How to Care for a Puppy
Puppies are loads of fun, but they also require loads of work and care. So, before you spontaneously decide to spring for a new puppy (March 23rd is National Puppy Day, after all.), be sure you fully understand the kind of responsibility that having a puppy requires and you understand what you need to do to take good care of your new pet.
5 Puppy Care Tips: What You Need to Know Before Adopting
1. Veterinary Care
Schedule an appointment for your new puppy before you even go to pick them up. Your puppy needs an initial examination and should start parasite prevention and vaccinations as soon as possible once they are weaned from their mothers.
2. Training and Socialization
Now is the time to start positive reinforcement training to teach your puppy basic commands, how to walk on a leash, and potty training. Additionally, you should register your puppy in playgroups that are supervised by certified dog trainers at a local puppy training center or daycare. This will help them get socialized, exposed to lots of different things that they’ll encounter in the world, and learn how to play nicely with other dogs.
3. Spaying or Neutering
If you don’t intend to breed your puppy, then we highly recommend spaying or neutering your pet (usually before they reach sexual maturity around 12 months).
4. Proper Nutrition
Our veterinarians can help you select a healthy, well-balanced diet appropriate for your puppy and help you determine when the time is right to transition your puppy to a diet formulated for adult dogs.
5. Dental Care
Start introducing your new puppy to their toothbrush as soon as possible. Puppies don’t get their adult teeth until they’re around six months of age, but you’ll want to start developing positive associations with the toothbrush and healthy oral care habits early.
Establish Care With White Haven Veterinary Hospital, Certified Fear Free
When you adopt a new pet, one of the first things you do should be to establish care with a veterinary clinic and schedule a new pet appointment as soon as possible. White Haven Veterinary Hospital is always welcoming new puppy patients, and we’re highly experienced and fully equipped to provide our patients with comprehensive care. Additionally, we are a certified fear-free veterinary clinic, which means we take extra-special care to ensure all of our patients have calm, positive experiences at our clinic while they are in our care.
To learn more about our veterinary hospital or to schedule an appointment for your new pet, we welcome you to contact our office today.
