5 Essentials To Make Bringing Home Your New Dog A Success!
So you have actually gone done it! You have decided to add a furry new member to you family! Hold on tight as you are in for quite a ride!
All kidding aside, whether you are bringing home a new puppy or rescuing a more mature pup, the transition period of bringing home your new family member into the household and creating a new routine will be emotionally draining, exhausting and yet also exhilarating and some of the best moments of your life as you embark on your dog’s new adventure with you!
Will at 10 weeks
When I brought home Will I had no idea what was in store for me when I brought that 8 week, 10 pound furry bundle of fluff into my home. I knew it would be hard work with a few sleepless nights, but I had no idea the challenges that lied ahead for me and just how many tears I would shed in the weeks following.
Luckily I had done my research and prepared myself with some new dog essentials that really saved me both physically and emotionally in those first few weeks and that I will be sharing here in this blog post, such as:
Pet insurance, a number one must have
Bedtime and Crate Training; Where and How your Dog will Sleep
Creating a training roadmap and outlining your expectations
Feeding time; the when and how of it all
Helping your dog feel at home
Learning these essentials ahead of time will help to make your life as a new dog parent easier so you can spend less time worrying and more time loving and bonding with your new best friend!
Pet Insurance, a number one must have
Before I went to pick up Will I had done tons of research so I knew that I wanted to have a pet insurance policy in place for at least the first year of having Will as I already aware the first year was going to be very costly and I didn’t want to also experience a surprise vet bill for any puppy mishaps. A friend of mine who had gotten a puppy prior to me chose not to get pet insurance. A few weeks in and the dog ate a sock, as many tend to do and had to have it surgically removed. She was met with a $3000 vet bill! It was then that she decided to go ahead and get pet insurance. However when her puppy ate another sock a mere 3 weeks after the first, it was not covered yet because it occurred during the waiting period. Luckily the dog passed this sock on it’s own, otherwise my friend would have been on the hook for another 4 figure bill.
I took my friends story as a warning and made sure that I had the pet insurance on day one! I was lucky in that Will never ate a sock or have any major emergencies that first year, but it did help pay for all his other normal puppy illnesses such as Conjunctivitis, ear infection, skin rash, leg injury and even offset the cost for his neutering which is at least a $500 bill. There are so many options out there today for pet insurance with a variety of coverages, wellness supplements and prescription options that you need to figure out ahead what would work best for your budget and your puppy’s lifestyle. You may choose to have a lower monthly premium but a higher deductible if you are adopting an older pup who may not get into as much trouble as say a lab puppy who is known to hoover anything in sight. My favorite option is Trupanion and most people I talk to also have nothing but good things to say about this company. Embrace and Nationwide also came recommended to me. And for reference, the emergency surgery my friend’s pup had to have would have been covered 90% had she had insurance at the time.
Bedtime and Crate Training; Where and How your Dog will Sleep
So I am going to tell you a secret, I am a crate training failure. I had Will’s crate all set up next to my bed along with the blanket with his mother’s scent and his snuggle puppy. But after he wailed each time I put him in there that first night, I was so tired and just wanted to sleep, so I put him in bed with me and he stopped crying. So that is where he slept for the next 4 months. Will never had an accident at night, though I did wake him up at 2 am to go out potty for the first 2 months, and I actually loved having him with me at night since he was quiet and cuddly, something he was not during the day! But I do wish I was more prepared with a crate training plan, as it would have saved me at other times when I wanted to leave him during the day, or have him be contained and relaxing when I was cleaning or cooking and not able to watch him around the house. One of the plans I wish I followed was this Crate Training Guide.
If your dog is older or you are not crate training, have a plan on where you want your dog to sleep and also have a few options on what your dog will sleep on. Will tends to run hot so he likes to sleep on this cooling mat during the summer. I love it because it stays cool, has decent thickness and can fold up to either store under the bed, or bring with you if you travel. I would also make sure to have a couple types of beds for your pup to see what they like best. Having a memory foam type bed like this one is great for more senior pups, while raised beds like this are another option for pups that run hot or perhaps tend to tear up a bed with filling. Much like Goldie Locks it may take some trial and error to find the right bed for your pooch, but having a cozy place to lay their head will make all the difference in having a happy well rested pup.
Creating a training roadmap and outlining your expectations
Training your dog is the pinnacle of having a confident happy dog that fits right in with your family. But training is a hard and long process that is both rewarding and frustrating. Having a roadmap outlined ahead of time will help cut out a lot of the confusion and frustrations that come. Know what training style appeals to you most and will work best for the breed and age of your dog. Positive Reinforcement is the method many use and it’s because it works, though that is not to discount other methods. I utilized a local trainer with limited success, plus it is very hard to get into local classes right now due to high volume. Your next best bet is online based training and I love the Brain Training for Dogs program. You can read my thoughts and more details on this program here.
