June 20, 2018
Caring For A New Puppy – How, What And Why?
Caring For A New Puppy – How, What And Why?
Everyone knows that taking care of a puppy is a tremendous responsibility, to say the least. Feeding, playing, walking, babysitting… the list goes on and on. But regardless of the downsides, puppies bring us all a great deal of joyful moments. Taking proper care of your puppy means prolonging its lifespan, helping it grow and thrive, and ensuring more heartwarming moments spent with your canine pal.
Caring for a new dog can be tricky even for experienced pet parents. Today I want to focus on the irreplaceable essentials every puppy needs, on proper nourishment and on some aspects of dog health care.
So, what do you need for a new puppy, why do you need it, and what can you use to gain an advantage?
- Furniture
Let’s start with the basics – dog furniture. Just like a human baby needs tons of baby furniture (crib, stroller, feeding bottles, toys and so forth) puppies need similar things too. Surely most of you will just want to bring your doggie into bed with you (I know that cuteness factor is irresistible), but dogs need their own stuff and their own space.
Why? As playful as puppies are, they need some time to adjust to their new home. Moreover, even if they instantly take to their owners, they still need their very own area – a quiet, comfortable and entertaining part of your house or apartment. Here’s what you need to get prior to the puppy’s arrival:
- Dog bed – comfy and warm
- Bowls for food and water – sturdy and preferably not plastic or at least made out of FDA-approved plastic
- Puppy toys – interactive ones – not just a ball or a stuffed animal
- Collar or harness (depending on the breed), ID tag, leash
- Training mats – if you want to speed up the toilet-training process
- Pet camera – this one is optional, but it’s a good choice if you’re going to be leaving the puppy home alone over long periods of time
Dog clothes are optional too (depending on the season and your residence), but the rest of the afore-mentioned items are crucial for your new puppy.
- Food
You can’t feed a newborn puppy with milk forever. Dogs need special dog food, not just table scraps or the cheap foods from your corner pet store.
Puppies have different nutritional requirements than their adult or senior canine counterparts.
They must be fed with specialized dog food for puppies throughout their first year. Moreover, they need to eat puppy food that’s suitable for their breed, as well as for any possible health complications they might have.
On top of that, they need to be fed with high-quality puppy food. I’m not talking about the cheap kibble or paste-like canned food. Puppies require proteins from real meat and a healthy amount of fiber from vegetables. They also need various minerals and vitamins to help them grow into the healthy pets we all crave for. Unfortunately, the cheap food options are usually packed with harmful fillers instead of nutritious ingredients, so choose your puppy food wisely.
- Healthcare
One of the most fundamental aspects of owning a puppy is paying close attention to healthcare. There’s much more to it than just doing an annual check-up at the vet’s office.
Puppies require vaccinations, an immune system boost (whether from the food or from additional supplements) and special care for their physical health. This means you’ll need to be looking out for any lung problems (especially if you’re smoking around the puppy or if it’s showing signs of seasonal allergies), joint problems (even newborns can have those), internal and external parasites, as well as any injuries that might occur from other external factors.
Due to their playfulness and carelessness puppies can easily hurt themselves during a play session or when they’re left unattended. What’s more, they can’t really tell you if they’re in pain, unlike a human being can. Neglecting any signs of pain, lethargy, skin problems, indigestion or behavioral changes will increase your healthcare expenses in the future and harm your pet.
Some companies offer pet insurance on variable plans and affordable rates. If you want to provide better healthcare for your puppy, and peace of mind for yourself, I recommend you check out some pet insurance options.
Puppy care might sound like a lot of work, especially if you hadn’t thought about all of the things I mentioned above, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting a pup. Dogs teach us not only how to carry out our responsibilities, but also how to love, laugh and cherish even the smallest things in life.
Take proper care of your canine pal and you’ll have a trustworthy companion who will be loyal to you for the rest of its lifetime.