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Welcoming your new puppy into your house starts long before you go and pick the little guy/gal up. The first thing you will need to do is puppy proof the house. You will want to pay close attention to things that will cause the puppy harm.  Here are some examples:

• Loose or hanging cables. Electrical, computer ect.
• House Plants; some can be poisonous.
• Small items they can swallow
• Paperclips
• Kids Toys
• Pens
• Coins and Money
• Food, Candy Dishes, medication
• Throw Rugs
• Books and Magazines

Once you think you have everything taken care of, get on the floor and look around. Having the view your puppy will have may expose a few more items that need to be removed.
Now that you have a safe environment for you pup it’s time to go shopping. Here is a basic shopping list for you:

• Crate (Yes you need one; it’s for your puppies safety). You will want to purchase one that will not only fit your puppy now but for when they are full grown.  Luckily these days they have dividers that come with them. You should have the divider placed so the puppy only has enough room to lie down and turn around. This will help potty training.
• Puppy Food
• Bowls for food and water
• Nice soft toys. They make toys that mimic the heat and heartbeat of another puppy, this will help your puppy feel more comfortable its first few nights. It will simulate its experience with its littermates.  It is completely optional.

The next step you will want to take is to decide what the “Rules of the House” are going to be.  You will have to decide if the couch is off limits or if it is a place the pup is allowed to go. How about the bed? Chairs?  Are the bedrooms off limits? Is there a garden outside that you want to keep from being trampled? You get the point; this is what all of your communication with your new dog is going to be based off of.

When you bring your puppy home you should be prepared that his/her life really involves 4 things, eating, sleeping, playing and potty. You should know that your puppy can only hold it for around 4 hours before they have to go potty. Also know that what goes in will come out from 1 to 30 minutes after consumption. So if your puppy takes a nice big drink, be prepared to go outside immediately after. The same applies with food. Here is an example schedule:

Sounds like a lot of work right? You bet your butt it is! If you do the right things now it will pay huge dividends for the rest of your dog’s life.
Last but not least you are going to have to come to grips with that fact that your puppy is not human and is a dog. Furthermore, you can’t think like a human when it comes to relating to your puppy, you will have to do the best you can to think like a dog! If you do not know how to do that give us a call or take our puppy training classes!