Caring For Your New Puppy

Puppies are  lot of fun, but they can also be a lot of work. If you want your puppy to grow up happy, well behaved and strong, there are things that you need to do. Take a look at a few of the considerations that you must make when bringing home a new puppy.

Vaccinations

One of your first thoughts when you get a new puppy home should be setting up a veterinary appointment. They will need three rounds of shots and you should not even consider taking your puppy around other dogs until two weeks after they have completed their third round.

Right away your puppy will need shots for Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvo. They will also eventually need to get a Rabies vaccination which is usually required by law to be given before they reach 4 months of age.

Vaccinations are relatively cheap and are good insurance that your dog does not come down with a potentially fatal disease like Parvo. If you want to make it easier to pay for your vaccinations, you can add the money you need into your pet financing or seek out low cost vaccination clinics.

Exercise

Your new puppy will require exercise and stimulation, but you need to take it slow. Puppies sleep nearly 20 hours a day for a reason. They are growing fast and this is hard enough without the stress of too much activity.

When you first bring home your puppy, keep walks short and sweet. No more than a few minutes at a time in the beginning. Too much exercise, especially with large breeds like the Great Dane, may lead to long term problems.

Puppy Proofing

You wouldn’t bring a new baby home without childproofing your home, would you? Puppies are just as adventurous as babies, with one difference. They will be mobile a lot sooner than a human baby is.

Before you bring your new pup home, give the home a once over from their height. Protect cords that could be chewed on and remove furniture that could easily be knocked over.  Be thorough, because your puppy will.

Also, consider sectioning off an area of your home with puppy gates. There is no need to allow your new dog free reign of your entire home. Limiting their area will keep them safe, make it easier for you to potty train them and limit the amount of puppy proofing that you need to do.

Socialization

As soon as your puppy is fully vaccinated, you should start socializing them. Take them as many places as possible to get them used to as many things as you can.

A great way to start is with pet friendly stores. Obviously pet stores will allow you to bring your pets in, but there are many others. For example, most home improvement stores like Lowes and Home Depot are dog friendly.

Dog parks are another option for socialization, but wade into these waters slowly. Choose a dog park that is separated by size and start visiting it during slow times. The last thing that you would want to do is introduce your dog to this experience when a park is at capacity.