When Is The Correct Time To Get A New Puppy

Online, March 21, 2011 (Newswire.com) - City Council in Calgary, Alberta, Canada is considering banning the sale of cats and dogs from pet stores. Petition calls on Calgary council to ban sale on companion pets

It's a common part of life that many families and individuals want to add a puppy to their lives.

A lot of times the "who" that makes the decision is either your kids constantly talking about the "when" factor or your spouse who "always had a dog growing up" and just assumes that everyone wants a dog.

Anyway you slice it, bringing a puppy home can be an awesome experience for everyone, including the puppy, as long as everyone is on board with the idea. Believe it or not, a puppy is like bringing home a newborn baby, and we've all seen the dark circles under new parent's eyes and heard how much work it can be.

Make A Plan

Sometimes in the emotion of making the decision to get a new puppy, things get pushed to the background and before you know it your puppy is home and the whirlwind begins.

Before that happens, think about what the basic needs of your puppy will be: health and safety, food, shelter and last but certainly not least love, and that your puppy will look to you to get of those needs met.

Be prepared to be selfless for what may seem like an eternity at the moment, especially when you've been up four times in the night to let the whimpering bundle of fur out, but if you give yourself up to the process, the payoff is worth it, and in the whole scheme of things it really is a short period of time in your dog's life.

Proper Puppy Care

Make sure you find a vet in your neighborhood that you feel comfortable with because once you begin bringing your puppy there for the initial check up, you'll need to continue your visits for the necessary schedule of vaccinations to prevent things like heart worms, which can be a pretty scary and deadly experience for your puppy if not prevented.

Also, to help do your part to keep the pet population under control where you live, your vet will go through the steps involved in having your puppy spayed or neutered and what to expect at home post op. Building a friendship with your vet and making regular visits will keep your puppy healthy and happy, which means less stress in the long run.

Choosing what to feed your puppy can be overwhelming as well as pretty pricey. There are so many choices on the supermarket shelves that making the right choice can be really hard. Do you choose wet or dry, or maybe a bit of both? Organic vs. the name brand off the shelf variety? And then certain breeds of dogs have specific dietary requirements so again, getting advice from your vet will save you a lot of trial and error and a lot of clean up from an upset tummy or even worse... the other end.

Probably one of the biggest complaints you hear when someone tells a puppy story is that the puppy is chewing up everything in site and when it's not doing that, it's peeing everywhere. Using a crate can act as double duty because not only does it give a safe and cozy place for your puppy to sleep, but it also helps with housebreaking. If you line your crate with an old blanket or some towels that have your scent it will help get your puppy used to your smell and that will help him or her settle down during those long first nights away from mom. Place some safe toys like a Nylabone chew toy to help with teething and save your favourite pair of shoes and anything/everything else your puppy may find around the house to ease the teething! Also, puppies will try their very best not to go to the bathroom where they sleep, so using a crate will help with housebreaking. Watch for signs that your puppy needs to go out. Each puppy has their own tell sign like circling around several times, whimpering, or a sharp bark. Paying attention to the little details will help you move through this stage without too much frustration. Also, keep a bottle of stain/scent cleaner on hand to clean up those unavoidable oops!

Once all the hard stuff is taken care of, now comes the fun part. Loving your puppy. It sounds like a no brainer but here are some things to think about. Everyone will want to pick up your puppy, but they can be jumpy, wriggly and down right hard to keep in your arms. Come down to their level and don't be afraid to get down and dirty at playtime by rolling around at ground level. This will help make sure your puppy won't hurt themselves by flipping out of your arms or being accidentally dropped if he/she scratches or nips, which trust me is unavoidable. Puppy teeth are sharp as needles but rest assure they eventually fall out to make way for smoother, thicker adult teeth.

If you want your puppy to be open to a wide variety of situations, make sure you invite neighbors, kids, other dogs or any other outside influences over to socialize. You might even consider someone in uniform like the mailman or courier if that is an everyday happening in your home. Spending time with your new puppy loving, playing and setting a consistent routine will help make the transition from the puppy stage to a full fledged dog and member of your family a happy time for everyone.

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