Congratulations on your new puppy! Wildwood Doodles is honored to be a part of your journey into adding a new member into your family. This first week will begin the bonding process with your new furry friend. Though, it may be a stressful adjustment for your puppy. Here are some ways to create a smooth transition for you and your pup.
PUPPY PROOF YOUR HOME
Before you bring your new puppy home, it is a good idea to puppy proof your house. Puppies will bite/chew on anything they can find, so moving potentially dangerous things they can swallow to a different area is important. You may want to put up a barrier/gate to keep your puppy in one main area, this ensures that they can be safe and comfortable in their surroundings. This also blocks them off to other parts of the house, so you can keep an eye on them easier.
PET STORE RUN
Ah, the pet store- all your puppy essentials in one spot. You will need many things to meet all the needs of your new puppy including: a crate or bed, puppy food, training puppy treats, water/food dishes, toys, collar, leash, etc. Being prepared for this ahead of time is ideal. When you are buying toys for your pup, make sure they are for puppies. There are specific chews and toys that are made for teething puppies, relieving the discomfort they have in their gums. If you are crate training, a puppy Kong and squirtable peanut butter (yes, there is such a thing) is a great way to keep your puppy occupied in the crate.
POTTY TRAINING
Our breeder’s have worked hard to prepare our puppies to be 90% potty trained. This means that the puppies know to go to a different area to go potty. They have even learned how to use a doggy door for this purpose. We like to say 90% potty trained, because you as the new owner of your puppy will need to train them where to go potty at your house. But, we are happy to give you a head start in the infamous potty training process.
Here are some tips on potty training. If you have the time, the ideal way to potty train is to skip the potty pads and take your dog outside to go every time. Some people set timers for every 30 minutes and take them out. You can also just watch for your puppy sniffing the ground and take them right away before they go in the house! Once outside, continue to say your keywords (go potty) until they go- if they have to. If they do go, praise them by saying “good potty” or “yay potty” and reward them with a treat right away. Repeating this process will get your puppy trained in no time.
ROUTINES
Your puppy will thrive off a routine- they are creatures of habit. In the first week, create a food routine by feeding them in the same place around the same time. If you are crate training your pup, feeding in the crate is a great way to encourage positive relations to the crate. Take your puppy out to establish one area to go potty, helping with the training. Try to establish a consistent bedtime.
INTRODUCTIONS
Your puppy is exploring the world with you, everything is new. Creating safe introductions to people and things they will encounter in everyday life is imperative in the puppy stage. When a new person comes into your house, help your puppy associate positive behavior with this exciting event. It may be cute to have your puppy jump up on your guest and lick their face, but remember that the habits they build as a puppy will carry through to when they are a bigger adult dog. Having a bigger dog jump up on you and try to lick your face is not as cute…
Remember that all loud, big things can be new and scary to a puppy, from the garbage disposal to the vacuum. Whenever you see your puppy is scared of something that is new, get down to your puppy’s level and reassure them. Take some treats and introduce the new item slowly. For example, take the vacuum out without turning it on, let your puppy sniff it. Plug it in and turn it on without moving it. Give your puppy some treats and wait until they are comfortable. Slowly move the vacuum, reassuring them the whole time. Doing this a couple times will help your dog see that this is a common item and not a threat. This will reduce the chances for your dog to bark at the machine. Repeat this process whenever you see that your puppy is intimidated by a new thing. It is much easier to do this as a puppy than an adult dog- try to introduce them to as many things as possible!
Once your puppy has all their vaccinations (parvo shots) and they are clear to encounter other dogs, be sure to do this intentionally. Get together with trusted calmer dogs to start as your puppy grows in confidence. Give lots of reassurance to help your puppy feel comfortable. Research best ways to socialize your puppy for additional advice.
PLAN A VET VISIT
Search your town for a good veterinarian. Your vet will do a puppy exam to ensure that your puppy is in good health. Your puppy has already started their vaccination process at our breeders, so take the paperwork that you received when picking up your puppy. The vet will know exactly what they need.
Your little one has already been microchipped. However, until the microchip has been registered with your information, it cannot be tracked to you in the event of your puppy getting lost. Don't delay this process as many do, and dogs end up in shelters and then euthanized if not adopted.
Registering your puppy’s microchip ensures you will be contacted if they are lost. The microchip can be enrolled online at AKC Reunite.
BEWARE OF PARVO!
Parvo is much more serious than people realize. You may have not even heard of it! Canine parvovirus, parvo for short, is a virus that can be transmitted from unvaccinated dogs to your puppy by an infected dog's contact or vomit/feces. It is easily carried from other surfaces as well (hands, food dishes, bedding, shoes). The problem is that it can stay on surfaces for long periods of time, so you never know when you are out in public where it could be. That is why it is HIGHLY recommended to keep your dog home or with trusted vaccinated dogs in a safe area before they have all their shots.
“Parvovirus is a very successful virus—it is highly contagious and tough to kill, making it difficult to eradicate from the environment. Parvo rapidly kills its host by attacking the gastrointestinal tract of puppies and dogs. Canine parvovirus infection causes severe dehydration, and bloody vomiting and diarrhea… Dogs infected with parvo often die from secondary pneumonia or other bacterial infections…The typical puppy series is three shots, given at 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks. Even if your breeder has vaccinated your puppy before you brought him home, it is still necessary to get the series completed. Until your puppy has received a complete series of puppy boosters, he or she should be kept away from dogs with unknown vaccine histories, as well as dogs parks, groomers and pet stores” (be.chewy.com).
We know that you will care and love for your new puppy well. We are here to support you, if you have any questions please feel free to reach out. We would love to stay in contact and see how your puppy is growing! The best way to do this is tagging @wildwood.doodles on instagram with videos and pictures of your precious new addition to your family.
Read the rest of the article about Parvo here: