Getting a puppy takes great responsibility and care. But is so rewarding. A dog is said to be a mans best friends, they’re kept for companionship. There are a variety of animals adopted as pets and the choice depends upon the taste and likeness of a person. However, puppies are one of the best pets and most commonly adopted especially in the USA. Also, the trend for adopting puppies as pets is increasing day by day. Although getting a puppy is a wonderful thing but its parenting is not an easy task. There are a few basic things you need to learn when adopting a puppy for the first time, which we have listed below!
Health and medical care
The first thing you need to do after getting a puppy is to find a vet for your new family member. A good vet will always guide you through all the health plans for your puppy. They also vaccinate your puppy to eradicate any risk of getting a dog-related disease, and take care of your pet when ill. Having a vet solves the health-related problems of your puppy!
A healthy puppy is always a pleasure to play with. Setting a diet plan for the puppy is another basic requirement. When and what to feed are always troubling questions. You should discuss this with the vet to come up with the diet plan. This is because puppies require different diets for their growing bodies than adult dogs. Creating the right diet for your puppy can involve having a happier, healthier dog, and avoid problems related to growth defects. The amount to feed your dog and at what time of day is also important to know too! The veterinarian will help you in this regard completely but following that plan is your own duty.
Training for physical activities
Another important thing is to establish a bathroom routine for your puppy. Bad washroom habits are always a headache for you and your home, so puppies need to be trained to learn bathroom rules. Early age is best for making them learn these habits because once they have passed this age, the learning becomes a lot harder to master. There are schemes available to help make them learn these habits at home. For example, taking your puppy out for potty after he wakes up from a nap or after any physical activity. These things help in building a reflex, that the next time your puppy needs to poop, he’ll give you a signal.
Teaching obedience is also necessary for building a good love for your puppy. Positive and negative reinforcements can be employed for this purpose. Rewarding your puppy with his favorite biscuit or treat whenever he obeys you is one way to learn. Also, small punishments, like a time out for disobeying, are helpful in some cases as well.
Social behavior
To avoid any abnormal behavior of your puppy down the road when they see other animals or even people, you need to teach him social habits. The first 8 weeks after being born, spent with their mother helps them learn manners (if they come from the right parents), but this isn’t enough for life. Making them interact with other animals after getting a puppy, through going to puppy school, will help in learning how to interact in the company of other dogs and humans is essential! As these situations are encountered all the time, when having guests over or just taking your dog for a walk to the park.
Puppy proofing your home
Puppies love to search for new things, and in this search, often ends in chewing, digging or knocking things over. So a helpful hint is to keep the expensive, breakable or irreplaceable things away from their reach! Instead, research suggests to avoid this and teach your puppy not to touch your things (like your shoes!) you should provide them with related toys to play with.
Puppies are sensitive to emotions. They need your time and care. Give them proper love and care that they deserve, they’ll be all yours afterward. They are one of the most loyal pets, so your attention is required to gain their loyalty.
Safety and measures
Keeping an eye out for any abnormal behaviors and illnesses and consulting a vet about a treatment is part of your job looking after your pup. Signs and symptoms of illnesses should all be observed and any signs such as vomiting, diarrhea or low energy should be reported to the vet and they can provide medication or advice for any respective illness.
One common finding is that some household items are dangerous for puppies. Uncovered electric wires and toxic substances can cause serious harm to curious puppies. To enable safe safety measures these things must be kept out of reach of puppies.
Summary
These are some basic things a newbie needs to learn while parenting a puppy. There is nothing hard in it, especially if you have love and feelings for the wonderful creature. But as getting a puppy demands some care, all you need is to give a little effort to keep a healthy and loving puppy, and they will be by your side for their whole life.
