A new puppy is an exciting and wonderful addition to your life. However, there are a lot of things both you and your new pup will need to get used to. It’s important to introduce your puppy to new things to make their life, and your life, easier. We all want to treat our new puppies as well as possible, but we don’t want to accidentally “spoil” them or mess something up! Luckily, we are here to help! Here are some of the most important things to pay attention to while raising your new puppy.
Your Reactions
It’s important to know how to react and when to time your reactions to things your pet does. One example is during house training. After coming home to a soiled rug, it might make sense to scold your pet. However, they’ve long forgotten about the mess they made. They will only know that when you got home, you got loud and angry. Potty-training your pet can be a frustrating and challenging experience that requires a lot of patience. Having incorrect or poorly timed reactions when they do something wrong, either while house training or another kind of teaching, will only confuse them and delay the learning process.
Alone Time
Dogs are animals that live in packs. They like company and may get anxious when left alone. Puppies should not be left alone in your house. This is especially true if they are not yet potty trained. Additionally, they may be tempted to chew on electrical cords or shoes, so it’s important to puppy-proof your house, no matter what. If you need to leave the house for work, be sure to leave your puppy in a safe place and have a friend or relative check on them throughout the day.
Giving in to “Puppy Dog Eyes”
It’s inevitable––you’ll be sitting at the dinner table, digging into some delicious food. You’ll hear whining or feel a bump against your chair. You look down and see your furry friend looking up at you with pitiful, adorable eyes. Don’t give in! Puppies learn behaviors which are incredibly difficult to “unlearn” later on. It’s an incredibly difficult habit for your dog to break, and it’s also hard to resist those eyes. Additionally, it’s not safe to give human food to your puppy, and it’s best to break this habit early on.
The Right Food
Following the last point, it’s important to give your puppy the right food. Take a look at this blog post to see the human foods which you should absolutely never feed to your pets. However, did you know that it’s dangerous to abruptly switch between brands of dog food, as well? It can cause stomach irritation or other illness. When you adopt your puppy, be sure to slowly mix in the food you buy for them with the old food from the shelter or the previous owner. This will allow them to be accustomed to the new food without placing them at risk or making them sick.
There are a variety of things you can do to ensure that your puppy grows up to be healthy and well-adjusted. By following the tips above, and by scheduling regular veterinary visits, you can help them to acclimate to their new life and to you and your family.
If you have any questions about how to properly treat and deal with your new puppy, give us a call today at (203) 882-8311! We are happy to help you with the transition, as well as to provide any medical treatment which your new pet might need.