Congratulations on getting a dog! Whether they’re a puppy or an older dog, you’re going to need to some advice on how to handle your new pet and to ensure they settle into their home as quickly as possible. It’s worth making sure that if you have a puppy, you also think about relevant dog training that will be needed as part of this new addition to your family. With that being said, let’s cover some tips to look after your new dog so that they feel at home too.
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Have All The Relevant Dog Accessories
Firstly, before picking up the dog, it’s important to check that you have all the relevant dog accessories and bits needed. This will need to be a cage for any puppies for the first few months of their life as they adapt to their surroundings. You may need to have this for longer or hold onto it in cases where you might need to move the dog to another home. A dog bed or two is ideal so they can have spaces around the home where they can sleep. The dog food itself is an important one to figure out, and you could probably get advice on what the best food is from your vet or online. This might vary from breed to breed, so it’s worth exploring what they can and can’t eat.
Lastly, dog toys are going to be needed in abundance. It’s worth always getting them a dog toy or two during the festive holidays because dogs will likely chew through some toys and ruin them eventually, so much so that they’ll need chucking out. A dog will tend to always get excited when they receive a new toy, so it’s nice to see the enjoyment in their body when you give it to them for the first time.
Establish A Routine & Stick To It
A routine is important, and just like a baby, a dog of any age will need to settle into a routine. Regardless of whether you have a puppy or you’ve adopted a dog. It’s important to get them into a routine that works for you and your household. This routine will consist of when they get fed. Usually, they’ll need to be fed after you’ve eaten so that they understand the pecking order within the home. It’s important to also give them regular walks, and depending on their breed, will depend on how much walking they need to have. You may also want to make sure they’re going out on a regular basis into your back yard so that they can pee and poo to their heart’s content. This will be particularly useful for puppies who are still learning that indoors isn’t the place to relieve themselves!
Make sure that you set a bedtime routine to where necessary so that they’re not running riot late into the evening when you have guests over.
Don’t Leave Them Alone For Too Long
No dog should be left alone for too long, and again, depending on their breed will depend on how long you can leave them for. It’s important that when you have a puppy, you are very conscious about leaving them for too long. You should be leaving the home for short periods of time to start off with so that they don’t grow too attached to you being in the home all the time. However, you don’t want to do it too quickly, otherwise, they might get stressed out.
Try to be cautious of this, and if your lifestyle doesn’t suit this, then you shouldn’t be having a dog in the first place. You need to be able to get back to your dog within a reasonable time frame not only due to them getting lonely but also for you to give them the walks and yard time that are needed. If you are still having a dog and will struggle to get back in time, then you could always consider getting a dog walker to pop by and walk your dog. It can also help in cases where there might be an emergency, and you can’t get home for any reason.
Be Active On Keeping Your Yard Area Clean
Your dog will have a lot of fun in your backyard, especially if you’ve got a lot of space for them to run about. However, it’s important that you’re keeping your yard clean. With a dog that’s going to be doing its business on the daily, you may want to look at hiring a pet pooper scooper service to help keep your back yard in good condition. It can be something that can be done as a one-off, on a weekly or twice-weekly basis. These can be really handy to take advantage of if you’ve got a busy schedule and don’t have the time to go hunting for poop.
Looking after the yard will mean that the area will also look a lot nicer, and you won’t have areas of your garden looking a little unsightly. It’s also helpful when you’ve got kids running around and especially with young ones who will likely pick up anything and everything to put into their mouths.
Register Them At The Vets
The vets can be helpful in those times where you have concerns regarding your dog. It’s worth registering them at the vets as soon as you can to ensure you have a place to go to in an emergency. They can be a great port of call for when you need advice and to having annual or regular checkups to ensure everything is nice and healthy with your dog. Just like us humans, they need regular checkups to make sure nothing has surfaced, and that can be treated earlier rather than later. It’s also worth getting them chipped if you want to keep a better track of them than just having a collar. As much as it can be more expensive, it can be a good way of ensuring your dog is going to be found if it gets lost.
Consider Getting Your Dog Spayed
One of the things worth doing if you haven’t already is whether you get your dog spayed or not. Some dogs up for adoption may have already been spayed, but for puppies, you get to decide. It’s up to you, but if they don’t get spayed, you may have to deal with regular periods with female dogs, and there’s a likelihood that they can get pregnant if left to their own devices and another dog mates with them. It’s worth deciding on this as soon as possible so that you can get it done at the earliest convenience!
Keep Your Dog Well Groomed
Just like the medical checkups, your dog will need to be groomed regularly. From getting their nails clipped to having their coats washed and cut. It’s worth taking them to a dog grooming salon nearby every so often for the cut and a good pampering. You’ll also need to be able to bath them at home whenever they find themselves in a muddy puddle, or they’ve somehow got themselves messy. There are also dog fragrances that you can get to keep them smelling nice.
Looking after your new dog is something that you need to educate yourself on in order to provide them with the best home possible. Keep up with their grooming and medical needs as well as setting up the home ready for their arrival.