By Tami Foster, owner of Poos4U, LLC

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The products listed above are provided for your convenience and are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any conditions. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The linked items are products we use at Poos4u, LLC, and are linked to Amazon for your convenience.

Puppy Proofing Your Home

Make sure all cords are off the floor (zip ties and cord protectors are helpful for cord management).

Trash bins…your puppy or dog can knock over kitchen trash cans and small waste baskets in bathrooms or other locations. Make sure they cannot get to them or harm themselves with the plastic bags in your waste baskets by suffocation or ingesting plastic liners.

Put away shoes and small objects they can ingest. Put shoes in closets, dirty clothes in hampers, and close the doors of areas where you want to keep the new puppy out.

Setting up a Puppy Safe Zone

Baby gates, playpens, or movable fencing will give you flexibility when sectioning off areas for your puppy to be in designated safe zones. Remember NO COLLARS, CRATES, or CAGES. Cages isolate your puppy and create a non-social and scarred adult dog. You can use a travel kennel but take the door off so your dog can freely go in and out. Yes, take the door off. They can get their paws caught in the door while you are away. If you zone your puppy to a specific area make sure you are consistent with that zone and provide them with water, food, a bed, a pee pad, and toys. Also, when leaving your puppy alone have calming music on for them or the television on a calm channel like HGTV, Hallmark, Magnolia Network, etc. You don’t want shoot-em-up, fireworks, or fighting playing in the background to really excite your puppy. Set up a baby monitor to watch them. They run around $30.00 on Amazon and can be on your phone to monitor them. Have a backup person if emergencies come up and you need someone to step in and look after your puppy.

Will your puppy sleep in the bed or hang out on the sofa with you?

If your new puppy will be sleeping on the bed, sofa, chair, or other tall furniture provide a soft-landing spot (cushion or plush rug) or pet Stairs. Puppies can get seriously injured if they jump from furniture onto hard floors or hit their head on furniture like end tables or nightstands.

Doggie Doors and Potty Training

Pee pads are necessary since your puppy has a small bladder and can’t hold it for very long. They also have a short attention span so you may want to put pee pads in multiple areas in the house. The bathroom is a great spot for a pee pad since a dog’s sense of smell is so great, they are drawn to the bathroom to pee. A pee pad holder helps prevent leaks and keeps them from dragging their pee pad all over the house…Yes, everything to them at this point of learning is a toy!

Take your puppy outside first thing in the morning, last thing before bed, after each meal, and anytime you return home from being gone.  This will help create a routine and provide an easy-to-remember schedule for potty training and help avoid excited peeing. Even if you have a doggie door, you will need to go outside and hang out with them until solid toilet training is achieved. They are still learning. You are the alpha and they will follow your lead.

Taking Walks and Traveling – NO COLLARS, CRATES, OR CAGES

Use a harness instead of a collar. Collars can damage the trachea, leading to thyroid issues, and can get caught on many things and strangle them. Harnesses for walking and traveling are a better option. Just remember to remove the harness once inside. If you need a collar temporarily, use a Cat Safety Collar that will break away if caught on something. Most harnesses will have a ring to attach to a car seat belt holder for travel. Some puppy parents prefer a car seat that sits up so their dog can see out while others prefer an enclosed carrier. Use what works best for the safety of both you and your pet.

Food, Treats, and Supplements

Use a stainless steel or glass water bowl, a dry food dish, and a separate dish for wet food. DO NOT give your dog rawhide chews or Greenies brand treats they can get caught in your puppy’s throat and can cause stomach issues because they do not break down and digest fully.

Wet and dry food brands that we recommend:

4 Health wet and dry food (Tractor Supply), Pure Balance wet and dry food (Walmart), Blue Buffalo wet and dry food (available at most grocery stores), Wag wet and dry food (Amazon). True Instinct wet food is also good. Do not feed True Instinct dry food. There are plenty of other dry and wet foods that are good such as Nature’s Recipe, Nutro Grain-Free, and Taste of the Wild with Ancient Grains. Make sure to read the labels. You want to avoid wheat, corn, and soy. Also, look for “no by-products” on the label. Your dog can have rice, barley, and oats in limited amounts.

A note about wet food flavors/varieties: look for little bites and small breed options while your puppy is little. Also, choose pate over chunks in wet food. The pieces in chunked wet food are too large for little puppies. Industry-standard labels for pate-style food will say Pate, Recipe, or Formula. Industry-standard labels for chunk-style wet food will say Stew or In Gravy. If you get some by accident just be sure to mash it up with a fork before feeding.

Cooking for Your Puppy

If you choose to cook for your puppy, make sure that your recipe is 70% meat, 30% carbohydrates, and veggies. Dogs can have as little as 5% carbs. Toy breeds have a higher metabolism so a few more carbs are fine. Do not exceed 20% in carbs. If you have a slow cooker or Instant Pot you can cook for the week with this recipe: 4lb chicken thighs, 2.5 cups rice, barley or oats, and 3 cups of mixed fresh or frozen veggies (like greens and shredded carrots). If using a prepared vegetable mix, avoid mixes that include corn, onion, bell pepper, or avocado. Most fruits are ok in moderation but NO GRAPES or RAISINS. When using fresh vegetables make sure to puree or finely chop your veggies to avoid choking hazards.  For a quick homemade meal, scramble an egg or two and mix in a half can of chicken, tuna, or salmon. You can add a dollop of yogurt or oatmeal if you like. If you decide to cook for your puppy on a regular basis make sure to include Omega-3s and calcium. This can be done by stirring in canned fish like tuna, mackerel, or salmon. 

Treats

You can use separate dry food like Rachel Ray Dish as a training treat. Most of her foods are too high in carbs for regular feeding but make great toss treats. Amazon has individually wrapped Yummy Combs treats (small), and Chewmeter brand knotted Himalayan cheese bones. For teething/teeth we recommend N-Bone brand Bone-a-mints and puppy teething rings. Treats do not have to be store-bought. Scrambled egg, bites of cheese, blueberry or banana, or a dab of peanut butter are treats too. Sharing treats with your puppy is a great way to bond.  Don’t forget praise is a treat also.

Miscellaneous Considerations

Some puppy parents set up a playpen just for temporary times, such as a family get-together, so their puppy is part of things but doesn’t get stepped on or just picked up and dropped by unauthorized hands. A playpen can also help at night if your puppy is too small to sleep in the bed or the bed is too high or you don’t want to step on them in the night. There are long narrow playpens/bassinets that will fit beside the bed for sleeping time.  Again, make sure your puppy has a toy, food, water, and pee pad accessible in the playpen.

Most of all, spend as much time with your new puppy as you can to create a life-long bond.

The products listed above are provided for your convenience and are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any conditions. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The listed items are products that we use at Poos4u, LLC, and are linked to Amazon for your convenience.

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