5 Things You Need to Remember When Getting a New Puppy

Dave Wheaton

Our family just welcomed in a new member. Her name is Penny, and she's currently fits in the palm of my hand. We already have 2 other dogs, so my wife and I figured adding a third would be no big deal. We've raised dogs from puppies before, so this would be a piece of cake, right? It seems there are a few things we've forgotten about having a new puppy in the house, so I'm here to share what we are re-learning in my household.

Dave Wheaton

Puppies Will Whine All Night

Prepare to be kept awake

It's been nearly a decade since we have welcomed a new puppy home. Somehow, the memory of the cuteness of a new puppy makes us forget that there is an adjustment period when you bring them home. While a puppy is being introduced to its new home, it will get nervous, scared and lonely at night. And they will let you know. You have 2 choices: 1) Try to ignore it and hopefully the whining will go away after a few nights; or 2) Put the puppy in a safe room that is far, far, far, far, far away from where you sleep. Some people will let a puppy sleep with them until they quit whining, but I can't bring myself to consider this an option.

Dave Wheaton

There is No Easy Way to Potty Train a Puppy

Accidents will happen, no matter what. Accept it.

If you just had new carpet installed, a new puppy will break it in. You can pay incredible attention to your puppy, take it outside in 5 minute intervals, or cover the floor in newspaper. It doesn't matter. Your new puppy will have an accident, and you will have to clean it up. Sure, you can minimize the damage, but you cannot totally keep “It” from happening.

Brenda Wheaton

New Puppies Can Make Old Dogs And Children Act Very Weird

Be sure you choose a puppy that will fit with your family

When introducing a puppy into a house with children and other dogs, the puppy's behavior is the least of your worries. Small children have no concept of what hurts puppies. So they will likely think dragging puppy across the carpet, pulling its ears off, squeezing its eyes out or just plain trying to eat a puppy is funny. Beware. Any other dogs in the house may protest the arrival of the new pup, carrying on, staring at you as if to say “Is this some kind of joke?”. I have learned not to force this friendship. It may be funny to watch them fight for a while, but I can't help but believe there could be permanent psychological damage to one or both dogs if you keep trying to make 2 dogs hug all the time. Eventually, the older dog will learn that this is not a joke, and it will have to share attention with the newer model.

Dave Wheaton

Young Puppies Don't Have Teeth

Hard, adult dog food just doesn't work

Our puppy came home with us at 7 weeks. She had no front teeth, and we didn't have the correct puppy food right away, so we soaked a small plate of dog food in water to soften it, and gave that to her. Given the option, this strikes me as a much better temporary solution over feeding her human food or starvation.

Dave Wheaton

Puppies Get Worms

Treating worms is easy. Finding worms, not so fun.

The odds of a puppy having worms is pretty good, from what I understand. They are often identified as white specks in their backyard droppings. The good news is, worms are easy to treat, and you can get medicine at most pet or feed stores. Most treatments are powders that can mix with food, and I was told that it tastes good to the puppy (I'm going to take their word for it). A few days of treatments, and the worms should be gone within a couple weeks. You just have to keep checking the puppy's mess to be sure the worms are gone. And don't hesitate to take your puppy to a vet if anything seems out of the ordinary. Other puppy illnesses, like parvo, need professional attention as soon as possible.

Bringing a new puppy home is exciting and fun. My family has enjoyed having Penny around, but puppies require a lot of attention and training so they grow up happy, healthy, and obedient. Be sure you pick a dog that has a personality that matches well with your family dynamic. If you're looking for help finding the right puppy, there are great places in Abilene that will steer you in the right direction, like Rescue The Animals, SPCA on South 1st.

Did I miss anything? What would you want to remind people of before they bring a new puppy home?

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