Bringing Home a New Puppy – Tips by Dana Humphrey “The Pet Lady”

Bringing home a new puppy should be a bit of a chore. If you have put the thought and preparation into bringing him or her to your home then that is half the battle. A new puppy is an adjustment and sadly many puppies get re-homed because the first family just was not prepared enough.

Here are some great tips by Dana Humphrey “The Pet Lady”. Make sure you can share these with anyone you know who is preparing to bring home a puppy.

1. Get a good pet carrier. I always say “bark buckle up”. It’s important to transport your new puppy home in a safe carrier. Plus, they can cuddle up in there as it is important with a lot of new stimuli to try to limit  their world. Limit the amount of space that the pet has access to at first. Limit the number of people and animals the pet meets at first too.

2. ID Tag: It’s important to get an up to date ID tag, as whether it’s a rescue pup or a new puppy, pets have been known to escape most within the first 3 days of being in a new environment. You want to make sure you have an identification on them if you haven’t had time to microchip them yet.

3. Harness and Lead. You are going to need to get out and take them for a walk, pretty much right away. Buddy Belts makes an awesome leather harness and lead set that is gentle on their chests, doesn’t pull on their trachea like a collar and has some cute stylish options. It is easy to put on and makes walk time a great experience all around.

4. Wee Wee Pads. If you live in the city, wee wee pads are a must. Train your pet to piddle on the pads so that your home can stay as clean as possible. Urban dogs and small dogs can easily be trained to use these for relieving themselves. You want to put them in the same place for consistency and not to confuse your pup.

5. Toy. All puppies want to play! Avoid having them rip up your sofa or shoe collection and give them their own toys to play with. A toy box or a toy area where they know those are for them can help save your personal items. It’s great to stimulate and engage your new pet with some chase, fetch or tug of war.

Our furry friends are precious and special so we must provide them with the health, safety and love they deserve!

Dana Humphrey, AKA “The Pet Lady” travels coast to coast scouting out the best pet products, brands and pet experts. She is also a professor and program facilitator at FIT, the fashion institute of technology and teaches in the pet product marketing and design department. She was recently awarded by Pet Age Magazine 40 under 40 and Women of Influence. The Pet Lady website:Www.thepetlady.org