Puppy 101: A Primer for New Puppy Owners

Puppy 101: A Primer for New Puppy Owners

Bringing a new puppy into your life is a special event. It’s difficult to even put it into words. A mix of excitement, pure joy, elation, a little bit of trepidation and stepping into the unknown, perhaps? In any case, it’s a whole new world, and every new puppy owner must grapple with being responsible for a four-legged energy monster who’ll run around creating mischief but still be adorable!

To help prospective puppy owners and those who’ve already adopted a puppy but still have questions, we’re providing this primer. We hope you find it useful.

Where to Get a Puppy?

There are different places to get a puppy if you haven’t already gotten one:

• Pet Shops | Pet shops sometimes have a solitary puppy that’s barely old enough to be there or a litter of pups often from the same mother. These are usually to be avoided for a variety of reasons, not least of which is people poking their fingers in and potentially spreading one or more diseases to a vulnerable puppy.
• Puppy Mills (Avoid at all Costs) | Puppy mills get their name by mass breeding dogs. They are kept in poor conditions, often suffer from genetic problems due to excessive breeding, and are typically both undernourished and poorly developed as a result. Puppies should not be acquired from a mill of any kind. They shouldn’t be supported at all unless you are rescuing or adopting one!
• Private Breeders | Private breeders are a great option when they have a good reputation. Look for a registered breeder and avoid back-street breeders. Good breeders treat the puppies well and nourish them properly.
• Animal Shelters | Animal shelters are a good place to pick up a dog. However, most dogs given to the pound are older ones with medical issues, overly boisterous for the owner, or given because the previous owner’s living situation changed. Because of this, it’s less common for an animal shelter to have puppies for adoption unless an older female dog comes in who’s heavily pregnant and subsequently gives birth to a litter of pups in the shelter. Go to Anythinggermanshepherd.com to learn more about pregnant dog care

Be Prepared to Be Surprised

Any dog, but especially a puppy who’s full of life, will surprise a new owner. They will get up to certain mischief, chew through important wires, have unfortunate accidents in the oddest of places, and generally create a little bit of mayhem.

It is all part and parcel of being a new puppy owner, and it’s important to not allow yourself to get upset about it. Instead, take it in your stride and consider puppy training to help you.

Get the Food Correct from the Start

One of the most important aspects of owning a puppy is getting his or her nutritional needs properly organized.

• The Typical Puppy Diet is Wrong

Most processed food for puppies is laden with sugar, excessive carbohydrates, and sometimes oxidized fat too. Each of these creates some unique difficulties for dogs. While they do include amylase, an enzyme that helps with the digestion of sugars and carbs, that only goes so far. An excess of carbs leads to puppies getting overweight, which may cause a pancreatitis problem or inflammation. Losing weight will grant your dog a longer and healthier life. Keeping an eye on your dog’s health is an important factor, so dogs that have pet health insurance tend to be better protected, and costs for various treatments are significantly lower.

• What is Raw Dog Food?

An alternative is a raw food for dogs, which includes meat, offal, and bones, plus some vegetables along with berries to provide a robust balanced blend.

Good quality raw dog food from a reputable brand contains antioxidant benefits, plenty of fiber and good bacteria to keep their gut healthier too.

A raw diet for dogs goes back to a more basic eating plan. It’s also got a strong connection to the push to a Paleo diet that’s swept the health and fitness world recently. Eating raw has become hip, with many of the same benefits that we get from it as humans translating well to puppies and adult dogs.

Because this is a newer area for dog owners, generally, it’s useful to learn more before proceeding. This raw dog food for beginners guide from Bella and Duke takes a deep dive into the topic to give dog owners confidence. Bella and Duke have a strong reputation with dog owners as a producer that genuinely cares about their customers and their pooches. They sell top-quality raw dog food that’s full of nutrition and is delivered to your home. Buy in bulk and store it in the freezer. It’s an easy way to ensure your dog gets all the nutrients he needs.

Be Prepared for Potty Training

Every dog goes through needing to learn how to control their washroom urges and indicate when they need to go outside. Puppies, of course, are no exception to this.

While you cannot rush house training your puppy, there are some do’s and don’ts when it comes to them mastering it. A lot of care, time, and positive reinforcement of the right behaviors are needed to get there. Ultimately, it can take at least 6 months until they have gotten the hang of everything.

It’s a good idea to take your puppy out in the morning before you do anything else. This will prevent avoidable little mishaps when you’re trying to start your day off right.

You’ll only take possession of a puppy when they’re at least 12 weeks old and can be away from their mother at that point. It’ll need training even if the pup is older. Larger breeds need to go out less often as they have bigger bladders; the opposite is true of pocket-sized breeds. Most puppies should be taken outside every 30-60 minutes and typically when mealtime is over.

Learned behaviors happen through positive reinforcement. It doesn’t have to mean giving treats if you don’t believe in them – playtime with you and their favorite toy works just as well.

Also, don’t leave food out if they don’t finish it. It’s important to create distinctive mealtimes and potty times, so they can learn to control themselves.

Dealing with Puppy Behavioral Tendencies

Puppies find their owners to be lots of fun. They require their attention, time and energy.

These new four-legged friends get bored easily too. This is why if you leave them alone for too long, they will become upset. Loneliness can set in because when you are home, they hear you moving around and otherwise being busy. Your presence and the sound you generate is of comfort to them. That disappears when you step out to run an errand or to meet a client if you don’t have someone to watch them in the meantime.

If you’re out, the sounds disappear. Then when they do hear a strange sound, they get worried and bark at it. This is why new puppies seem to bark a lot at the strangest things. To combat this, get them accustomed to hearing the TV on with the sound up. While they won’t understand the images on the screen, the sound that fills the room will make them feel like they’re not alone.

We hope that this guide has given you a taste of what it will be like to own a puppy. A gorgeous pup will be your best friend, companion, and elevate you on difficult days. With unique personalities and a joy for life, many people are delighted when they adopt a puppy and are almost sad to see them grow up. However, they’ll always have photos, videos and fondly held memories of what their grown dog was like when still a pup. It’s a special time that soon passes, so if you’re getting a puppy, treasure every moment.

Guest Article. Contains sponsored links.