Do you have a puppy? If you do, then you might not know that taking proper care of it requires some specialist knowledge. Puppies are a lot more frail and fragile than adult dogs – they need support to reach their full potential.
Looking after your puppy, as well as giving them proper care, is hard. You’re going to want to make sure you follow some actionable, useful tips for success. Thankfully, that’s exactly what we’re here to provide, so let’s get started and take a look at what you need to know.
Source a Good Vet
The first thing that you will need to do when it comes to providing proper care for your puppy is to source the vet you intend to use for the rest of their lives at the beginning.
Finding a proper vet can be a challenge because there are a lot of them out there. However, you must track down the correct vet for your needs.
This does have a few different benefits involved. First of all, you are looking for a professional who can go on the entire journey with you, from when your pet is a puppy to when they’re an older dog, and at the same time, it takes care of the hassle of having to find a vet early.
First Vet Visit
The first time that you visit a vet can be a very important exercise. You can do a lot of important things like set up a vaccination plan, ask about any potential health concerns you may have already, get a proper physical done, get the height and weight on the chart, and make sure that your vet understands exactly what they’re working with when it comes to your dog.
Find Quality Food Sources
The food you give to your puppy needs to be precisely designed to give them the best experience. It can be tricky to try and find the best food, but you need to do so regardless.
Ultimately, you need to make sure that you get the right kind of food and that you feed your puppy enough times every day. Remember that they need quite a lot of nutrients and food when they’re growing, so you need to get the portions right relevant to the weight and breed of the dog.
Once you have a shortlist, then it is worth doing further research over at All About Dog Food.
Toilet Train
Toilet training is one of the most important things to do when you have a dog. You have to make sure that you teach them how to use the bathroom from a young age because otherwise, they won’t learn the routine. Remember to be firm yet fair. When they do something good, praise them. Ultimately, you need to reinforce the positive behaviour and make sure they understand the negative behaviour isn’t acceptable.
Monitor Early Health
Ultimately, a puppy is a very young dog and is susceptible to a lot of different illnesses. You need to make sure that you monitor their health in the early stages to give them the best care, which means you need to be on the ball when it comes to keeping track of what they are doing and how they could be supported further.
Training From the Start
Ultimately, you also need to make sure that you train your dog from the beginning. Teaching basic obedience and manners to a pet is vital for making sure that you have a harmonious relationship. It’s hard to connect with your dog if they don’t know exactly who and what the rules are, so you have to be prepared to teach them the kind of behaviour you want to see.
Basic commands like sit and stay are very important to learn, as well as teaching them when to be quiet because this will help to keep them under control. A dog is usually quick to learn and eager to please, so with enough time and reinforcement, you can teach them to do quite a few different things.
Socialisation
It’s really important to socialise a dog properly when it is young. Good socialisation form is the backbone of a well-adjusted animal. A dog that is not socialised will often be hostile, fearful, and disruptive when with other animals and people because it is not used to them. You might think that by keeping the dog to yourself, you are creating a positive environment, but you’re actually doing harm to their growth in the long term.
Make sure that you take the time to introduce your dog to new environments and situations where they can feel safe. It’s important for getting the best possible experiences and options, and you should definitely take a look at what’s available in regards to socialisation classes and maybe social groups in the area where dog owners like to meet up and let their dogs play together.
Exercise
Your new puppy must have both mental and physical exercise. Once they have had their vaccinations and can go out for walks, then going for short regular walks with your puppy is important.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, owning a puppy is a very joyful experience. It makes you happy, and you will learn to love this little bundle of joy that you have accepted into your life. But, as is the case with any type of child, which a dog invariably becomes, there is a level of commitment involved.
You need to make sure that you are properly meeting the needs of your pet, and this may take some time, but it’s worth it in the long run. Don’t hesitate to experiment and figure out exactly what it is that you can do to get the best choices and options for yourself as you begin to experiment with what’s available.
Remember to consult with a vet frequently to get the ideal results because they are experts on dogs and can help take care of your concerns. It’s worth getting to know a vet and to rely on them because the closer the relationship you can build, the more they’ll be in tune with the specific needs of your animal. Remember, socialisation is also key because your pet needs to experience new situations to do well in them.
You may also be interested in our article on tips for walking your new puppy