I also highly suggest having a list of your non negotiable’s written out with all members of your family so you are all on the same page. Meaning, if you absolutely do not want a dog that begs, write it on your list and make sure all family members are on board, because consistency is the only way training will be successful. I have a much more detailed post on training here, but it is definitely a must to have a roadmap planned ahead of brining pup home.
Feeding time; the when and how of it all
Now if this was a list of essentials for how to keep me happy then feeding would be at the top! And if it was up to your dog this would be his number one priority as well. Having a good feeding schedule set ahead of time will be key to a smooth transition. Puppies will want to eat three times a day and you will need to figure out their wake up, last call and also your daily schedule to figure out a good feeding timeline. Download the free puppy schedule printable at the bottom of this post to assist with this.
Adolescent dogs will go down to 2 times a day and your vet can let you know when that should happen. Older dogs can stay at twice a day or if they are like Will, and are not really interested in food in the morning, you can go down to one time a day. Now how to feed your dog is a whole other ballgame with a ton of varying opinions, but again you will figure out what works best for you and your dog. When Will was an adolescent and still had some puppy energy, on the days he wasn’t going to daycare I would give him his morning meal in either a food puzzle, lick mat or kong or via training or scavenger hunt because it would work his brain and tire him out while giving him his nutritional needs. In the evening he would be fed via his bowl. Some trainers recommend hand feeding one or all meals. This method would not work for me and my trainer never mentioned it so I never researched it in depth.
In terms of what food to feed, if you are bringing home a puppy your breeder or rescue will most likely send along a bag of food that the pup has been eating and is used to. I would stick with that until the pup decides they do not like it any longer or other nutritional needs have to be met. Otherwise you will be dealing with that tricky food transitional period that can wreak havoc on a dog’s digestion system bringing other unpleasant issues that you definitely do not need at the beginning of your puppy journey. If you were not sent home with anything and were not given feeding instructions then I would ask your vet what they recommend. You can always change this as you get to know your pup, figure out their eating habits and likes/dislikes. There are a million and one food options and diet types (boutique fresh food, raw diets, DIY, kibble only) so choose a basic option and then as you learn more about your pup you can select a different food. I think the best basic option to begin with that is recommended by many breeders and vets is Purina Pro Plan Salmon and Rice. That is what Will ate and loved until one day he decided he was done with it. For a higher grade option, and what I give Will as supplement feeding to this day (read about How to feed a picky eater here) is Farmina N&D Ancestral Grain Lamb and Blueberry and I cannot recommend it enough. High grade quality ingredients such organic spelt and oats, vegetables, fruits and vitamins and baked at a lower temperature with no preservatives or GMO’s and created with cruelty free research.
Helping your dog feel at home
So we have the basics down, insurance, sleeping, eating, training. But your dog needs to feel spoiled and loved as well to feel a part of the family! Now you don’t have to go overboard, although let’s be honest, I’m sure most of us have or will, but you should have one or two toys for your pup to play with, not too many as you do not want to overwhelm, but a couple nice options for them to choose from and claim as their own. The first toy I bought Will before I even picked him up with this squeaky monkey rope toy. It was really sturdy and great quality and held up to puppy chewing for over a year, and he loved it so much that when he finally did destroy it I had to buy him another one. A soft blanket is a must have as well. Something you can put on the couch if they are allowed up, or on the floor or in their bed. And finally a good leash and collar will also be essential for walks and potty time and I love these personalized ones from Chewy. They really hold up well and if you already have a name picked out you can have the dog’s name and your phone number stitched on, perfect in case your pup gets loose and also eliminates the need for noisy tags. If you are looking for something more stylish check out the ones from Wild One. They have matching leashes, harnesses and poop bags in fun, stylish modern colors. You can get 15% off your first purchase of $75 or more with code WODOGS15.
Conclusion
So as you can see there is a lot to consider when you first bring your new dog home and it will eliminate a lot of stress if you have these essentials covered or at least thought about ahead of time. I HIGHLY encourage getting your insurance policy ahead of time, it will not start until you have the dog but the waiting period can then start on day one of when you bring your pet home. The first year of my policy paid for itself, after that you can decide whether or not to lower coverage or increase the deductible. The next takeaway is to just have a flexible plan in place for sleeping, eating and training. Also, if you haven’t already, check out the Brain Training Course, she offers a free preview so you can see if it is a program that appeals to you before you purchase. You can now be prepared before you bring home puppy which is an overwhelming time, and are also educated on your options if you need to change things up. But most importantly have fun, enjoy the chaos and remember to love and spoil your new family member!
Download Your Free Puppy Schedule Printable Today!
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