Prepare your home and gather supplies ahead of the new arrival.
Once you have decided what you are taking on in terms of puppy or dog and what breed, there is a period of planning and shopping. You need to make sure you have everything in place before the arrival of you dog into your home so that you can focus on allowing the dog to safely find its way around and enjoying having a dog in your family. You need to make sure you have the basics:
• Food and water bowl
• Suitable food. (see food article)
• A place for sleep. A crate can be a very useful thing to buy and can help with all manner of issues. (see crate training article)
• Safe and age appropriate chew toys. If you are bringing home a puppy, try and avoid squeaky toys or remove the squeak while teaching in the early stages.
• A collar and lead.
• A tag. Name tags are a legal requirement in the UK and must include: Your name (surname is sufficient) contact telephone number and postcode. It is advisable to not include the dog’s name as this makes dog theft a much easier crime but that is a personal choice.
• Interactive learning toys.
• Training treats.
• Clicker/whistle and any other training tools you wish to use.
• Towels, blankets and dog safe detergents incase of toilet accicents.
