Tips on how to prepare for your new puppy
It is so exciting to bring a new puppy home but what do they need?
What your puppy needs most is you… your time, your patience and most of all, your love and care. Your new puppy needs to learn that you are their family now. It can be scary and a little traumatic for your new little one to leave the security of their mom and litter mates. Your puppy also needs time to understand your new commands, words, phrases and demands, they basically need to learn a new language.
Where will they sleep?
All puppy personalities are different but something to provide straight off the bat is a safe place for them to be comfortable and sleep. A crate can be necessary for many reasons and most trainers and breeders will agree that even if the puppy is not locked in the crate, the crate provides the puppy with a place of refuge to sleep, rest and get away from the sometimes stressful transition into a new family. A comfy puppy bed, a blanket, a plush toy to snuggle with and a pee pee pad close to the door in case of accidents is a pretty good start for your new family member. Having a crate doesn’t mean that you can’t snuggle with your little one on the floor, couch or if you choose your bed. Keep in mind that if your puppy is a Wolfhound puppy it will transform quickly from a cute small snuggle bug to a very large (small pony sized) snuggle bug that takes up your entire bed or couch. So, if you allow them permission to use the bed or couch while they are little, it will be a hard habit in the future to break. That being said, we have trained our wolfhounds to get off of the furniture or bed when asked.
IRISH WOLFHOUND
FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY
What should I feed them?
We send our puppies home to their new families with a care package of the food that the puppy usually eats, feeding instructions and a list of foods that we recommend, as well as important resources. People food like snacks, cookies, cakes, ice cream, fried foods, your breakfast, lunch or dinner are definitely not recommended to feed your puppy unless you want one sick little tummy achy puppy on your hands. Again, consistency doesn’t stop with just training, feeding a constant good diet at roughly the same times each day will provide your puppy with good health and a sense of security. Some people foods are okay, check out my blog post on “What to feed and what not to feed your Irish Wolfhound”
How often do they need to go out?
Your new little puppy is very smart, but still may need a little time to get used to it’s new home and routines. Puppies naturally go potty after they eat and wake up, so by keeping a close eye on them and taking them out regularly and showering them with positive praise after doing the right thing, will make them feel confident and successful.
Another great potty training aid are “Potty Bells” hung on the doors that you take the puppy in and out of to go outside. If you jingle the bell every time you take them out, they will associate that with the process and you’ll be surprised how fast your puppy will get the concept and ring the bell to tell you that they need to go out. Pretty cool!
IRISH LANDSCAPE
FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY
Where can I take my puppy?
Providing your puppy has received all of their shots, especially parvovirus then “Game On” take them everywhere you want to take them. The more socializing and traveling you can do with them the better!
What do I do when I have to leave the puppy alone or leave the house?
Crate or create a safe puppy proof area, like a laundry room or kennel is the best, especially if you value your furniture clothing and treasured personal items. If you leave your puppy in the yard unsupervised, be prepared for a little Irish Wolfhound landscaping... digging is a favorite pastime of the Wolfhound so gorgeous yard beware!
Also security is an issue make sure your fencing is secure, tall enough and the boundaries are tight with no holes. A lost or stolen puppy/Wolfhound is a tragedy that can be avoided with proper supervision and enclosures.
What do I need to do to puppy proof my home?
Puppy proofing is necessary and pretty straightforward. Anything your puppy can chew or lick or destroy, it will. Medications, easy to reach foods, shoes, purses, belts, socks, clothing, leashes, dog beds, carpets, electrical cords, tables, chairs and couches are all a sort of entertainment for your new puppy and needless to say, a possible danger if ingested and impactions are a very expensive trip to the vet.
The best solution is supervision, exercise (a bored puppy is a destructive puppy), safe toys and chews.
What toys are safe?
Toys that are intact are great but the moment your puppy can eat pieces off of it, it becomes a hazard. Bones are great for aggressive chewers and biters/nibblers. Bones cannot be cooked or be leftover bones from dinner. Cooked bones can splinter. The moment your puppy can get a piece of the bone off it should be taken away and given a new one.
Rawhide bones are dangerous and poisonous to dogs. Rope toys are also bad if the puppy is able to eat or ingest it.