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Do research on your dog breed choice
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Find a veterinarian
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Prep your house
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Pick the right food with the best nutrition
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Train constantly and consistently
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Stock up on dog supplies
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At home grooming
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Spend quality time together
1. Do research on your dog breed
Making the effort to investigate your preferred dog breed is a basic but often overlooked step. Before selecting your dream puppy or rescue, make sure that your lifestyle, personality, and living circumstances are compatible with the breed of your choice. This is an important phase in the pet ownership process because each breed has unique characteristics and maintenance requirements. You want to be able to properly care for your new pet and ensure that they will fit into your regular routine.
10 popular breeds based off your personality:
- Labrador Retriever – these cuties are very intelligent, compassionate, and love a new adventure. They are playful and ready to tag alongside their owners where ever they may be going.
- French Bulldog- these tiny pups are loveable and friendly animals who are well-tempered but a bit stubborn when they want to be.
- Siberian Husky- these cold weather lovers are dependable, highly active, intelligent, and can also be very stubborn ignoring your commands.
- Golden Retrievers- goldens are one of the best family-oriented dogs. They are trustworthy, charismatic, playful, and outgoing. They love being around others.
- Goldendoodles- in recent years Goldendoodles have become a very popular breed. These pups are energetic, patient, and great with children making them wonderful family pets.
- German Shepherds- agile, muscular, loyal, and confident are just a few words to describe these amazing doggos. They have a dedicated workforce mindset and are very intelligent.
- Beagles- these happy-go-lucky fur babies are cute, cheerful, affectionate, and low-maintenance. Beagles are great family dogs but they do not always make the best guard dogs.
- Corgis- these short-legged dogs are highly sociable and people oriented. They are affectionate, silly, and loyal making them a great addition to the family.
- Dalmatians- highly energetic, playful, and loyal. Dalmatians are an underrated breed when it comes to being a top watch dog.
- Chihuahuas- these tiny pups have big personalities and love attention. They tend to be outgoing, loyal, and intelligent.
2. Find a veterinarian
You want them to have the best health care possible, just like any other member of your family. Finding a local vet you like and trust is critical to ensuring that your dog is well-cared for through yearly check-ups, illness, or accidents.
One of the best pieces of advice I ever received as a new dog owner was to ask friends and family for recommendations on reputable veterinarians. Pet care is vital, so make sure your veterinarian checks all of your boxes before choosing them.
3. Prep your house
Make your puppies house a home! Dog proof everything. Make sure food, dangerous chemicals/ cleaning products, and anything glass or breakable is on a surface or stored away in an out-of-reach location. You will also want to make sure you have a clean kitchen with no crumbs laying around and a trash can that is covered to prevent messes for the first few months while training! Hiding electrical cords and buying gates to keep pups away from certain areas of your house are also key factors to keep your pup and your belongings safe.
It's also important to make sure your dog has their own designated and safe areas for their crate, bed, bowls, and toys.
4. Pick the right food with the best nutrition
Finding the best nutrition for your pups daily diet is extremely important. One of the main reasons it is important is because how we nourish our bodies is one of the leading foundations effecting our pups physical health. It is so important to make sure your dog is getting the best quality ingredients put into their bodies. In the long run quality nutrition helps maintain healthier skin, provide your pet with enough energy, and it is vital for proper growth and brain function.
If you are struggling to find a suitable pet food brand for your pup, a veterinary professional can help! Veterinarian's are trained in pet nutrition and can help recommend some of the top pet food brands that are FDA & AAFCO approved. They will ensure your furry friend is getting a well-balanced meal and that it is safe and nutritional.
Below are 4 highly trusted pet food brands:
5. Train consistently & constantly
The best time to start training your dog simple commands like stay, sit, heal, and come is the moment they come to their new home! Puppies are very absorbent around 7 to 8 weeks of age and can learn basic training cues. It is stated that your puppy’s mealtime is one of the best times of day to train because its easy to reward them for good behavior.
To keep your new puppy engaged and focused, keep training sessions short and sweet. This allows both parties to remain calm and avoid becoming overly irritated. The training procedure will differ for each individual dog. Whether you teach your dog at home or hire a third party to help, continuing to train them will only help their transition into their new home.
6. Stock up on dog supplies
Top 5 areas of dog supplies to plan for before brining home your new puppy or rescue dog:
- Safe place to sleep- Bed/ crate/play pen/ gates
https://www.thesprucepets.com/best-dog-beds-4149603
- Healthy food + treats
https://www.thedogbakery.com/blogs/news/top-dog-food-blogs-to-give-your-pet-a-healthy-and-happy-life
https://www.keepthetailwagging.com/treats-the-ultimate-guide-to-healthy-dog-treats/
- Dog tags
https://www.petsmart.com/dog/collars-harnesses-and-leashes/id-tags/
- Sturdy leash and collar
link doggy style
- Water and food bowls
link doggy style
Having these pet essentials will create a safe and welcoming environment for your pet.
7. At home grooming essentials
Bringing your pup to the groomers can become very expensive. Having these few grooming essentials can save you money in the log run. Make sure for bath time you own the right doggy shampoo and a microfiber towel. Doggy Style has a wonderful pet and owner friendly dog towel that softly wraps around your pet and will dry your pup quickly and effectively. The hand pocket feature helps owners use this drying method hassle free
As a new pet owner you will also want the proper brush for your pup’s coat, grooming wipes, nail clippers, and a tooth brush/ animal tooth paste. It’s important to keep up with your pet’s hygiene in order to make them healthy, happy, and clean.
8. Spend quality time together
Spending quality time with your pup is beneficial to the both of you! Dogs can positively impact your life in so many ways. Dogs can increase fitness, happiness, and opportunities for socialization. Hanging with your pup can also decrease blood pressure, stress levels, and feelings of loneliness.
Whether your’re going on a road trip, hiking, exercising, cuddling, going to a friend’s house, shopping, doing yard work, going into the office, watching a sports game, going out to eat, going for a car ride, getting a pup cup from Starbucks, etc (if pets are allowed) your dog will be so happy they get to join in on all of the fun!
