Puppy Tips For the First Week – What You Should Know Before You Bring Your Puppy Home


A dog sitting on a chair

There are so many puppy tips for the first week, and it’s a good idea to learn them all. Puppies absolutely love to be touched and held, and they also love to play with their humans and even more importantly, their mouths! So it’s a great idea to start your new puppy life off right by getting him or her some puppy lovingly cuddled and stroked. Holding your puppy’s fur can provide a great way to interact and begin the trust process between you and your new puppy.

Make Your Puppy Accustomed To The Family Environment

A dog lying on the ground

After introducing your new puppy into the family, it is a good idea to make him or her accustomed to the family environment. This means giving him or her his new puppy bowl, bed, crate, playpen, etc. But the most important part of this first week is to spend a lot of time outdoors with your puppy. This will give your dog the exposure he or she needs to become comfortable in the new environment of your home. It is important to remember that puppies have shorter attention spans than do older dogs, so spending a lot of time outdoors will be vital to your puppy’s health and development.

Chewing is usually the number one behavior problem that puppy owners have when they welcome their new puppy home. Puppies will chew anything and everything within their reach. They are natural cheaters. The following puppy tips for the first week include some simple ways to prevent your dog from chewing things when he or she is not supposed to.

Make Sure That Puppy Home Does Not Have Too Much Clutter Lying Around

Puppy Tips For the First Week - What You Should Know Before You Bring Your Puppy Home

Puppies are naturally inquisitive and curious, and they will find out just about anything when they are allowed to. That is why you have to take special care to make sure that your new puppy home does not have too much clutter lying around. If your puppy has a favorite toy or pillow, try to keep it out of sight or away from other tempting items. You can also purchase a few specially made chew bones to give your dog variety in chewing. Puppies also need to chew on things when they become anxious or frustrated. Try to create as much mental stimulation for them as possible by playing with them, giving them attention, and teaching them basic commands.

Another puppy tip for the first week is to keep all of your pets’ water bowls filled with fresh, clean water. Dogs will chew on water bowls in order to get the liquid in their mouth. They will also bite on things such as the side of furniture, your clothes, and furniture. You may want to keep a book of some sort on hand for your dog, which will encourage chewing during this time. You may also want to keep an old blanket or towel in your house, so your dog will not be tempted to chew on your things.

Purchase A Puppy Chew Toy

During the first week of your puppy’s life, you may find him eliminating anywhere he is placed. If this is the case, you will want to reward him with something he likes. Purchase a puppy chew toy, a bone, or something similar in order to provide the desired reaction. This should be done each time your puppy makes his elimination process part of his new environment.

After your first week, it’s a good idea to take your puppy to the vet for a check up. There are some health concerns that you will need to address with your vet, such as flea and worm infestations. A check up will let your vet know if there are any other health problems that your puppy might have that you should be aware of. He will also be able to tell you the proper diet that your puppy needs to have for the first couple of weeks so that he can grow strong and healthy. Your puppy may even need some food and water source from the vet at this time. It is important to keep all of your pets healthy and happy at all times during this time, and a visit to the vet will make sure that happens.

Final Words

You may want to start out by feeding your puppy commercial dog food. You can find many great puppy formulas in many different stores. However, your first week may give you a problem with overeating as some puppies cannot handle the amount of food that you will be providing him. Puppies can eat about twice what they can normally handle. In addition to commercial dog food, you may want to consider homemade recipes that can be bought or found online.

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