There are those who know what to expect when getting a puppy, and then there are those who are new to having a puppy. This blog post is for those who haven’t ever had a puppy.
The first thing that I’m going to say is that a puppy is a bit more work than an adult dog – there are certain things that need to be in place for all of a puppy’s needs to be met. I’m going to cover a few categories in this post:
– Health
– Training
– Keeping the puppy occupied
– Feeding
Health:
A puppy needs to have vaccinations for preventable diseases. This must be done at a vet – and it’s going to be more than one vaccination.
Another thing to note is that responsible pet ownership involves sterilizing the dog – so please organize this as soon as possible – a dog can be sterilized at six months.
Training:
One of the first things you’ll have to train the puppy in is potty training. And it will have to be consistent and regular. Expect to go potty training during the night as well. There will also come a stage where you will take it to dog training, where the training will be more behaviour based.
Keeping the puppy occupied:
This is a big job – a puppy has a lot of energy and needs to be kept occupied so that it doesn’t get up to mischief. Always be sure to keep unsafe items away from puppies – i.e. electrical wires, sharp objects, places where the puppy can fall into, eg. pool, plastic items, etc.
Get toys for the puppy, and give it mental stimulation.
Feeding:
A puppy needs to be fed two to three times a day, and it needs to be on puppy food. Always remember that it also needs to have access to fresh water. The food also needs to be slightly soft, since the dog still has puppy teeth, so before each meal, pour a little hot water over the pellets to soften them, and allow to cool before giving to the puppy.
Also, if you can’t afford to look after a puppy, or don’t have the time to look after one, please rather don’t get one.
And last, but not least, please practice responsible pet ownership.
Blog Post By Your Pet Caring Friend,
Carmen Harris.