Getting a puppy or adopting a dog can transform your house into a Loving Home.
But without careful preparation, your new pet can turn the your home into a mess.
The following preperation tips will get you on your way to having it all;
a loving home and a happy and tidy home.
There are a lot of questions you might have as a soon 2 be puppy owners, I hope the following will help to answer those questions and prepare you for that special moment you take your pet home.

To Do’s before you get your dog/puppy:

• Make a descision; are we going for a puppy or a dog?
• Where are we going do get the puppy or dog, from a shelter or a breeder?
• Make a list of dogsupplies: water and foodbowls, leash and colar, a crate and/or a sleepingmatras, chewingtoys, brush/grooming suplies
• Puppy proof your home: look for anything that could potentially hurt him, electrical cords, poisonous plants, a pool he could fall into, sharp things etc.
• Set up rules for the family on; when to walk the dog, when and what to feed the dog, what to do when the dogs needs medical care, for the kids to leave the dog alone when eating or sleeping
• When you get your puppy you want to explore new places with him. Puppies love to explore, which can be distracting and dangerous while driving. Make sure you have a a crate or secure him with a dog seat belt harness. Also available are car seats and boosters that are used in conjunction with a dog seat belt. These will also keep your dog from being ejected in case of an accident or from jumping out of your vehicle.
• Find a good veterinarian and put the telephonenumber of your vet and the local alarmnumber in your phone and when you have kids show them where they can find the numbers
• Make a choice in what breed and gender the puppy should be
• Prepare by reading about the breed and about puppy/dogtraining
• Make a choice wether to neuter or spay the dog
• Find a puppytraining class in your neighboorhoud, puppy training is one of the best ways to build a learning/training connection and is also a good way to socialize your puppy
• Mental preperation: it might sound a little weird but you and your family have to be prepared for your new pet and familymember. Be realistic, the puppy might howl and cry the first nights in a new home, it will take time and effort to housebreak a puppy, it might chew on the furniture or shoes, you have to walk your dog several times a day in sunshine and rain, when your puppy gets sick you have to take care of and pay for medical care, rasing and training a puppy is not a matter of time, you are never done. When you have read this and your are still absolutely sure you want a puppy and you can promise your new pet all the above for a lifetime,..
  Than…Congratulations you are now ready to be a dogowner;-)

To Do’s when you got you dog/puppy:

• Take him to your veterinarian for a complete physical
• Check with your vet if the puppy got all the right vacinations and when he should get his new ones
• Make sure your puppy is free from flees and worms, your vet can also help with this
• Make sure your puppy gets a microchip so your dog will never be lost. Most breeders will do this for you. Make sure you get the papers with it so you can registrate the dog in your name. Most Vets have the equipment to check if the chip is working and registrated correctly.
  

Puppy Training:

The first weeks of training are mainly focused on the following:

• Housebreaking the puppy
• Walking outside on and offleash
• Knowing it’s place (pillow or crate)
• Following houserules: not gettingupon the couch uninvited, no begging for food, what and what not to chew,
• Introduction to other pets
• Getting the puppy used to everything in and around the house like noises, places, (vacuumcleaner, garden hose, etc)
• First set of commands like: sit, stay and down

Here is some more info on how to raise your puppy: http://baggybulldogs.com/2012/05/14/raising-a-bulldog-puppy/

This topic will be extended later on with more information about: how to choose a breeder, what to look for when choosing a puppy and training your puppy/dog.

If you have any questions please ask!

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