|
|
|
Bringing Home A
New Puppy
|
| Bringing home a new puppy can be exciting and overwhelming all at once. By taking in a new puppy, you have introduced a new family member to the house that can be with you for many, many years. He will be a source of great joy, comfort and companionship if
care is taken in introducing him to his
new home. Leaving its mother and littermates will probably bring about a certain amount of separation anxiety for your puppy. The most important need for the new puppy is an abundant amount of love and understanding from his new family. Stress can be kept at a minimum by keeping the puppy involved with plenty of attention from his new family members. Make the transition to a new home a happy and comfortable experience for your new best friend with tips from InternetPets: |  |
 |
The ride home: Transporting your puppy to its new home can often be frightening and confusing for the animal. Bring along someone to do the driving so you can hold the dog while riding in the car and devote your attention to keeping the puppy secure and calm.
|
|
Your puppy is initially going to need a quiet room or other small place it can call its own for the first few days in his new home. A cage or crate works well to create a secure “den” where the puppy can escape for some down time. Decide where to put the dog crate, and have it set up and ready for his arrival.
|
|
It’s common for a puppy to cry
the first night or two in a
strange place. A soothing “white
noise”, such as the ticking of
an old clock, or an item with a
comforting smell attached, such
as an unwashed item of your
clothing, will often settle him
down to sleep. Ask the dog's previous owner if you can take a piece of blanket or cloth used by the litter. To the dog, this will seem like a little piece of home and will provide a bit of familiar security.
|
|
Find out from the puppy’s previous owners what the dog has been fed and continue feeding the same type and brand of food for at least a few days. Sudden changes in diet can cause digestive upsets, so make sure you start your puppy out on the same food as he or she has been getting. If a change is to be made, space it out over the course of a week by combining the two foods together and gradually increasing the amount of the new food in the mixture.
|
|
Make an appointment with a veterinarian for an initial puppy examination,
ideally within the first week of
bringing the puppy home. Find out exactly what the breeder or humane society has
already had done--in all probability, the puppy has had some vaccinations or medications given by the breeder or shelter. Your puppy’s new veterinarian will need this information along with an approximate birth date.
|
|
|
|
|
