Preparing for a Puppy - Bear with Us (& Sepia Sat)

Hi, y'all! Well, tomorrow is the day! Ethel day! E-Day, as we call it!

And today we'll be taking you through the exciting process of preparing yourself for a young new canine addition to the family. Yes, its a thrilling time, and we can't wait one second (I'll get not a wink of sleep tonight I just know!) but it can also go wrong and cause upset and stress for everyone involved, new owner(s) and pup him/herself.

Another one of the major factors of introducing a new puppy, is the happiness of your existing dog/other pets if you have one/any. These must be as happy, if not happier than they were before the new arrival so that they learn to love their new housemate, enjoy time together and do not become jealous. Give your existing pet(s) more attention than before when the new arrival moves in!

I have also got Earl a new chew toy so he has something to do and so that he doesn't become stressed or jealous. I will give him this toy when Ethel moves in.

So. You will need to go on a shopping spree beforehand and get ALL your puppies new supplies. 

Here are some things you may want to invest in…

A lead and collar, plus a tag with the correct information supplied to be attached on the collar, plus other lead accessories, such as a poo bag holder filled with bags to assure that you never get caught without one!

Good quality, sturdy bowls that won't slip every time your puppy goes to drink/eat! If your's don't have non-slip bowls, place a mat underneath.

A good quality bed, that is the correct size for your puppy.

Some chew toys, to assist with your puppy's teething, like the pup Nylabone I have for Ethel (the brown one) and even an activity one, like a Kong Stuffing bone! I choose the bone not the original Kong for my puppy, because then she can get her mouth and teeth round it better.

A couple of bags of puppy training treats - rewards are vital in your puppy's successful training, especially in early days, so choose a tasty, motivating type of reward. Food is a great way to begin training.

A crate that your puppy has access to at all times, that is nice and sturdy and large enough for your own puppy. Try and keep your pup's adult size in mind if you want a crate to never replace unless broken, size-wise, I mean. This crate should then be filled with your pup's bedding, bowls, toys, blanket, etc.

Pet odour remover - your puppy is going to pee and poo sometime indoors until toilet trained properly, so use a spray to get rid of odours, clean up and prevent further marking there, preferably.

A cuddly toy! You could ask the breeder to let the mum sleep with this until your puppy comes home, then bringing this with you so she/he can sleep with it and feel reassured. Or if you share many cuddles with your puppy, YOU sleep with it for a few nights leading up to your pup moving in!!

If you choose to train with the assistance of puppy pads, do so. However we took our's back after talking with our trainer and deciding not to. That's a personal choice though of course!

You then need to put all your new supplies in place. Put beds in their required place, crates too. Put toys on blankets and position them to leave until the pup moves in. 

Ethel's little setup, all prepared! :-)

If you are going to change the position of your existing pet(s)(')s(') bedding, blanket, toys, routine, etc, then start putting this into place with him/her/them as soon as you know your bringing the puppy home soon. He/she/they can then get used to this new arrangement and routine so they become happy with it and it is not a shock to them when pup comes home.
Also, please bear with us now and in the future, because we'll be, obviously, very occupied with little Ethel! So don't be surprised if we miss a few days posts. 

So…

We're thrilled to be participating in the Sepia Saturday Blog Hop hosted by Ruckus The Eskie - thanks again, pal!

We will also be using the following sign off from now on, to include both dogs and me!