Time to take in a puppy, especially over the holiday season! In fact, a great many people take a new furry four-legged friend into their homes at Christmas, because we generally have more time to spend with him over the holiday period. Nevertheless, puppies can be a handful, as we all know, and that’s why it’s best to find out what your puppy needs.
The euphoria we feel when we have a new, adorable little friend to take care of is truly indescribable. However, it has to be said that the first few weeks, or even months, with a puppy in the house is a critical time. This is true at least until our little friend has learned to do his business in the right place, bite the right things and overcome the separation anxiety he feels every time he’s left alone. To help us in our task of educating our pup, there are a few objects that are really essential.
Especially if your puppy arrives during the winter months, he needs a few objects that will allow us to “tame” his exuberance and take care of him. First of all, it is fundamental to get two bowls, one for water and one for food. Considering that water, unlike food, must always be at hand for your little friend, we suggest you get a larger bowl for water compared to that for food.
Secondly, it is important that your puppy learns to have certain limits about where he’s allowed to go and, at the same time, recognizes a few places as “his own”. This is especially true inside the house, where the best place for him to feel comfortable and peaceful is undoubtedly his dog house.
There are a large number of indoor dog houses, from those resembling a camp bed to fully padded ones made of fabric, as well as those with a removable covering and bed, like Kuna in the photo…In short, there is one for all tastes and all budgets. The important thing is to choose the one you like the most and that best matches your furniture, possibly in a size that can still be used when your puppy has grown up, unless you want to change it later on.
Essential for educating your puppy, is the classic puppy pen, like Dog Training. In fact, the pen is important for teaching your puppy to stay in a specific space, thus preventing him from soiling and damaging the whole house, especially when we are forced to leave him alone.
Of course, it’s important that he does not perceive the pen as a prison, otherwise the pup will cry until he exhausts himself, as soon as we leave him on his own. To get your puppy accustomed to using the pen, we can leave it open while we are home, placing the bowls inside it, so that he will consider it a nice place, as that’s where he will find his food. Puppies also like playing games and we can teach him that his pen is the right place for him to use his little teeth as they grow.
Moreover, inside the pen, there should also be a soft bed, that he can associated with a place for resting. Puppies tend to be big biters. Therefore, it is advisable not to use a dog house or bed that can be ruined inside the pen, as your puppy may not learn right away not to bite it: the most suitable thing is a cushion made of engineered fabric like Jolly, in the photo, which is bite-proof and scratch-resistant, as well as waterproof and, therefore, also puppy-proof. Lastly, the rest of the floor can be protected with special absorbent cloths and you’re set to go.
So, all we need is a few products to make our home ready to welcome our puppy…all that remains is to enjoy his company!
Special thanks go to the Von Casa Falco in Quinto Vicentino breeding-boarding kennel, for the photos.