The Puppy Handbook: How To Prep For A New Pet

A new addition to your family is always an exciting time. The thrill of bringing home a new puppy to love and protect can also be overwhelming on the preparation side of things, but helping your new puppy transition into a new home is not as staggering as it may seem! Regarding logistics, you need to ensure that your home is puppy-proofed and that you have the right supplies like food and water bowls and a bed for your new family member. If you’ll be traveling with your new puppy, investing in a car restraint is beneficial to keep them safe and secure. Below are a few ground rules you need to set as a pet parent and how to help your new fur baby socialize in their new environment.

What Are Some Ground Rules You Need To Set As A Pet Parent?

It’s all about boundaries! Setting some rules and going according to a plan (but also leaving room to be flexible!) are the keys to ensuring that your new puppy has a smooth transition into home life. 

  • Don’t forget flea medicine! To keep your puppy safe and comfortable as summer turns into fall, don’t skip out on this necessary checklist item. You can ask your vet for more information about flea medicine and keep a routine calendar reminder to give it to your puppy. The last thing you want this fall is to have your new family member fall ill!
  • Just like humans, pets need exercise, too! It’s essential to note that your puppy’s exercise needs will change as they grow, but the most important exercise for your new puppy, aside from taking them on walks, is playtime!

Actions speak louder than words; your puppy doesn’t have to speak your language to tell you how they feel. Nonverbal cues like wagging their tail and yawning don’t always mean happiness and sleepiness, respectively. Sometimes, a dog wags their tail when they’re frustrated, too!

How Can You Get Your New Puppy To Adjust To Their Environment?

Humans are social creatures, but we’re not the only ones who need others in our lives- our pets need social activity, too! You don’t have to spend loads of time getting your new puppy to socialize, but helping them feel comfortable and adjust to their new family members in an unfamiliar environment is great for their overall physical and mental health. 

  • Don’t underestimate the power of a daily walk! It may just be another thing to check off a daily list, but for your puppy, it’s a great way to help them get acclimated to the world around them. Who knows, your puppy may make a new friend during these walks!
  • Signing up for a class is one of the most social experiences out there, and signing your puppy up for dog training classes or puppy kindergarten is no exception. Your dog can meet other dogs in a safe, controlled environment AND learn new things!
  • Creating a sleeping schedule ensures that you and your puppy aren’t in different time zones in the same house! If your dog takes a nap right before bed, they may be awake the whole night, so add some playtime to the mix an hour or two before bed so you both will be on the same sleeping schedule.

Dogs are a human’s best friend, after all, and you want to make sure your new puppy is adjusting well to their new environment. Aside from their own social skills, studies have shown that pets can even provide YOU, their family, with social support and strengthen human-to-human bonds in your own life. You want what’s best for them, and so do we. At Caudle Vet Clinic, we provide compassionate care for your furry friends. We offer a wide variety of veterinary services in the Middle Tennessee area with over four decades of experience taking care of pets and keeping their parents informed. Need to get your new puppy checked for worms? Or does your puppy need an annual checkup? We have top-of-the-line tools to get the job done efficiently! For more information, contact us at (615) 227-6230. We look forward to assisting you!

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