When you get a new puppy, it’s like having a newborn baby. Even if you have experience beforehand, you’ll likely have forgotten it. There are key considerations and changes you’ll want to make to your home to ensure your puppy is safe and sound.
With that being said, here are five tips for introducing a puppy into your home.
Puppy-proof your home
Puppy proofing your home is the best start you can make when it comes to preparing your home for a puppy. There will likely be things lying around the home that are a danger to puppies and dogs in general.
Therefore, it’s worthwhile getting down on all four paws and checking everywhere for anything that might seem appealing to a puppy in general. While that can be hard to imagine, there will be some obvious areas of concern that will need to be addressed. For example, food within reach that might be toxic, and wires that are out that they could chew on.
Create a safe space for them to go to
Creating a safe space is important to help look after your puppy in their new environment. This could be a crate that they can take themselves to when they’re feeling overwhelmed, or perhaps a quiet room that they can be put in when they need to have some time separated from the rest of the household.
This safe space is important, and it’s something that will make a big difference to how the puppy feels in the home and in the spaces they’re able to roam initially, in general.
Establish a routine
A routine is something important to establish because it helps them get used to your way of life, rather than you having to fit everything around the puppy.
That means making sure you get up early to let the puppy out for their morning pee and poop, to scheduling meals at the same time every day.
It’s good to check in with the breeder of the puppy to see what sort of routine they have now, so that you can introduce something similar if possible.
Provide plenty of toys
A puppy has a lot of energy, and that level of energy will need plenty of mental and physical exercise. A good way to do this is by providing your dog with plenty of toys and puzzles that come with treats that they have to work their way through to get out.
These toys can provide endless fun and play, which is important if they’re not able to get outside yet due to vaccinations required.
Introduce everything gradually
Finally, be sure to introduce everything gradually. This is important to making sure that the puppy doesn’t get too overwhelmed and has a positive first-time experience with everything and everyone they come into contact with – fellow household pets included.
These five tips are a good starting point when it comes to introducing a puppy, so use these tips to make sure your puppy feels safe in their new home.
