How to Prepare for a New Puppy ?

Getting ready to take in a brand new puppy into your home gives you a good reason for excitement. It’s okay to be anxious because it’s a new milestone in your life. You’re taking care of a new life and it’s up to you to nurture your puppy into a strong, healthy adult! On the other hand, you get to enjoy all of the wonderful benefits of being a pet owner especially during these uncertain times of social distancing. This means you get a new friend to walk with, play with, and even cuddle with if you want. During this guide, we’ll break down how to prepare for a new puppy before they arrive. 

Puppy Supplies

This list seemingly could go on forever, but we try to narrow it down to the essentials. If you want to make it easier on yourself, try buying puppy supplies weeks before arrival. This way, you could chip away at the list rather than buying everything at once. Here’s some ideas for puppy supplies as you prepare for your new puppy. 

• Puppy food & water with 2 bowls 
• Harness and leash
• A GPS tracker (which is the absolute safest way pets won’t get lost)
• A properly fitting Collar
• Your puppy collar should have a tag with I.D. including pet name and your phone number for contact
• Snacks & treats (for training) 
• Toys (for light exercise)
• Soft crate

Preparing Your Home

Otherwise, this practice is known as “puppy proofing” the area. Wherever your puppy will be in your home, you should prepare for it. You can prepare your home for a new puppy by taking a walk around today and looking for potential hazards. It’s important to know that puppies discover the world by wandering, sniffing around, biting, and demonstrating experimental behavior. 

Sometimes, this could lead to chewed furniture or plants (and decorations) getting knocked over. Even though your puppy means no harm, they don’t understand boundaries just yet. These are a few tips for preparing your home for a puppy. 

• Hide, tidy up , or cover electrical wires 
• Block or keep your fragile (like glass) items in gated areas 
• Keep any chemical substance (like cleaning products) away or up high at all times
• Make sure you don’t have any shelves near the ground 
• Your puppy will chew! Keep shoes, clothes, pillows away or up high

Scheduling and Routine

Even if your new puppy hasn’t arrived yet, you could still do some useful planning and preparation. Setting up your new schedule will spare you of any unpredictable events in the future. The last thing you want to do is suddenly have to call out of work because you forgot about a Vet appointment. It’s best that you map out your schedule and align your puppy’s schedule with yours. 

Your puppy is important and you want them to be healthy. Try making an appointment with the Vet as soon as possible. Even before arrival if you could if they are at least 6 weeks old. The Vet will do a full checkup and give your puppy any shots so they can go outside. A calendar is your best friend for a new puppy. Write down any Vet dates in the calendar right away so you won’t forget. 

When it’s time for your new puppy to arrive, set the routine right away. Puppies need to have a set feeding time, potty time, and sleeping schedule. If you want convenience with your puppy’s schedule, here are a few tips. 

Potty Time

• Let your puppy out first thing in the morning 
• After every nap (and puppies nap a lot!)
• Before or after play time
• Let them out after every meal

Feeding Time

• Schedule feeding around the times when you eat 
• Feed puppies in small portions, but more frequently 
• Always keep fresh water in the bowl 
• Reward puppy with treats after good behavior 

Sleeping Schedule

• Let the puppy sleep while you go to sleep 
• Always let a puppy rest and nap when they want to 
• Start crate training your puppy and letting them sleep on their own 
• Let the puppy sleep after exercise 
• Exercise should only be 5 minutes per day for each month of age (a rule of thumb)
• Gradually increase exercise as puppy gets older

Your new milestone of bringing a new puppy into your home is remarkable. Not to mention, it takes key preparation to make sure your life with your new puppy is as smooth as possible. Here at YoPets, we understand that you want your puppy to be safe and happy. That’s why we designed a GPS tracker meant to keep an eye on your puppy at all times. Thank you for checking out our puppy preparation tips and you get in contact with our team at any time.