Today’s the day! After waiting for so long, you can finally bring your puppy home. And it’s not just any puppy. It’s a Labrador Retriever puppy, America’s Most Popular Dog for 30 years running!
Now, if you are reading this article, the prospect of bringing your Lab puppy home may have given you some apprehensions as well. You may be wondering if the puppy will love your home and your family. Is there anything that you can do to ease its transition into your home?
Put your mind at ease. Here are 10 things you need to know to make your Lab puppy’s introduction to your home less stressful for both you and your lovable pup.
1) Get all the necessary puppy supplies
Before you bring your puppy home, you should make sure that you have all the stuff that it would need. Let’s do a quick rundown of the basic supplies:
- High quality dog food – Make sure that you ask the seller what dog food he/she has been feeding the puppy so you can feed it that at your home. If you’re planning to give your puppy a different kind of dog food, gradually transition to them to the new dog food by mixing it with their old food. Puppies have sensitive tummies so you don’t want to have them suddenly developing diarrhea and other digestive issues.
- Doggy bowls for food and water – Puppies should have clean water twice a day. Another great option is to buy automatic dispensers for food and water.
- A dog crate – Whether it’s a wire or plastic crate, this will serve as your puppy’s “safe zone” as well as aid you during housetraining
- Doggy bed
- Collar with identification tag
- Puppy toys
- Grooming supplies
- Baby gates or playpens – To prevent the puppy from accessing rooms you don’t want them in or having accidents, such as falling down the stairs.
2) Puppy Proof your home
Same as with a child, you need to make sure that your puppy will be safe in your home. Some of the measures that you need to take to ensure puppy proofing include the following:
- Get rid of all cords and strings which can be swallowed by the puppy and get entangled in their stomach and intestines
- Get rid of long curtain cords and other hangings which may strangle the puppy.
- Remove all small objects that the puppy might swallow.
- Check your home for poisonous plants and get rid of them.
- Remove all electrical cords where your puppy will be staying. This will prevent electrocution, which may result when your puppy chews on the cord.
- If removing these cords is not possible, coat them with a no-chew spray or laundry soap which would give them a bad taste. Do the same for certain furnishings that you don’t want your puppy to chew on.
- When you are not at home, keep your puppy inside its crate or kennel or a small room.
3) Start potty training as soon as you bring the puppy home
Potty training your puppy should start the very minute you bring it home. After the drive, your puppy is sure to be very excited and will need to pee. As soon as you arrive, bring the puppy to its potty spot in your backyard or garden and set it down there. Let it walk and sniff the area for a bit while saying “go potty. In a few minutes, it will surely relieve itself. Make sure you have a treat on hand to give as a reward.
4) Introduce your puppy to its crate
To make your puppy recognize the crate as its “safe place”, place a doggy bed inside it, some treats, and its toys. Don’t leave the puppy inside the crate for too long as it may not be able to hold its pee. For the meantime, you can leave the crate door open and then gradually close it over the next few days until such time that the puppy can stay quiet inside with the door closed.
5) Meeting the kids
If you have kids, they will surely be very excited to hold and cuddle the puppy. Make sure that introducing the puppy to your kids will be a less stressful one, especially for the pup. This is especially true for younger kids who can’t resist the urge to cuddle and squeeze the puppy. Teach them how to hold the puppy or, better yet, let them sit down with the puppy on their lap. Don’t allow them to bring the puppy to their rooms because your kids may not notice the pup getting overexcited and end up peeing on the floor.
6) Introducing the puppy to other dogs or pets in your home
If you have an older dog, a cat, or other pets in your home, their interactions with a puppy should be supervised. In some cases, older dogs may get too rough when playing with the puppy. Others may growl or seem to reject the puppy in the beginning. To get all your pets in the house accustomed to the new arrival, you can keep the puppy confined in a playpen or baby gate. This will allow your puppy to interact with your other pets without annoying them.
7) Maintain regular bathroom breaks
To prevent “accidents” inside the home, you should observe regular bathroom breaks for your puppy. Ideally, you should take your puppy to their potty spot every 30 minutes, although some puppies may need toilet breaks as often as every 15 minutes. It is also necessary to bring them to the potty spot after waking up from a night’s sleep or a nap, after eating, and after excited playing. Make it a point to clean up your puppy’s messes immediately. Strong pee or poop odors may let your puppy think that the spot is its potty area when it shouldn’t.
8) Ensure that your puppy has a full set of vaccinations
Veterinarians agree that, before you even decide to take your puppy outside the home, you should ensure that it has already received its full set of vaccinations. Doing so will prevent the puppy from catching diseases from its outdoor environment. This rule applies if you are planning to take your puppy out on walks in order to go potty.
9) Feeding your puppy
All puppies have a prescribed amount of food that they need to eat on a daily basis. For example, a six-to-12-week-old puppy weighing three to five pounds needs to eat approximately one to 1 1/3 cups of dog food a day. However, rather than give this amount in one go, divide it into smaller feedings throughout the day to keep your puppy full and happy. Again, your puppy should always have access to fresh water, so you can either refill their water bowls twice a day or you can hang a water dispenser inside their crate or in their playpens.
10) Keep your puppy quiet at night
Because your puppy may not be used to being separated from its mother and littermates, it may start howling or barking in the night, so that you and your family can’t sleep. Consider bringing the puppy in your bedroom for a few nights, so that it will know it’s not alone and grow accustomed to your presence. Another way to calm your puppy is by giving it a used shirt or any clothing with your scent on it.
Keep these 10 tips in mind to ease your pup’s transition to your home and family.
