Tips on Preparing Your Home For a New Rescue Puppy
Adopting a rescue puppy can be a fun and rewarding experience. The Perfect Pup works with a lot of Connecticut dog rescues that have puppies up for adoption. Spring is a great time to adopt a puppy and we are expecting to see a high number of new puppies and their families at our classes this year. With that, we wanted to offer some tips on preparing your home for a rescue puppy.
Set up the area for your puppy before they come home with you.
You should always set up an area where your new puppy can feel safe and be safe. Puppies have a tendency to get into trouble so be sure to puppy proof the area that you prepare for them. The area should have a bed, food and water bowls, and toys. If you plan on crate training your rescue puppy, make sure the crate is ready as well. If your puppy came from a foster home, you can ask if you can bring the puppy’s favorite toy or blanket home with them, so they feel more comfortable.
What items do I need for my rescue puppy?
Having a few basic dog supplies on hand for their homecoming always helps. This also allows you to be able to stay home with them as opposed to making an emergency last-minute run to the store. Here is a list of items you should have for your rescue puppy.
- Bed
- Crate
- Food and Water Bowls
- Food
- Safe Toys
- Leash and Collar
As your puppy becomes more familiar with your home, you can get them more toys and figure out what treats they like the most.
Transition your rescue puppy to its new food slowly.
Always find out what your puppy was eating at the shelter or foster home. Buy enough for a three week supply and if you are planning on changing the diet, wait at least a week before transitioning. The new food change over should be extended over a week or so as puppies have very sensitive stomachs. The stress of moving into a new home as well as the change in diet can cause the puppy to have an upset stomach and diarrhea.
Take time to bond with your new puppy.
You should the first few days bonding with your new puppy but should give them some space as well. If they want to spend more time in the crate than interacting with you, it is okay to let them do so. However, when you do interact with your new puppy, you should do it with their favorite treats and use a calm and soft voice.
Start training your rescue puppy as soon as you can.
House training should be a top priority so that your puppy knows not to soil their new home. Expect a few accidents over the first weeks but using a crate can make house training easier. Other training such as basic commands and leash walking should be started too. Our most popular class is our Perfect Puppy series, which teaches these basic commands and then moves onto more advanced ones. When training your rescue pup, always remember to keep it positive.