So you’ve decided on your newest family member and now its time to start preparing your home for the arrival of your puppy.
Just like a baby its important to ensure your house is a happy and safe environment to live in. There are a few necessary items and jobs you will need to do before the puppies arrival:
- Play pen/stair gate: While your puppy will be undergoing training its best to section off an area where they are allowed full access to e.g. kitchen. A puppy play pen is a good way to do this or even a stair gate, its also best to restrict your puppies time on carpet while being house trained (some puppies can get confused by the texture of a puppy pad and carpet, remember there still only young and accidents are bound to happen). I know having a new puppy you will want to have him/her around you everywhere you go but its better to keep them downstairs until they are older, going up and down stairs at a young age can cause joint problems in the future.
- Crate: Depending on your puppies breed and size you will need to buy a crate for him/her, this is your puppies safe place. Puppies like to have an area of their own where they can relax, feel cosy and enclosed, therefore we suggest a crate. Having their bed/blanket or vet bedding on one side and a puppy pad on the other side will help your puppy with house training. When you first take your puppy home they are very young and will still not have full control over their bladder, puppies like to keep their safe areas clean but the first couple of weeks they might have an accident, the puppy pad on the other half of the crate for your puppy to relieve themselves will be much cleaner for your puppy and easier for yourself to clean up. Puppies will learn to wait for you to let them out to do their business. Crates are also a good way of preventing your puppy from using household items as chew toys. Crates shouldn’t be used all the time, ideally once your puppy has mastered the toilet training they should only be locked in for the night.
- Bed/blanket/vet bedding: You will need to get your puppy something soft to chill out and rest in. Please be aware that all puppies do go through a chewing stage so don’t buy anything too expensive as they will probably find a way to destroy it. Vet bedding is ideal as they are less likely to chew them but there still very comfortable for your puppies.
- Food and water bowl: Please always remember to keep clean water down for your puppy.
- Food: We recommend keeping your puppy on the same diet as he/she is used to being fed with us, Eukanuba (depending on size and breed we will advise which puppy food). This will prevent them suffering with any unnecessary diarrhoea and vomiting, the change from leaving his 1st home, mum, siblings and change of environment will be stressful enough for your puppy so please keep them on the same food. If later you decide to change their food, you will need to slowly gradually mix into their food.
- Toys: Its easy to go crazy and buy loads of toys for your puppy, we recommend only buying resistant chew toys for the first couple of months e.g. Kong rubber toys or nylon bones. One or two soft toys will be fine, but your puppy might find a way to get through them so if you notice any soft filling appearing please throw them away strait away to avoid any unnecessary trips to the vets.
- Small adjustable harness and lead: There are many harnesses out there, and most of them can be quite costly, please refrain from buying anything expensive for your puppies first harness, remember there a puppy so they will grow out of it.
- Puppy pads: While your puppy is under house arrest its essential that you stock up with puppy pads, once they are fully vaccinated and able to go outside you can then concentrate on transitioning them to go toilet outside.
- Poo bags
- Puppy proofing your garden: Gardens will be where you will have many hours of fun but it’s important that you puppy proof your garden ready for when your puppy arrives home. Any small gaps in your fence your puppy will find. You cannot leave your puppy unsupervised if your garden isn’t 100% secure and safe, any items left on the floor need to be put away, anything that can be pushed off a ledge needs to be put in a safer/out of reach spot that your puppy can’t get to.
