Congratulations on your decision to expand your family! It always takes a lot of soul searching – who will be responsible for cleaning up after the new puppy? What about walking duty and keeping track of training, discipline, and habit forming? These are all big jobs, for humans – and even more so for a brand new puppy.
How can you prepare your home so the transition into family life can be as smooth and stress-free as possible for your new pet? We have put together some tips on how to make your puppy feel like they’re a part of the family from day one.
Choosing a Breed
If you have decided to expand your family by adding a canine companion to your household, it is important to consider your lifestyle and what breed suits you best. While it is important to remember that dogs are individuals, it is also important to consider that many different breeds were created for a specific purpose, not all of which may be compatible with your home.
Preparing Your Home for Your New Best Friend
It is very important to ensure that your dog has a comfortable place to sleep and escape to if they are feeling overwhelmed and a place to relieve themselves. It is important that your puppy has a specific area of the house that they call “their own”. This space can be a crate or simply a defined space in your home where your dog is free to be itself. It should be a place where your dog can relax and unwind.
Ideally, this space should be in an area of the house that is close to your normal routine and near a door that leads outside to the yard. We recommend that this space remain consistent throughout the life of your pet. The space should also be large enough for your pet to move around freely and stretch out if it needs to.
Games, Games, Games!
Just like humans, dogs love to play! By encouraging your new pet to play games with you, you can help them learn to trust you and bond with you. It is important to find games that you can both enjoy. There are many games available for dogs; however, it is important to choose games that are also fun for you! You can even engage your pet in games you played as a child, like fetch or tug-of-war! Games are an excellent way for you and your pet to build a relationship together.
Respect Your Pets Space!
Before you bring the new puppy home, it is important to make sure everyone in the house understands the importance of respecting the pet’s space. It is also important to make sure that everyone knows how to greet a dog in a positive way so they can avoid startling them.
The best way to greet your pet is to approach them in a calm manner. Try not to make any sudden movements or loud noises as this may startle them. You should also avoid making eye contact with them as this may lead the dog to view you as a potential threat. Instead, always look at the dog’s shoulder or chest area.
When it comes time to pet the dog, you can rub their back or chest area and avoid petting their head if they seem uncomfortable with this. If they show signs of agitation, stop immediately and allow them to come to you. These best practices will help everyone in your household get off on the right foot with your new family member!
Bring on the Love!
One of the best ways you can prepare your new puppy for family life is by showing them all the love in the world from the very beginning. By showering them with plenty of attention and affection, you can help them feel comfortable and connected in their new home environment. Whether it be through petting, playing or walking, you can also help your new pup settle into their surroundings by giving them plenty of exposure to other people and other friendly animals.
Doing so will help them feel more at ease around others when they meet new dogs and people after they arrive home with you! Remember that when the dog grows, and you treat it well, it will try to protect you! If that’s something that you would like your dog to do, you can check out offers of Cane Corso puppies for sale.
By giving them lots of love and attention, you will be able to build up a bond with your puppy that will help them feel more comfortable throughout their life. Once they begin feeling more comfortable, they will want to explore their environment more and will quickly learn that there is no reason to fear anything in this new home! However, if they get stressed pretty quickly, you might consider, e.g, giving them CBD pet treats to ease their anxiety.
Positive Behaviour Training and Correction
It is important that when training your dog that you do so in a calm way that will help them learn from their mistakes and make better decisions in the future. When trying to teach your puppy how to sit, make sure that if they do something wrong, you immediately correct them so they may learn what is right and wrong. Do not let them remain in the wrong position. It is much easier to start training your dog right off the start before they have internalized bad behaviors. By getting them accustomed to doing things the right way right from the start, your job will be much easier.
Conclusion
Before you decide to get a puppy, you should be absolutely sure that you can dedicate enough time to take proper care of it. After it, puppies have plenty of needs, and you will be their primary caregiver.
However, if you think that you’ll be able to provide it with enough warmth and attention, it will give you back the same! We hope that after reading this article, you understand how to make sure that a puppy feels comfortable right from the beginning.
