Bringing a new dog into your life is an exciting time. To ensure your furry friend has everything they need, focus on essential items like nutritious food, a comfortable bed, and plenty of toys. Also, remember practical items such as leashes, collars, and grooming supplies to keep your dog happy and healthy.
What are the Essential Supplies for a New Dog?
When preparing for a new dog, it’s important to have the right supplies on hand. These can be grouped into several categories:
- Food and Water: High-quality dog food, food and water bowls[1]
- Comfort: A comfortable bed, blankets
- Leashes and Collars: A leash, a collar with ID tags
- Grooming: Nail clippers, a brush, dog shampoo
- Toys: Chew toys, balls
- Other: Training treats, poop bags
What Kind of Bed Should I Get for My Dog?
A warm, quiet place for them to rest is essential for normal growth. When they are not stimulated to activity, dogs spend a great deal of their time sleeping.[1]
What Type of Food is Best for a Puppy?
Puppies need to eat three or four times a day from the time they are weaned until they are about six months old. Thereafter they can be fed twice a day until maturity and once daily after that. Puppies need twice an adult dog’s maintenance requirements of energy and nutrients for proper growth from the time they are weaned until they reach about half of their expected mature weight.[1]
There are three basic types of commercially produced dog foods: canned, dry, and semimoist. Commercial dog foods also include a meat such as beef, lamb, chicken, or liver, or meat by-products. It is important to read the labels to determine the proportions of each and the amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins and minerals contained.[1]
How Much Exercise Does My Dog Need?
All dogs need exercise, some more than others. Achieving good health and sound temperament demands that dogs be given the opportunity for regular stimulating exercise. Puppies should be allowed to run at will without restraint and without being pushed beyond their limits. As dogs mature, jogging or walking on a lead can be introduced, but any forced exercise should be withheld until the dog is fully grown.[1]
What are Some Training Tips for a New Dog?
Training becomes easier when the unique bond between human and dog is strengthened from the beginning. The most common cause of a dog’s destructive behaviour in the house is lack of exercise. Behavioral problems such as tail chasing, chewing, and excessive barking and whining can in most cases be traced to confinement for long periods of time without respite.[1]
How Do I Choose a Healthy Dog?
When evaluating a puppy or an adult dog, several features will help determine the physical condition of the animal. The dog should appear friendly and outgoing. Puppies in particular should exhibit curiosity and a tail-wagging enthusiasm. They should not hang back or appear timid or frightened. Eyes should be bright and shiny with no discharge, and the inner eyelids ought to be smooth and pink. Ears should be clean-smelling and free of debris. Gums must be pink and firm, except in the case of chow chows and shar-peis, whose gums and tongue are black. The skin should feel warm and dry to the touch. Clammy skin or the presence of reddened patches, crusts, scales, or parasites are indicative of problems that could be both external and internal. The hair coat ought to be clean and sweet-smelling. The dog should be in good form and build, but not obese or so thin that the ribs and hipbones show.[2]
Equipping yourself with the right supplies and knowledge ensures a smooth transition and a happy, healthy life for your new companion.
Would you like to learn about how to select a particular breed of dog?