Already you should have purchased the following items
and set up the house to ensure that your puppy is well cared for right from the
start:
·
Leash
and collar
·
Food
and water dishes
·
Blanket
and/or basket for sleeping
·
Training
Crate (this is the best way to housebreak)
·
Dry dog
food
·
Canned
dog food (for those that refuse to eat)
·
Several
stuffed toys (semi-replacements for its lost littermates)
·
Puppy
gate (if it is desired to confine the puppy to certain areas0
·
Lots
of newspaper (no colored print)
Allow the puppy to go walk around, sniff and
possibly go to the bathroom outside prior to bringing him/her initially into
your home. He/she may or may not
go. Bring the puppy into the house and
place it in a semi-darkened and quiet room.
Stay with the puppy. One or two
people is plenty. Allow the puppy to
roam and explore its new surroundings.
Show it its food and water dishes, allowing it to drink as much as it
wants. Kids will want to play and
lavish attention on the puppy. They
should be discouraged from doing so during the initial hours. There will be plenty of days and years of
that ahead. This is important for a
well socialized dog. Explain to the
children the frightened state of the puppy and the need to maintain a quiet and
peaceful environment at first.
Continually reassure the puppy but do not “overdo it.” The puppy may or may not go to the bathroom
soon after its arrival. Each puppy will
be different but it is something to be aware of. A small radio turned low will help the puppy feel comforted when
it is left alone. Classical music is
usually the most soothing for animals.
If your puppy cries when left alone, do not respond to him unless it is
an obvious emergency. Cries for
attention should be ignored. It will
only encourage him to cry when he wants attention and this is an awful hard
habit to break.
