Preparing your environment before bringing home a puppy is the key to having a happy, healthy and safe canine friend.
When deciding to buy a puppy, think about your lifestyle. What breed of dog are you looking for that suits your lifestyle e.g., your home environment, space, and work commitments? Do you like lots of holidays through the year? Are you a lazy person? If you are a lazy person, then a Malinois dog will not suit you! You need to know how much time that you must train and exercise your dog. Bringing a puppy into your family is a big decision in your life whatever the breed you buy. This is a lifetime commitment because they are part of your family. Make sure everyone in the family is on board in wanting to get a puppy.
Research is Important
Research where are you going to buy your puppy from. Pedigree pups should be Kennel Club registered and the breeder should be on the Kennel Club assured breeders list. Crossbreeds also have their own clubs, so you can look on their websites for approved breeders. Do not buy puppies online, from pet shops or from puppy farms.
Puppies should not leave the bitch until they are eight weeks old, but some breeders will wait till they are 12 weeks old before selling them. Always ask to see the Dam and make sure that she is nice and friendly and not nervous because temperament can be inherited.
Veterinary Matters
Your pup will need to go the veterinary centre for their vaccinations, worming, flea treatment and microchipping. Microchipping is a legal requirement. Pups can have antibodies from their mother until they are 12 weeks old. This natural immunity can prevent the puppy vaccines from working. Therefore, a lot of vets still recommend vaccinating at eight and 12 weeks of age. Some vets do not like the L4 vaccine for Leptospirosis because of reported vaccine reactions and they still use L2. Have a chat with your vet about pet insurance.
They never said winning was easy. Some people can’t handle success, I can. You see the hedges, how I got it shaped up? It’s important to shape up your hedges, it’s like getting a haircut, stay fresh. I told you all this before, when you have a swimming pool, do not use chlorine, use salt water, the healing, salt water is the healing. Look at the sunset, life is amazing, life is beautiful, life is what you make it. Egg whites, turkey sausage, wheat toast, water. Of course they don’t want us to eat our breakfast, so we are going to enjoy our breakfast.
Environment
You will need a puppy proof home to keep your puppy safe, so it is a good idea to have this ready for when your puppy arrives home. Therefore, I like playpens or crates if used correctly and not abused because they are a great training tool to have. Make the crate or playpen a positive place for your puppy by putting their bed inside and their enrichment toys, such as a stuffed Kong because this can be very calming and a brain stimulus for your puppy. Place your puppy’s crate in the quietest corner of the most used room in the house, such as a family room so that your puppy does not associate crating with feeling isolated. The crate or pen should never be used as a punishment for your puppy, only positive training should happen with the crate.
