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What to do Before Bringing a Puppy Home
Bringing a new puppy home is a exciting time. Many times people become lost in the excitement of getting a new puppy and don't make important preparations and choosing before bringing the puppy home. This article will serve as a checklist for you so you will complete some important tasks to make your puppies transition to a new home smoother.
Make a List of Essential Items to Buy
The day before you go to pick up your new friend be sure to make a list of essential items you need for your puppy. There is nothing worse than having your puppy for the first day and going to feed them and becoming aware that you were so excited to bring them home that you forgot to purchase food or another essential item.
Some items you need to buy for your puppy before bringing them home include:
- Food/Water bowls
- Food
- Toys
- Chew snacks
- Treats
- Leash
- Collar
- An ID tag with the puppies name, your phone number, name, address.
Choose a Veterinarian for your Puppy
Before bringing your puppy home be sure to choose a Veterinarian to take your puppy to for a check-up. Be sure to do research when choosing a Vet rather than simply picking one out of the yellow pages. A great way to find a good Vet is by asking around for references from friends or family members who have pets. If you choose to rescue a dog from a shelter many shelters will give you a voucher for a free Veterinarian puppy wellness check-up from a list of pre-approved Veterinarians.
Puppy Proof Your Home
Puppies tend to get into a lot of trouble. Before bringing your puppy home be sure to remove breakable items, cords, small items that your puppy may choke on chemicals etc from the area your puppy will be spending most of there time in. Also set up your puppy a crate or a play pen that is completely puppy proofed where he or she can spend unsupervised time in.
Decide Who Will do What
Decide who will do what for your puppy when. Decide who will primarily take your puppy to the Vet, who will feed them, train them, walk them when etc. Making a list of who will do what for your puppy will make sure that all of his or her needs are met and that each member of the household will be included in caring for the puppy. It may also be a good idea to set up a schedule for your puppy's first few days as this will help your new puppy adjust to it's surroundings.