Home Ownership 101: How To Prepare For Getting A Puppy

So, you’ve decided to get a puppy. Congratulations, and welcome to the world of pet ownership. There are almost 90 million pet dogs in the United States, and many of them may have been puppies when they were brought into their home.

Preparing for a puppy takes time, dedication, and patience. There are things you have to do to make sure your home is safe and welcoming for your new family member. So what exactly are those things, and how can you get your space ready to welcome a puppy? Here are some tips on how to prepare for getting a puppy, and why they’re important to follow for both yours and your puppy’s sake.

Understand Your Puppy’s Breed

When thinking about how to prepare for getting a puppy, the first thing you should do is do research on what breed your puppy is. Knowing their breed will help you figure out what their behavior may be like, and therefore help you better prepare for welcoming them into your home.

Different breeds of puppies may have different behaviors when coming into a new home. For example, herding dogs like collies and corgis tend to be independent and athletic, so you may find them running around your house quite often. They may also bark more than other breeds since they were bred to herd cattle. On the other hand, if you are getting a boston terrier or a chow chow puppy, you may find that they’re more playful and curious. They may try to explore and get into things more than other breeds.

The more you know about your puppy’s breed and their behavior, the better. You’ll have a better understanding of what to expect from your puppy and what you can do to make their adjustment to their new home smoother.

Put Up A Fence In Your Yard

There may be a lot of different tips you come across when researching how to prepare for getting a puppy, but one of the tips you should definitely follow is putting up a fence in your yard. Backyard fences and front yard fences will allow your puppy to run around freely in a set area, so you won’t have to worry about them getting lose and running away.

There are different kinds of fences you can look at putting up in your yard. You could go with a wooden fence, vinyl fencing, or a mental fence. Some dog owners even opt for an invisible fence, which is linked to your dog’s collar. If your dog approaches the boundary line of the invisible fence or gets away from it, the fence sends a signal to the collar to give your dog a quick pulse of energy that will alert the dog, but not shock or harm them.

There are pros and cons to each kind of fencing. Actual fences do create a set boundary, but your puppy could dig or jump its way out of the yard. An electrical fence could keep your dog in a set place without putting up a physical fence, however, the installation could take some time and be more expensive to put up. If you aren’t sure which fence would work best for you, contact local fencing services and get their opinion on it.

Establish A Space For Your Puppy

Your puppy will go through a big adjustment when you bring them home. When making a plan on how to prepare for getting a puppy, something to keep in mind is to establish a space for them. This could be the place where they play, sleep, and can feel comfortable in during the first few months of living in your place.

When establishing a space for your puppy, you’ll need to decide where you’ll want them to sleep at night. Do you want to crate train your puppy, or will you trust them to sleep on a doggy bed? Knowing this will help you establish how much space you’ll need for your puppy. At first, you could dedicate a whole room for them to run around in and play in, or you can pick a shared space. Setting up a space where your puppy knows they can find their toys in, play in, and sleep in could help them adjust to living in their new home quicker.

Prepare For Accidents

You can’t discuss how to prepare for getting a puppy without talking about accidents. A puppy is brand new to the world and therefore, needs to learn a lot. While they’re learning, there will be accidents along the way. Understanding that and trying your best to prepare for them will help you and your puppy.

There are different kinds of accidents that can happen to your new puppy. One of the most common types of accidents is housetraining accidents. This is when you teach your puppy to go to the bathroom outside, not in the house. However, it will take your puppy some time to get used to that. In the meantime, expect that you may have to clean up an accident or two along the way. To prepare for this, you could get puppy pads and put them around the house in case your puppy can’t wait to go outside. You can also keep a stash of cleaning supplies handy and have the phone number of a carpet cleaning service in case you need it.

It’s also a good idea to know where your nearest emergency room and urgent care clinic is when you get a new puppy. Puppies may run around the house and sneak into places you didn’t know they could. This could cause them to run into others in your home and causes them to trip. It’s an accident, but if someone is hurt because of it, it’s best to know where you can go for quick treatment.

