BEFORE PUPPY COMES HOME

One of the most important things you can do for your own peace of mind and to protect your puppy is "puppy proof" your home before you bring home your new puppy or older dog.  This is basically the same as "baby proofing."  Make sure electrical cords, plants, poisonous substances are all out of reach.  Keep valuable or antique furniture out of harm's way and restrict your puppy's living area.  The same advice goes for carpet and draperies.  Use baby gates or gates specifically made for pets to confine your new puppy to safe areas until he is through teething and housebroken.  You can buy chew repellents for cabinets you can't move.  Providing a few chew toys or bones may help also.

Outside, make sure gates are closed and secure and all fences are without escape holes.  Check for missing or loose boards or bent wire.  If there are areas where the puppy should not go, you may wish to invest in an exercise pen for putting your puppy outside.  You may also wish to invest in a small fence to put inside your full yard fence.  This way the puppy is not deprived but restricted from flower beds or other forbidden areas.  If you have a swimming pool you must exercise the same caution you would with a small child.  Either one of the previous mentioned restraining methods mentioned would probably serve to keep the puppy away from the pool.  (Yes, dogs can swim but they often can’t get out of a pool by themselves and they subsequently drown.)

In some areas you might want to consider installing security lights and/or security systems to help protect you and your pet from theft or from nocturnal creatures in the air and on the ground.

 Before the puppy comes home it is also a good idea to have your home and yard sprayed by a professional exterminator to make sure there are no fleas and/or ticks.  You will find it is much easier to prevent fleas and ticks then it is to get rid of them!

Some older homes and furniture may have lead paint or use lead compounds in plumbing.  In some areas of the country, lead is also in high concentrations in the soil.  Lead is especially toxic to growing children and pets.  Water filters or bottled water can help with the drinking water.  You will have to investigate whether or not old paint is safe.  Door jams, window sills and cupboards might pose the most risk to young teething/chewing puppies.

You may want to buy "wee wee pads" or stock pile some newspapers.  If you work or just like convenience, you may want to invest in a doggie door.  This will make training your pet much easier.  You could have one installed in an existing door, wall or even into the glass patio doors before your new puppy arrives.  Again, you might want to restrict the area accessed by the door to just the patio or a small portion of the outside yard.  You could open up an exercise pen or two and fasten them together.  Then fasten the two ends onto your outside walls.  You could also build or buy more permanent enclosures to secure your pet's potty yard.

Call your vet and make an appointment for a "new puppy exam".    Find a vet familiar with your breed, a related breed or at least small breeds in general.         Remember, many serious health problems may not manifest themselves before a dog is one to five years of age.  Unless your vet is very familiar with your breed and you have done your homework in directing him to look for specific breed problems, many future problems may still go undetected.  Your vet can check for parasites and obvious defects and overall health.

A groomer is as important to puppies health as a vet, and someone puppy will see more frequently than the vet.    Set up an appointment to visit and let them meet the puppy as soon as they are able to  get acquainted and then stick to a regular schedule for their grooms.  To neglect a groom can cause serious problems and can lead to a shaved down pet.