As exciting as it is for you and your family to bring home a new puppy, it’s a frightening time for a puppy to leave his mother and littermates. It is advisable to be as prepared as possible before you fetch your new puppy, so when he\she does come home; it’s as peaceful as possible.Here are some tips on being prepared for bringing home your new pooch;

Go through your checklist and make sure you have all the essential items before you bring your pooch home.

Have the puppy’s’ bed or crate ready, preferably in a quiet corner of the house. The cosier it is, the more appealing it will be to your pup. A snuggle toy in the bed will be comforting to the overwhelmed puppy.

Ensure you puppy-proof your home as much as possible. Get on your hands and knees and have a good look at your home from their perspective. It will reveal all sorts of dangers. Put away any potentially poisonous cleaning materials, hide any loose electric cables and put all your shoes in the cupboard. Don’t your let your children leave small toys around that your pup could potentially choke on and pack away dangerous objects in your bathroom, like razors.

Check your garden for any potential dangers too. It is important to check your boundary fence or wall to make sure there are no gaps which the puppy can squeeze through. Also, check to see if there are any spots were the pup may dig under the fence. Swimming pools should be fenced off or securely covered. Tragically, many puppies drown in swimming pools. While your puppy is still very young, it might be advisable to cordon off a section of your garden that is secure if you will be leaving them alone outside.

Find a neighbourhood Vet that you can trust; ask your neighbours for references if you don’t know any. Know the opening and closing times of their practise and where the practise is. You will need to take your new puppy for a health check and its vaccinations soon after bringing them home. Also, know where the closest 24 hour veterinary practise is, in case of an emergency.

Have a family meeting and have young and old agree on house rules with regards to the puppy. Everyone should know basic commands and agree to be consistent with the pup. Decide where your puppy can and can’t go and most importantly, decide where they will sleep. It is imperative to stick to your decisions, as giving in to a crying pup will teach them that making a racket will get them what they want. Include children in the basic care-giving of the puppy; encourage them to feed and groom the puppy; it teaches responsibility and wonderful nurturing skills to your children and builds a loving relationship between child and dog. Very young children should be supervised at all times with animals. Remind your children that anything left out might be chewed and that they are responsible if the puppy chews their shoes or homework.

Being prepared to spend a lot of time with your puppy is essential. They crave company and just like children, do not like being left alone. It is advisable that you collect your puppy in the morning so that they have time to bond with you during the day before bedtime. Puppies will adjust to the family routine, but are overwhelmed the first few days and need much love and reassurance.