What Should We Do Before We Bring Home A Puppy?

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Shortly after deciding on a name for our newest Guide Dog Puppy In Training (We chose Dublin just in case you haven’t been following us on Facebook or Twitter) we thought What Should We do Before We Bring Home A Puppy?

This thought crosses our mind each time we bring home a new puppy.  Whether it’s your first or fiftieth puppy it’s a good idea to think about a few basic things before bringing home that next puppy.  Here are a few things that crossed my mind this time around:

What Should We Do Before We Bring Home A Puppy?

1. Read or Re-read Your Guide Dog  Puppy Manual – If this is your first Guide Dog puppy then reading your Guide Dog Puppy Manual is a must.  We like to re-read and review our puppy manual before bringing home a new puppy.  If you are not a Guide Dog Puppy Raiser then we recommend Puppies For Dummies.  We read Puppies For Dummies before picking up Linus and found it very helpful.
2. Get Puppy Supplies (Or replenish your supplies if it’s your second…third puppy) – A while back we wrote a list of Must Have Puppy Products.  Here’s a short recap:
   • Dog Crate – We prefer the wire crates for two reasons.  It provides more ventilation then the plastic crates.  Second, it comes with a metal divider that allows your crate to grow as your puppy does.
     
   • Nature’s Miracle Stain & Odor Remover – Inevitably there will be some accidents around the house.  Nature’s Miracle is great at removing odors.
     
   • Bitter Apple Spray – We haven’t raised a puppy yet that does not chew in his leash.  We just spray a little bitter apple on the leash and our puppies stop chewing.
     
   • Puppy Toys – This is a link to the large plush Mallard one of  our puppy’s all time favorites.  However, we recommend getting all different texture toys to give your puppy some variety including other favorites like the Kong and Nylabone.
     
3. Puppy Proof The House – We like getting down on our hands and knees to get our puppies view point.  You might notice that outlets and wires are right at puppy eye level.  Make sure to block these areas off to make your home is a safe environment for your puppy.

Puppy pickup day is an exciting one.  However, make sure you at the very least think about the three things we mention above before bringing home that shiny new puppy.

Have you guys been following us on Facebook or Twitter?  If not, check out our pages at http://www.facebook.com/PuppyInTraining and http://www.twitter.com/PuppyInTraining.  We’ve been adding short updates on our latest Guide Dog Puppy In Training, Dublin’s progress including “Status” Updates, Updated Picture Albums, and links to some of our other GDA friends.

One final thing to note: We also plan on putting together a YouTube Channel and keep a Guide Dog Puppy Training Video Journal starring Dublin.  We plan on getting our first episode posted this week so make sure to subscribe to our channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/PuppyInTraining.

Top Picks For Our Puppies

1. BEST DOG CHEW
   We Like: Beef Collagen Sticks - All of our pups love to bite, nip, and chew. We love using Collagen Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors.
2. BEST PUPPY TOY
   We Like: Calmeroos Puppy Toy w/ Heartbeat and Heat Packs - Perfect for new puppies. Helps ease anxiety in their new home.
3. BEST DOG TREATS
   We Like: Crazy Dog Train-Me Treats - We use these as our high-value treats for our guide dog puppies.
4. BEST FRESH DOG FOOD
   We Like: The Farmer's Dog - A couple months ago we started feeding Raven fresh dog food and she loves it! Get 50% off your first order of The Farmer's Dog.

Check out more of our favorites on our New Puppy Checklist.