Bringing Home Your Dog.

Bringing your dog home can be both exciting and overwhelming. Whether it’s a puppy or not, you still have a few things you need to prepare for before the big day. If it is your first dog, make sure you have all the necessities so you do not have to leave the new dog home alone while you are out on a Target run. Now, as fun as buying new things for a puppy can be, you do not need to go overboard. Food. If a puppy, you can do special puppy food if you want, either way, I have found the best dog food to be the ones with the most natural ingredients, not a bunch of fillers. This is the easiest on their tummies. Just make sure it doesn’t contain unnecessary ingredients. Studies have shown that pea protein has long term effects on dogs, so try to avoid pea protein, even in treats. If you do go with puppy food, eventually you will need to slowly switch over their food. It will be overwhelming enough and your new pup may have some diarrhea regardless. You will also need a kennel big enough for them to stand up, turn around, and lay down in. Even if you plan to keep them out during the day, it is still a good idea to get them used to being in a kennel if they ever need to be. Just a couple blankets and toys. They don’t need a ton of stuff, but having a couple different types of toys and a blanket they can call their own is nice. Bowls for food and water. We use stainless steel bowls because they are durable. We also store our food in a tin container because studies have shown that plastic can be absorbed into the food if the food sits in it long enough. In time, you are going to want to make sure you have a small dog first aid kit on hand as well as heartworm and flea/tick treatments. The first few days after you bring your new friend home will be a huge adjustment. I would recommend taking a couple days off from work. If you can’t do that, then having a friend or significant other there to help out. You do not want to leave them home alone while they are still adjusting. If you already have other animals at home, you need to be a little extra cautious. If you have other dogs, make sure you introduce them slowly, maybe just in a bedroom where you can keep a close eye on their interactions and definitely do not leave them alone together until you are absolutely sure they will be ok. If you have cats at home, well, I don’t know what you do because I don’t interact with those creatures of Satan. If you do not have any other animals at home it is still important to keep a close eye on them. Also, make sure that you are starting your routine right away of letting them out, feeding, bedtime, etc. This will help them become more comfortable. And then, plan to get zero sleep because the fun has just begun!

And for now,

Xoxo