WAGZ N WIGGLEZ

Now you know you want to add a puppy to your hearth and home. You have made a really heart warming decision. You and your family are going to bask in the loving warmth and adoration of a canine friend. So it is really your duty to give the little creature an easy time when he makes the transition of leaving his mother and the rest of the litter to make your home his home too.  

Bringing your puppy home

Your puppy’s first point of extended contact with you will be when you bring him home. This will perhaps be the first time he is leaving his mother. Everything will be strange and new for him. So you must try to make this journey from the warmth of his mother’s side to your home as comfortable as possible.

• A secure puppy carrier will keep him out of harm's way and protect him from any sudden jerks or turns in your car.

• Ask the breeder to give you a small chewy toy that the litter played with. Familiar smells will be comforting to the puppy.

• Carry a bowl and some water for him to drink on the journey. A small snack would be welcome too.

• Carry a puppy collar and leash. You will need them if you take the puppy out of the car.

• Plan specific halts where the puppy can be taken out of the car for a while. This will relieve the monotony of the car drive. He will also be able to empty his bladder and exercise his limbs too. You must bear this in mind especially if your house is far away from the breeder’s kennel.

• Take a small comfortable crate with you. You will carry your puppy home in this. Line the crate with a soft cozy blanket. Your purpose is to try to make him feel as secure and happy as he did when he was beside his mother.

• Your puppy might relieve himself too. So carry plastic bags to clear of the droppings.

Puppy proof your home

Once you have decided to adopt a puppy, you want to give him the best. So in the first place you must prepare your home to make him feel welcome. Like all little ones, puppies are doggedly curious! They are bound to prod their little noses into everything they come across. After all they are in interesting new surroundings and want to explore. To make their exploration safe and delightful there are a few precautions that you as a dog owner will have to take. This will avoid any accidents from taking place.

• All cupboard doors and drawers must be kept firmly shut. Otherwise the little fellow could get accidentally shut in any of them. When you want to get anything from these cupboards or drawers, keep the puppy out of the room and close the room door.

• All open electrical power points close to floor level must be adequately sealed. Electrical cords that could tempt a puppy to chew must be removed. Loose cords could cause strangulation!

• All puppies love to chew as they are teething. Carpets, rugs, furniture and footwear make ideal targets. So keep them safely away from your pup.

• Allocate a separate area in your house where your puppy can wander around till it is house trained. Use baby gates if required.

• Do not leave water in open buckets or basins. They are also potential traps for accidental deaths by drowning.

• Household cleaning agents, insecticides and pesticides contain chemicals that could harm your pup. So keep them all at safe heights.  Far away from prying paws.

• Keep all the lids of toilets closed. A tiny puppy could drown in an open toilet!

• Remove toxic plants and plants with thorns from the prying paws and nose of the little one.

• Small objects that could cause choking must not be kept anywhere that a pup could easily reach.

• When you let your pup out in the yard, make sure you or someone responsible is outside with him to supervise his frolicking. A tiny puppy can easily squeeze his way out or under a fence!

• You will be cleaning up a lot of pee and poop till your puppy is properly housebroken. So if the floor tiles of the area allocated for your puppy are of vinyl or ceramic, clean up will be easier.

• Your little puppy will have the curiosity and adventuring spirit of a great explorer so he will try to get out of his designated area and go on exploring expeditions. So you must take stock of the rest of your house too!