Preparing Your Home and Family for a New Puppy

There is truth in the saying that pets make a house a home, and there are none that make such loyal and loving companions as dogs. Here we take a look at some of the preparations you need to make if you have decided to adopt one of the many dogs for sale in Glasgow, to ensure that your new family member settles in safely and without any problems, damage or stress, for either you or the dog.

Dogs are creatures that understand rules, hierarchies, and routine. To get the best out of your dog, you will need to “think dog” – many people make the mistake of anthropomorphising their pet and assuming that it thinks like a human. But consider this – if people tend to assume that dogs think like humans, dogs will definitely assume that people think like dogs. Be ready to establish yourself as “pack leader,” and everyone will get along fine.

Preparing the home

The first step in preparing your house is to clean and tidy every part of the home that the puppy is going to occupy. Ensure anything fragile or hazardous is out of the way – floor-level pot plants are just too tempting – and use tape or trunking to secure any loose electrical cables out of the way.

Decide where your puppy is going to sleep – it is important to provide him with a “safe” place of his own, and many people find that a dog crate provides just that. It also gives you the opportunity to close the door, if you need to confine the puppy to quarters for any reason. Make an effort to ensure the crate is a positive place where the puppy wants to be, rather than a “prison” and always check there is a good supply of drink, toys and comfortable bedding inside.

Preparing the family

Establish some ground rules and get them agreed and understood by the whole family as to what is allowed and what is not. For example, is the dog going to be allowed on furniture or upstairs? Is jumping up adorable behaviour or the height of bad manners?

Also, agree on a vocabulary that will be used with the puppy. If everyone uses the same word to mean the same thing, for example, “Bed!” “Sit!” “Down!” and so on, then the dog will soon learn what is expected and not become confused.

Preparing the puppy

Entering its new home will be the most dramatic and disorienting event in your puppy’s short life, so make the transition as easy as possible. If you have children, encourage them to give the puppy some space to sniff around and explore his new surroundings in his own way.

With all the excitement, the very first thing on the agenda will be to get the house training off on the right foot, so first stop should be the back garden to take care of business.

Also, remember to ask what your puppy has been fed and at what times, and follow the same regime, at least for the first few days, to minimise the number of changes he has to deal with at any one time.