Bringing Home Your New Puppy

There are several things you should do to prepare to bring your puppy home, for instance in our last article we spoke about puppy proofing the home. In this article we will concentrate on the things you should do for your puppy's ride home in the car. Puppies and dogs are sensitive creatures, often times they shy away from new things when it involves something they have never seen before like a car. Older dogs or those who have been in a shelter are probably more used to riding in cars than a puppy you are adopting from a breeder; however some of the same rules should apply to bring home your new puppy.

Cars can be daunting for a new puppy for a lot of reasons. First they have never ridden in a car and the movement can be surprising and a little upsetting to their tummies. So you need to make the car ride home for you puppy easier to handle. This is actually the first step in care you will need to have for owning a dog. You need to realize that when you bring a puppy home especially from a breeder, they are going to be leaving their mom and food source. There will be new smells around them to explore, but they will no longer have a mom or brothers and sisters. This can be a lonely time for your puppy and make that car ride a little scarier.

When taking your puppy home you should inquire of the breeder when the dog usually takes a nap. If you take the puppy home when they are usually napping they will be more relaxed. In other words they will be a little drowsy and they may even sleep all the way home. This of course is not guaranteed as the car ride could just waken them up; however it is better to try for during their nap for better results.

There are other things to look out for on the car ride home. Nervousness can lead to issues with the bowels. Without meaning to the puppy may have a little accident in the car. It is better to have some old towels that you don't mind getting soiled in the back seat of the car. You will also want to have a kennel in the car. If they are inside the kennel they will have less chance to explore and ruin the upholstery if there is an accident. Sometimes the puppy will howl, be sick, or have diarrhoea due to the car ride.

Other supplies you need on the drive home include water, plastic bags, a puppy toy that they will enjoy and be comforted by, and the collar. When you pick up the puppy you need to immediately make sure he or she has all of your contact information so don't leave the collar at home. You will also want to try a few other things especially if you feel the dog is going to have a hard time on the drive home. You can bring an old blanket along with you to help wrap the puppy up in the blanket and hold him. This is soothing and if you have another person driving it is one of the best ways to travel. The puppy will feel warm, and safe in your arms and be able to see out. This can calm the dog's howls and make him or her bond with you a little better. While a crate or kennel is safe for travel just in case of an accident, it is okay as long as you are not the one driving, while trying to hold the puppy.