Getting a new puppy or a dog to your house is always a great experience. Though you need to get some stuff ready in advance to make sure the puppy is comfortable and is happy in the new house.
Tags for identification
It is required by law that all pets should have some form of identification on them. The identification tags should contain what their owners name and address is. It is good to add your telephone number to the tag as it helps to track you down faster. You can get these tags from an online pet store as well. Another option is to use micro chipping, which saves you the trouble of replacing a broken or lost tag. It is permanent and effective and painless.
A chewing toy can protect your shoes and sofa
All dogs love to chew, especially puppies when they are teething. They require something wrap their jaws around and chew. If you do not provide a chew for them, they will attach your shoes and sofa. It’s best to look for one which is durable and not toxic, and shapes like a bone would help. If you are buying for a puppy then ensure, that the chew is big enough that, it does not choke it, fragile enough to break or electronic to spark him.
Bowls to eat food and drink water
Many pet owners end up getting plastic bowls, however most often they end up becoming chew toys. Also the tooth marks that are left on them become a breeding ground for bacteria. It is best to use a stainless steel or ceramic bowl with a heavy bottom for the water and food containers. Being a heavy bowl it would make it more difficult for the dog or anyone in the family to knock it over accidentally. There are special narrow bowls available which can help keep your dog’s ears clean and dry by not letting them drip in the food.
Feeding the dog its first meal
When the dog comes to your house, it is a big change for the dog. Hence it becomes easier for the dog to adapt to its new surroundings if receives the same food as before. It helps to make the dog transition better and more secure in its surrounding.Choose a dog food, which has a balanced set of carbohydrates, fats, protein and fibre that is customised to your dog’s age. Once you have decided what dog food to give your pet, you can start the process by mixing it in with his old one. The percentage of the old vs. new dog food can change till the dog is completely used to the new dog food.
Taking your dog out with a collar & lead
If you want to take your dog out for a walk, first thing is to get him the right jabs. While you get this done, you can get the dog used wearing its lead and collar at home. Then when you step out into the great wide world your dog is used to being on a lead. The collars are available in a range of materials. Leather or nylon collars which are adjustable are preferred, as there size can be increased with the growth in your pet.
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Luke Casey, the writer, is a popular home decorator and has been in the same business for more than two decades. He says he buys his supplies from ACE Hardware Stores in New England because of the quality products they sell.
