
Kerry is a pet owner from Birmingham and understands the importance of making sure her dog is happy. She uses petstay for her dog when she goes on holiday….
Getting a new pet may not seem like a big deal, but you may be shocked to understand the amount of responsibility it is having a pet dog. Not so long ago, I brought a pure pedigree Labrador, not completely understanding how much hard work it is to bring up a dog. When people think about getting a pet, they think about the fun parts like walking in the park in the sun! However in reality, having a pet is much more hard work than this and you need a lot of time and patience to have a dog.
There are several things which you should think about before you get a dog to make sure that you are ready to get a dog, this will ensure that your dog is happy in your home.
Settling In
When you first get your pet dog, you will need to understand how much love and attention your dog is going to need. Your puppy would have just been taken from its mother and the only environment it has been used to. You will have to let you puppy know that it is safe in its new home. It is likely that your dog is going to be unhappy when it is left alone or during the night time, you should try and make them feel more relaxed at these anxious times by letting it know it is safe by stroking and cuddling your puppy. You should may be think about putting a warm hot water bottle in your dog’s bed, this will make them feel more relaxed and cared for.
Training
However difficult it may be, you should begin your training the day you get your puppy. Your puppy will need to understand who is boss, so if you it get away with ruling the roost from the start, it will grow into these habits. You should start toilet training straight away; place either newspaper or training mats near the back door. If your puppy has an accident and goes the toilet in the house then you should firmly say no and place them onto the newspaper or training mat. This will teach them eventually that they will need to go to the newspaper on the toilet.
To move on with the toilet training to start teaching your puppy to go outside in the garden, you should let your dog out every two hours and supervise what it is doing. Another tip is to move the training pads or the newspaper outside, this will let him know its ok to go the toilet outside.
Vet Costs
Your dog will need injections at 8 weeks and 12 weeks, this is to prevent illnesses. Your dog will also need booster jabs every 12 months which will continue to protect them.
You should also get your dog micro chipped, this is in case it gets lost or stolen. If found he will be logged as your dog and returned to you.
Holidays
It is understandable that everyone needs a holiday, but it is unacceptable to leave your dog at home unattended. You should try and not leave your dog until he is completely settled in, or else he will get stressed and this could cause you more problems. If you do decide to go on holiday when your dog is settled at home, you should consider using dog sitting services for your pet to stay at. This way your dog will have the best possible care.
Kerry is a pet owner from Birmingham and understands the importance of making sure her dog is happy. She uses http://www.petstay.net for her dog when she goes on holiday.