Preparing For My New Puppy
What should I expect during the ride home?
The first ride in a car can be stressful for your puppy, but there are a few things you can do to help make the ride less traumatic. Take a crate with you and make your puppy a nice bed or nest of blankets or something soft to snuggle against. Having that enclosed space to “hide” often helps. Keeping your puppy in a crate also prevents accidental escape or injury.
How do I prevent my puppy from getting sick in the car?
Try to not feed your puppy for several hours before riding in the car. If you are going to have a very long car ride and must give food, try giving a smaller amount and allow at least an hour before getting back into the car. Keeping your puppy in a crate may help with motion sickness also, but take towels and extra blankets with you just in case!
How often should we stop to allow our puppy to relieve herself?
Puppies need to relieve themselves often. To figure out exactly how many hours between potty breaks, a good rule of thumb is to take your puppy’s age in months and add one. For instance, a 3 month old puppy will need to go potty approximately every 4 hours. Keep in mind that the stress of the car ride may decrease that time. Remember to take a collar and leash or a slip lead with you to keep your puppy safe wherever you end up taking him to relieve himself. Avoid high traffic or noisy areas which may cause fear.
How do I introduce my puppy to other pets in the house?
Walk your dog around his new home on a leash. Show him his food, water and bedding. Take him outside and show him where you want him to eliminate and praise him when he does. If he seems very anxious, you may want to confine him to a small area of the house at first. You can use special "calming" products to help him feel comfortable.
- DAP Dog Appeasing Pheromone
- Available in a spray, a diffuser or a collar, this hormone mimics the natural pheromone released by the mother dog 3-5 days after having a litter of puppies, causing a calming and reassuring effect on the dog.
- Vetri-Science treats
- Calming treats can be offered in any fearful situation
Should I keep my puppy in a crate when I am not at home?
Crates are excellent training tools if the puppy is not house trained already or is likely to be destructive when left alone. Puppies will chew on everything, get into just about everything, and will learn appropriate places to potty much more quickly if crate training is used. Puppies innately do not want to urinate or defecate where they sleep, so you’ll encourage bladder and bowel control by crate training. You’ll also keep puppy safe from all of the hazards in your home when you’re not there to closely supervise!
- Petnation Indoor/Outdoor Pet Home
- Lightweight, durable, foldable, ventilated soft crate
- Newport Pet Crate End Table
- Attractive enough to keep in the living room
How do I introduce my puppy to other dogs in the house?
If you already have another dog, the best way to introduce your new puppy is outside of your other dog’s territory. Have them both on a leash and closely supervise them. There will be much sniffing, posturing and occasional growls, all of which are normal. It is not unusual for your older dog to be unhappy about the presence of a new puppy and she may growl and be uncomfortable at first. Give them some time to get to know one another before moving into the house. Always supervise both pets when they are together until you are certain that your other dog will not harm your new puppy. This could take a few days, up to a few months.
How do I introduce my puppy to my cat?
If you have a cat, do not allow your puppy to chase him. This is the number one behavior that causes problems between cats and dogs. Cats are very territorial and may exhibit some behavioral issues during the transition. Give your cat time to acclimate to your puppy’s smell by keeping them separate initially, then gradually make time spent together rewarding for both. Reward the cat for approaching your puppy without hissing, and reward your puppy for avoiding or ignoring the cat. This will help encourage peace and harmony between the species!