Top Tips for New Puppy Parents
Jan 05, 2018
Many homes across Ireland may have been the recipient of new canine friends over the festive period. While a puppy brings joy, fun and comfort into lives, it is a great responsibility for people to undertake. Many of us may only be realising this now!
Here at Petmania we are urging new puppy parents, who might now be struggling to get to grips with the new addition to the family to make sure they have the basics covered.
Looking after the essentials such as house training, diet, exercise, grooming, healthcare and the legal aspects will ensure that both puppy and parents are happy.
- Legal Responsibilities – A dog tag, microchip & license are a legal requirement for every dog.
- Obedience Training:A well behaved adult dog is the result of good training as a pup, so start early. Join a class and get some professional guidance and you won’t look back.
- Delicious Nutritious: The foundation to the healthy development of a puppy is a good diet. Puppies will grow rapidly and need a high protein food to aid their development. Choose a food that is specifically made for them and is packed full of all the nutrients needed to ensure good dIf you are unsure about choosing the right food for your puppy, Petmania’s trained staff offer free diet reviews.
- Treat Time:Using treats to reward good behaviour is a great way to assist in toilet training or getting your puppy used to the lead! Choose a low calorie treat and limit it to a maximum of 10% of their daily calorie intake. Just like us humans, too many treats can lead to health problems like weight gain. Be disciplined in giving treats as rewards.
- Troublesome Teething:As the puppy is growing so are their teeth. This means there will be swollen gums which can cause them to chew on everything! Using teething toys especially designed to massage the gums will give relief to your puppy – and help save your favourite shoes. Pop them in the freezer for a while to provide even more soothing relief.
- Gorgeous Grooming: Every dog will need regular grooming, which includes brushing their coat at home. If you haven’t started yet, get yourself a suitable brush and spend a few minutes every day brushing your puppy’s hair. Not only is it a great bonding experience for you and your pup, but it will help keep his coat clean and healthy. Your puppy should visit a professional dog groomer for his first visit at around four months.
Petmania are offering free puppy parent classes across our 12 stores nationwide. The next class begins on Saturday, January 13th, with very limited capacity so advance registration is essential. Click here for more information.
