5 Top Tips for Bringing Your New Puppy Home

You’ve waited patiently to collect your new bundle of fur and can’t wait to bring your puppy home, but there are a few things to consider to ensure that you are absolutely prepped and ready to welcome the newest member of your family into your household.

We’ve put together 5 of our top tips to help make your puppy’s introduction to your home run as smooth as possible:

1. When collecting your new pup from the breeder, don’t forget to bring a comfy dog carrier, a cosy blanket – and even water and food for longer journeys. This way your new furry friend will feel at home and comfortable in your presence, making the transition much smoother.

2. Ask your breeder for a few days’ worth of puppy food that the dog is used to. Sudden dietary changes can be upsetting for your puppy’s tummy and cause a loss of appetite – not good for the first few days in his new home! To make the transition to your chosen grub easier, mix a little of your new food with the batch that their used to; after a week or so you can start giving pup your selected food brand. That way a trip to the vet can be avoided, which without pet insurance can often be pricey.

3. Start as you mean to go on. Introductions are the perfect time to begin building habits for future behaviours. Try using excessive amounts of praise and encouragement so your new dog recognises you as the pack leader and will begin to respond to your commands and calls much more in the coming weeks.

4. For the first few days that your new puppy is at home, ensure that you give them time to explore their surroundings. It’s super important for them to become familiar with their surroundings and begin to recognise the areas you’ve designated for sleeping, eating and playing.

5. They are bound to miss their litter at first, so try using dog toys and placing hot water bottles in their bed to mimic the warmth of your pup's mum and litter mates.

Do you have some great tried and tested tips for bringing your new puppy home that you'd love to share? We'd love to hear about them over on our Facebook, or Twitter pages.