, a warm indication that puppy’s action is now correct.
Check your puppy’s age, before giving her treats for doing the right action. Consult your animal doctor if you are not sure on the best age to treat puppy.
4. Food and Treats
Puppies are like babies that have young digestive system. Follow the breeder’s dog food brand as puppy’s stomach is used to digest that same dog food from the breeder.
Changing the dog food brand might cause an upset stomach. If you decide to try another brand, you need to ensure you mix it with her current dog food brand little by little.
Puppy at few months is on soft food diet, thus make sure to soften the dog food with warm water for 15 minutes, throw the excess water and serve puppy. This concept is like human babies where they eat baby’s porridge and drink milk at the initial stage of life.
As for milk, consult the breeder on the brand of milk they are currently giving puppy. Giving the wrong milk can cause upset tummy for puppy, leading to diarrhea.
In terms of treats, make sure to buy treats specifically for puppies as it will not be recommended for few months old puppy with young digestive system.
5. Puppy’s Separation Anxiety
Remember this, puppy is like a baby who yearns for a mother’s love and warmth. As tips for a first time puppy owner, you need to take care of puppy like a mother.
When you have time at home, you can try to be near your puppy. For example, if you are reading a book, playing some mobile games or working with your laptop. You can do it with puppy by your side. Keeping her company will help her to feel more secure with your presence.
Puppy yearns your love and attention. Thus, if you go out for a whole day there are possibilities that puppy will face separation anxiety. This feeling comes as they will miss you for not spending enough time with them.
They are clingy in nature. They crave the owner’s love and attention. Remember to give a warm hug to your puppy when you are back after a long day out. Love is all they need.
Check Out Also: 33 Genius Life Hacks That Every Dog Owner Should Know
6. Puppy’s First Bath
Simple tips for puppies first bath are to make sure to have the following items: towels, dog shampoo, dog’s ear cleaner, cotton pads and warm water ready. If you are using a shower head, make sure it is a gentle spray and not too strong.
Ensure the temperature is stabilized to the warm water where is just right for a bath before beginning your puppy’s bath. As for using the bathtub method, ensure the warm water is ready with a mini pail to scoop water out.
Before spraying your puppy, please get to know if puppy is afraid of water. Most puppies are afraid of water, but adult dogs will slowly grow out into this fear.
As for puppies, test them with having a tub slightly above her paw level. Make sure to hold puppy, as puppy will feel stress and afraid when touching into the water. Bathing a puppy is a 2 people’s job, as mentioned by many experienced dog owners.
Puppies are generally afraid of water. It requires the owner and a helper to get the job done. Bath puppy quick, wrap puppy in a towel and quickly blow dry puppy to avoid puppy from catching a cold. Once dry, you can carry out puppy’s ear cleaning with the ear cleaner liquid, wiping them using cotton pads around puppy’s ears.
7. Shop Online and Offline
Besides the basic needs for the puppies which you will need to get from the physical store. You can shop some items online which have a better pricing and the quality is also good.
Shopping online enables you do have a wide variety of choices with no area boundaries. For example, a dog bed in an offline store (physical store) can be priced at 3 times the price of a dog bed sold in the online store with the same quality and sometimes with a more beautiful design.
For urgent basic needs, please do the shopping in an offline store to ensure you do not need to reply on shipping days. As for the other items, like dog beds and dog toys you can opts for online shopping which have a variety of choices and reasonable price.
Conclusion
Puppies as pets require a lot of effort and time. However, with the unconditional love and joy they give you, it is worth it. Dogs are known as loyal pets which will always protect their owner and stay by your side no matter what happen.
According to research, dogs are therapeutic pets which could heal depression, anxiety, and cure high blood pressure. There is also a survey conducted mentioning, people with dogs as pets lead a longer, healthier, and happier life.
Love your puppy, and she/he will love you back a thousand times back. Remember to stay committed and responsible when deciding to get a puppy.
