Puppy's First Day
It’s finally here; today is the day you bring home a new puppy. It’s exciting, overwhelming and it’ll set the scene for your relationship with your new best friend for years to come. To help you get off to the best start we’ve come up with the following tips.
Keep Calm:
It’s a big day for you but it’s even bigger for your puppy. They’re leaving their family to come and live with their new humans- it’s natural that they might be a little nervous.
They’re used to life in one place with all their brothers and sisters running around and their mum keeping an eye on them. Maybe they’ll adapt to the change instantly, maybe they’ll start off a little shy.
To make things as easy as possible on both of you, keep the day sedate. Spend time playing and introducing the new arrival to their home, you can even get started on training, but remember- puppies like to sleep too.
Avoid overwhelming them with new people- there’ll be plenty of time to meet the extended family and all your friends as you start the socialisation process.
We know it’s hard to contain the excitement, especially when the kids are meeting their new buddy for the first time, but keeping calm will pay off in the future.
Go Early:
This one almost goes without saying: pick your pup up as early in the day as you can manage. It means you get to spend the more time with them and they get more time to adapt to their new surroundings.
It also gives you the best chance to tire them out so that they won’t be upset when you all go to bed.
When bringing them home, you’ll need something to keep them safe and comfortable as you transport them. You can browse our range of travel solutions here.
Start As You Mean To Go On:
Before brining your puppy home, it’s a good idea to talk with your family about how things are going to be. Things like “Is puppy allowed on the furniture?” and “Where will we feed her?” will ensure things run smoothly. Once you’ve worked it all out, stick to it! This will mean that your puppy isn’t getting mixed messages and will adapt that bit quicker.
Another issue to consider - where will puppy go to the toilet?
It’s a good idea to take them there as soon as you get home- even before you start playing. If they go (and they probably will- it’s an exciting day for them too), lavish them with praise and treats. This will help get the house training started.
Finally:
Above all, don’t forget to enjoy your time with your dog. You’re going to be best friends for years to come and this is the first day of your lives together.
And don’t forget to bring them in to see us at Barkers and Mittens once they’re settled in – we can’t wait to meet them either!