Caring for any animal is not only a handful, but can cause lots of trouble if someone doesn’t know how to properly handle them. Puppies are no exception. Luckily, below are some tips for new dog parents who got a puppy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Bitter Yuck! will help stop unwanted puppy behavior
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Say hello to your new frenemy, Bitter Yuck! You will not believe how efficient this spray is. Bitter Yuck! is meant to stop your puppy from doing annoying habits such as biting ankles (you’d be surprised how puppies find shoelaces and sneakers interesting) or even furniture. The spray is a no chew spray that doesn’t stain, making it perfect to spray on furniture or anything you don’t want your puppy to tear into.
Not only will your puppy not like it, but you won’t enjoy it either. Here’s a bit of a warning when you spray it: don’t inhale too deeply. Given the spray has bittering agent and citric acid, it’s only natural for the smell to stay in the air for a while. While you may probably inhale some of it, the silver lining is your puppy won’t continue to do unwanted behavior. Also, make sure your dog’s water bowl is down when you spray it since the spray is strong and you don’t want your furry friend to be dehydrated.
- Have a frozen bone ready for when you eat your meals at the table
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Given puppies are like children, they need lots of toys to entertain them especially while you eat. Normally, dogs are meant to be sitting in their bed while you have food. If your puppy can’t seem to be sitting down and is begging for scraps, then this tip will solve your problem.
You’ll need to grab one of your dog’s bones a few hours before you eat and run some water over it. Once the bone is wet, place it in a bag and put in the freezer. Over time, the bone will freeze; when you’re sitting down to eat, give it to your dog. Frozen bones are a great way for your puppy to be entertained, while also providing them a good outlet for their baby teeth coming in. In addition to this frozen bone, you can also try ice cubes (you’d be surprised how much puppies like to chase and chew on ice cubes.)
- Use a harness while you walk your dog
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Although collars are stylish and can be personalized, they can do harm to your dog’s neck. If your dog only uses a leash that locks onto the collar, then over time, your dog may develop a rough cough meaning the collar has been pulled too harshly. Sometimes when walking a dog, a little pressure is needed to redirect your dog. However, the best way to prevent your dog from harming his or her neck is to use a harness. The harness will be around your dog’s body, so if you need to redirect your puppy, it’ll pull your dog’s body instead of causing damage to the dog’s neck.
If you live in a hot climate, try to get a step in harness since it has less material and won’t let your dog heat up as fast. Most dogs use harnesses especially big dogs, but you’d be surprised to see even small dogs wearing harnesses. Whatever provides comfort and safety is best, despite size difference when it comes to getting the perfect accessory for your furry friend to take on walks.
- Interactive toys will entertain your dog for a while when you’re busy
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Besides the traditional bones, interactive toys are a great way to go. Some interactive toys include treat dispensers and dog puzzles. The treat dispenser won’t entertain your dog forever, but is a good alternative for when you’re busy and can’t give all your attention to your furry friend. To make it last longer and challenge your dog, some treat dispensers have levels ranging from easy to difficult. Try to not give your dog the interactive toy always because it will bore your dog if they receive the toy daily. Some dog puzzles are really neat in the way your dog must turn certain pieces of the puzzle in order to get the treat. Toys that require turning are probably one of the best toys since it’ll entertain your dog while testing their IQ. Probably one of the coolest ways to feed your dog is via dog puzzles since it provides stimulation instead of just giving them their food in a bowl without challenging them
- Exercise. Exercise. Exercise!
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Dog parks are a great way to tire out your dog, while socializing them. If you live in an area where a dog park is available, then try to make time in your schedule for going every day. Going to the dog park daily will increase your dog’s chances of being tired, which means they won’t bug you as much. Not to mention, fresh air for a dog is necessary for them as well as being socialized.
If your dog has not been properly socialized before, then do so before taking them to the park. While the dog park is fun for your pooch, it can present dangers since some dogs aren’t properly socialized and can do harm to your dog. While dog parks may be fun, safety must come first so see if this situation is what you’re facing. If there’s no dog park, then try to take your dog to a nearby park for them to get a change in scenery. Even having them run around the house or walking them multiple times during the day will tire them out. A tired dog is a happy dog, and a happy dog is a happy owner.
- Develop a walking schedule for your dog
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While many people don’t believe it to be so, walking is vital for a dog. Releasing your dog into your backyard to do its business is not enough for your dog. If you do this, try to walk your dog because having an animal be locked up for so long may cause your dog to be aggressive. There is no wrong time to walk your forever friend so long as you do it maybe two to three times a day. You especially want it to walk them before and after meals. Try to find when you have a break in your own schedule to make room to walk your dog. Not only will your dog appreciate this dog-walking schedule, but it also gives you a chance to get a change in scenery and enjoy nature.
- Train your dog in the seven common commands daily
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The seven common commands for a dog are: sit, stay, down, come, off, heel and no. Some dogs get these commands down fast, but even if your dog doesn’t fall under this category, then maybe watch some YouTube videos on how to train dogs. There’s also a television show called “Lucky Dog,” starring an award-winning dog trainer who shows the steps on how to properly train your dog. The show is probably the best way to understand the importance and responsibilities of being a dog owner since it provides useful health tips in addition to training. It’s vital your dog learns some, if not all, the commands. When training your dog, use a clicker. The clicker itself makes a specific sound, so your dog will understand the noise means he or she did a good job.
- Always trade out your dog’s toys, so they don’t get bored
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Much like a child, dogs, especially puppies, become bored easily. In order to entertain your dog, make sure to switch out your dog’s toys. You never want to leave all the toys laid out because it then becomes boring for your dog. A basket would be a great place to store the toys. Tip: if you use one specific toy for certain times, it will make your dog more excited since they view it as a “treat.” You also want to have a good range of toys from bones to even stuffed animals. Fair warning about stuffed animal toys: make sure you are watching your pet when they play with the stuffed animal. If your dog is an extreme chewer, you want to supervise when it has something stuffed because if not, then your dog can swallow some of the stuffing.
- Get a variety of leashes, not just the standard six-foot leash
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You never want to have only one leash because not only is it good to have a backup, but the leashes serve different functions. The standard six-foot leash is great for when you’re going to take your dog to the dog park and are going to release them anyways. It’s also good to have a retractable leash, which will allow your dog to have a better walk than with the six-foot leash. If you really want a variety of leashes, then the 25-foot leash is more like a safety measure than a leash. If you want to train your dog in a park or a grassy area, then this leash will allow for you to train your dog while still using safety precautions. Like a human should never have just one pair of shoes, dogs should never just have one leash.
- Have a backup contact in case of emergencies
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If one day you need to go to a place where your dog isn’t allowed, like a hospital, it’s vital to have a backup contact to care for your pet. Whether it’s your roommate or family, backup contacts are important because you never know when you will need to go somewhere urgently and you don’t know what to do with your furry friend. Even if it’s for a few hours, your backup contact is important. Not to mention, if you decide to take a vacation where your dog can’t go, then it’s vital for your pet to be left with a pet babysitter aka your backup contact.
Deciding to get a dog is a huge step especially for new puppy parents who have jobs or even classes to go to. Hopefully, these tips will give you a better understanding of the importance of taking care of a new dog. Much like the saying goes, “it takes a village to raise a child,” the same can be applied to any pet, especially dogs.