Bringing home a new puppy can be a lot of work, but in the long run, it is so worth it. Throughout the years I’ve had several dogs, some were adopted when they were tiny little babies, others were already fully grown. There are perks to both, and any dog will be a wonderful companion no matter what age they are, but personally, I like to adopt young enough where any training the dog receives will be from me so I know it’s done right. Plus, they’re just so cute! Before we talk about prepping your house for a new puppy, let me introduce my two little pups to you, Juju and Aria.
New Puppy Prep
First things first, don’t bring your puppy home until you’re ready! That may sound obvious, but sometimes people rush into things and don’t adequately prepare for the oncoming storm that is a wild and untrained little pup. If you find a puppy you want to adopt and haven’t prepared your house yet, you should ask to see if you can sign the paperwork and come back to pick him or her up later once everything is ready.
The List
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. Here are the things you should do to prep your home before bringing your new puppy.
Set up some sort of area that will serve as the pup’s “bedroom” for a while. This can be in your bedroom near where you sleep, but the dog should not be allowed to roam around the room freely at night or when you’re not watching it. If you do, prepare for constant cleaning and stains on all of your nice things. I normally buy some puppy fencing, corner off an area, and put some padding and a dog-bed inside. Once the puppy is fully potty trained, you can do away with their “bedroom.”
- Put down padding such as newspaper or cardboard in a few designated spots that will serve as “restrooms” for the puppy. You can also find potty training pads that are a little more expensive, but they absorb liquids which makes cleanup a breeze. Be sure you put padding in the “bedroom” you set up as well; I normally just cover the entire area. Every single time you see the puppy go to the bathroom on a pad you will want to praise it to let it know that’s the proper place to go. It can take a little while for them to get it but keep in mind praising when they do things right works much better than scolding when they do it wrong.
- Pick up any rugs or mats you have on the floor around the house until the puppy is potty trained. It will most likely mistake rugs for potty pads, which means you will be frequently washing your rugs unless you keep them away from your pup.
- Get some extra puppy fencing to keep the dog out of certain rooms, or to keep them in one area. Remember to put some padding in any area that they will be in for more than a few minutes. You are setting them up to be a “bad dog” if they need to go and don’t have a spot to do so. A puppy’s bladder is not fully grown which means most of them can’t hold it very long.
- Look around the house carefully and identify anything that could hurt the puppy. This could be anything from a cactus to an open fireplace. Puppies have zero common sense, so if something seems remotely unsafe you should do your best to stop a disaster before it happens.
- While looking for things that could hurt the puppy, also look for things that you would rather not get chewed up. For example, puppies love to chew up socks, shoes, phone chargers, wires, plastic things… everything. Puppies chew on everything. So if you don’t want it chewed on then put it somewhere the puppy can’t get to.
Every dog needs some tasty treats and bowls for food and water! I normally put their bowls on top of a tray, that way if any water happens to spill it doesn’t go all over the floor. Keep in mind, when selecting the food you should find a mix that is designed for puppies. Sometimes they can be a little more expensive, but they have important nutrients that puppies need while growing.
- Buy a collar and leash. Some adoption centers may have free collars and leashes for when you take your puppy home, but not all of them do. Better to be safe than sorry though, grab one while you’re at the pet store getting everything else.
- Get some TOYS! Puppies love toys, so having some around will help your new companion feel comfortable in their new home a little more quickly.
Do you have any tips for someone who is bringing home a new puppy soon? Tell us in the comments!
