Preparing to be a Dog Parent

Aloha! Today marks the first year since we rescued Rosie from a shelter, and wanted to share with you tips and useful information on how to prepare your home for a new dog. It is very exciting to welcome home a new dog, but you need to make sure you apartment or house is dog friendly and ready to go before they arrive.

Heres a quick checklist of items for you and my future self to help prepare for a new dog.

Cables

Dogs unknowingly can chew on multiple items and can get shocked or burnt if they chew on electric cables. Best way to avoid this situation is to block their access to cords or move them to an so they can’t reach them. Some dogs don’t care as much for cables but it’s best to keep them out of reach in case they like chewing on them.

Furniture

It’s normal for puppies or dogs to chew on different items around them, and for younger dogs it might be a way to relieve pain that might be caused by incoming teeth. If a dog is prone to chew on furniture when you’re not looking it’d probably be best to give them a healthier substitute like a Yak chew or chewable toy. If they still insist on chewing furniture maybe spray some anti-chew repellent on the furniture to discourage them while providing a substitute.

Crates

Crates are a necessity for dogs since it provides them with a safe space if they need it or need to be transported over long distances. In unfamiliar territory, dogs generally prefer staying in their crate until they’re ready to go out. Don’t overuse crates, or as a substitute for dog training but it’s good to have them in case your pet needs it.

Pee cleaners

Depending on how old your dog is they might have gotten some home training, but they still might have a happy accident or two at your place in case they need to go or can’t get your attention in time. When we first got Rosie, peeing outside the apartment was a foreign idea to her. So we taught her how to go potty outside the apartment by taking frequent walks with her so she could rely on us to take her out if she needed to go. Pick a pee cleaner that will clear the spot as well as dissuade them from going there again, similar to this one from Amazon.

Section off areas

Just like a new toddler, it good to gradually allow the new dog or puppy access to your home after they have gotten used to the current area. It’s also a good way to prevent accidents and keep your dog safe from any threats in the outside area like heavy equipment, cables, or even younger babies.

Meals for dogs

Meals depends on the type of dog and how picky they are with their food. Some dogs eat whatever you give them others might have a more sensitive stomach. In case you’re adopting a dog, it would be better to keep feeding them the food they are used to for a few days before introducing new foods to them.

Vet checkup

After the new dog or puppy is registered with you, it’d be good to have them checked out by a vet for any possible health issues. Will also make it easier to have them on a routine checkup for common issues like allergies, fleas, ticks, etc. Quick tip on vets, please check how available they are to schedule appointments, if they only schedule appointments few months out, all minor issues will become emergency trips. Best to find one that has appointment slots open in the near term.

Pet budget

Owning dogs can be costly, so it’s best to have a part of your budget towards your pets to get food, medication, supplies, toys and insurance. Having it part of your budget would mean you will be a lot less stressed about expenses and can have more fun playing with your buddy.

Awesome, once you have most of these areas covered, it would also be a great time to start house training for your new dog or puppy. Here’s some training tools or tips that I found useful in teaching Rosie good behavior.

Puppr + Clicker

Puppr is a really cool dog training app that uses a clicker to teach dogs new tricks or behaviour. Clickers are used by dog trainers to get the attention of dogs when you’re training them, also good to keep a few treats handy when they’re being really good too.

Frequent walks and playtime

Dogs love the outside, even the most grumpiest of dog will like being outside to move and get some stretches. It’s really great to have them on short and frequent walks if possible since smaller dogs have a smaller bladders and need to go outside more often. If you have a backyard that works well too, but make sure they get enough exercise from walking or running from playtime.

Leashes

They are a ton of leash types from super short ones to ones that run 10 m or more. Use short leashes for training walk behaviour or how to act on walks to have them not focus on squirrels or other animals. Long leashes are great for training recall or come commands when training in open areas.

Conclusion

That’s it folks, dog-proofing your apartment doesn’t need to be that difficult and just wanted to have a handy list available when I need to adopt another furry friend into the family. Hope this helps and happy holidays!