Finish Remodeling Work

If you have a remodeling project going on in your home, try to get it done before your puppy arrives. Having people work on your home can be stressful, but it can be even more stressful if you have a new puppy running around. The puppy could accidentally eat something they shouldn’t, or cause an accident by running around the project site. If you can’t get the remodeling work done before you bring the puppy home, make sure you keep a close eye on them while work is getting done.

This is also the time to double-check that everything in your home is properly updated and safe for your puppy. Be sure there’s no loose wiring, broken glass, or old nails lying around. You should also check that your air quality is good and that there’s no asbestos in your home, as it could harm your puppy. If there is something like mold or asbestos in your home, see what you can do about getting mold and asbestos removal done immediately.

Invest In Puppy Gates

Investing in puppy gates could be one of the best decisions you make when thinking about how to prepare for getting a puppy. Puppy gates are gates that can fit between room entrances and doors. They’re meant to keep you puppy in a certain space and prevent them from getting into spaces they’re not supposed to be in.

Puppy gates can be great for training puppies on where they can and can’t go. Eventually, your puppy may pick up on the fact that they’re supposed to stay in a certain place and you may not need the gate anymore. However, it’s best to keep the gates up until you feel comfortable with your puppy being able to navigate your home on their own.

There are some key things to keep in mind about puppy gates, though. For starters, remember that puppies can grow pretty fast. Before you know it, your puppy could be knocking the gates down or jumping over them entirely. Make sure you invest in gates you know will work for your puppy. Also, when gating your puppy in a certain area, be sure the area is properly ventilated and cooled. You don’t want the space to be too stuffy or too warm for your puppy. Before you bring your puppy home, check your residential air conditioning and other parts of your HVAC system to make sure it works properly.

Don’t Forget The Chew Toys

Puppies like to chew on things. This need to chew may be amplified once they’re brought into a new home. To keep them entertained and help them with any anxiety they may have, get them some toys they can chew on. It’s one of the easiest but most effective tips when thinking about how to prepare for getting a puppy.

Chew toys can also help you protect your furniture and home from damage. If a puppy is having anxiety, they could want to chew on something. If they don’t have chew toys, they could choose to chew on your furniture instead. Instead of risking it, take some time to get quality chew toys that will help your puppy stay entertained.

Keep Small Objects Away

Your puppy may want to explore your home quite a bit. After all, your home is their home now. As you research how to prepare for getting a puppy, be sure to keep any small objects out of their reach.

Since puppies are small, they could get hold of smaller objects easily. These objects include children’s toys, home decor, home improvement materials, and even custom jewelry you may keep in your room. If a puppy gets hold of small objects, they could try to eat them and possibly choke. Or, they could end up eating the small object and wind up ill. To help prevent this, make sure all small objects are in a secure location where your puppy won’t be able to get them.

Put Away The Cleaning Supplies

Along with putting small objects away, another key thing to remember when thinking about how to prepare for getting a puppy is to secure your cleaning supplies. This includes bleach, window cleaner, dusting spray, and even laundry detergent. The last thing you want is for your puppy to accidentally ingest the harmful chemicals that could be in these supplies.

One way you can secure your supplies is to get a cabinet lock. You could even use child-proof locks if you wanted to. These kinds of locks would be helpful if you keep your cleaning supplies in lower spaces in your house, like below the kitchen sink. You could also move your cleaning supplies to higher ground so that your puppy can’t reach them when they’re running around your house.

It’s important to keep an eye on your puppy if they’re in an area where there are cleaning supplies. If they ingest any cleaning products, they could get really sick. If you suspect your puppy has ingested any cleaning products, be sure to get them into veterinary care as soon as possible.

Enjoy The Time With Your New Puppy

Remember, your puppy won’t be a puppy for long. Before you know it, they will be double their size and out of the puppy phase. Enjoy the time you have with them as a puppy because it could be over in the blink of an eye. Train them well, play with them, and love them unconditionally as a member of your family. If things get broken, realize that it was an accident and use it as a learning experience. Things can be replaced, but there’s only one puppy out there like yours.

When researching how to prepare for getting a puppy, remember that this is a time to be excited about. You’re getting a new member of your family. It can be overwhelming to think about at first, but the key is to take a deep breath and handle one thing at a time. There may be a lot of things you’ll have to do to prepare, but at the end of the day, it will all be worth it when you have your puppy home.