It will take a while to housetrain your new puppy. But doesn’t it feel great to take him home finally? Now is the time to establish a good routine and healthy habits for him as you start your lifetime relationship with your canine friend.
The first thing you and your puppy have to go together is a good vet for a checkup. Check for any congenital disabilities or any congenital health issues. At the same time, he can have a record, or you can consider microchipping him in case you get separated in the future.
In his first vet visit, ask the vet about the best puppy food and the routine and portion for your pup. Set up the vaccination schedules, de-worming, and spaying or neutering your dog.
Shop for quality good food. Your puppy grows fast, almost five times faster than a human infant daily. He must check his nutrition to ensure his diet sustains his growth rate. At 6-12 weeks, he should be fed at least four meals daily at 3-6 months, at three, and two meals daily for 6-12 months.
Do his toilet training as soon as he arrives home. It starts by taking him to the designated toilet before he comes home, even before he meets the family. Please give him a reward and praise as soon as he finishes his business. First, take him to his toilet break every 15-20 minutes, every after meal, upon waking up, and before sleeping. Do take down notes and establish his routine.
Common sense should dictate that you take him to the vet for any sign of illness. This can be as simple as a lack of appetite, limited weight gain, vomiting, diarrhea, breathing difficulty, grey eyes, eye or nose discharge, or inability to eliminate.
Do obedience training and teach him good manners. At this stage, your puppy is most receptive to everything you teach him, so this is the best time to teach him how to obey. Teach him basic commands and rules, like no jumping on people and no teething on people.
The basic commands are fundamental not only as tricks but also as the basic things he must know for his safety, Instilling positivity. Be generous with rewards and praises. Give him every time he does something right and behaves well.
Teach him to be sociable. Once he has started with his vaccinations and upon approval of his vet, take him for walks outside where there are many people and expose him to other animals.
Let him out and sniff the air and everything outside to maximize his sense of smell. Learning to be pleasant and friendly and knowing what happens in the world around him will prepare him for whatever he encounters in life and prevent aggression, anxiety, and behavioral problems in the future.
