Your New Puppy
Golden Retriever Puppy
Getting Ready
Well you’ve finally made the decision to add a family member and you now have a new puppy! Congratulations!!! You’ve done all the research and now you’ve got the new pup home. Whether it’s a boy or girl, purebred or mixed breed rescue you’re all gonna have a great time together as long as you do a little preparation.
One of the first things to find is a Veterinarian in your area. The best approach is to talk to friends and ask where they take their pets for care. If possible talk to a few Veterinarians to find the perfect fit for you and your new pup. You would do the same for any one of your family members.
A Smooth Homecoming
Just to make things a little easier for the homecoming there are a few things you will want to have on hand prior to the new arrival and a few things that you’ll want to consider for a continued long healthy life and relationship. Let’s go through a few of them.
Collar/Harness and Leash: The local pet store will be able to help you with the fit of either and can make recommendations that will help with the choice. It’s an important safety consideration and something that your new dog will continue to need through his or her life. This is of course something that will have to be changed as your new puppy grows. A 4 or 6-foot lease will depend on size. Of course the color of each is really important!
ID Tag: An important accessory for your dog’s collar or harness is the id tag. Many pet stores have an easy to use id tag printer that will have different sizes, colors and styles of id tags. You’ll want to include not only your dog’s name but yours along with your phone number. You can also order these at several on line pet websites.
Bowls: Your new pup will need one for water and one for food. This is probably something that you’re going to have to update as your puppy grows. The choices are endless and you can find them once again on line and in pet stores.
Bon Appetit!
Don’t forget that you are what you eat! Same goes for your new puppy. The cheaper brands may not be the right choice and you should consider some research. Try to find a food that contains high quality proteins from fish, chicken or lamb. Try to feed your new pet fatty acids for a shiny healthy coat. Talk to your veterinarian more about how much and how often to feed your puppy. It’s important that you always leave enough fresh water for your new pup but may want to withhold their intake a couple of hours before bed time when your potty training.
Sweet Dreams
Speaking of bedtime. Your new dog is going to need a comfy place to sleep. There will be lots of puppy sleeping since your new curious puppy will be playing a lot. As part of your puppy training you’ll want to show him or her their bed so that they become familiar with where they’re supposed to rest. If you decide to crate train your new puppy then the size crate you buy should also accommodate their anticipated growth. Be certain to make the crate as cozy as possible so that it’s an inviting place to be for them. You don’t want it to be viewed as a punishment.
Carriers
A pet carrier is going to be useful when transporting your new pup to the vet or for trips in the car. It’s a safe place for them to be if size permits on those visits to the vet because you don’t know who else is going to be hanging out in the waiting room. Once again you’re going to want to make it inviting and cozy. Add one of their favorite toys.
Microchip and Facial Recognition
On one of those first visits to your vet you’ll want to ask them to implant a microchip for future safety. In the event that your new puppy or even adult dog becomes lost or separated from you then a microchip will be an easy way to locate them so that there’s always a happy ending. Recently a new app called Finding Rover was started in the Bay area. The hope is that soon it will be available to all pet owners.
