It’s time!
You’re ready to start that exciting journey to finding your new furry family member.
But where do you start?
Here are the top 5 tips for making sure your puppy gets off to a great start.
1. Do your research
Puppies are exciting and fun, but it’s essential to make sure that the new puppy will fit into your family. It’s important to assess what breed you’re looking at getting and know what their energy requirements are and if you’re able to fulfill those needs.
Many people will adopt or buy a certain breed without realizing the needs that come with that specific breed. For example, huskies can be a lot of fun. However, they are really high energy and usually need to be run multiple times a day. They can also be escape artists. Now keep in mind, not every dog will act like this, but you must be prepared. Getting a herding breed will have certain needs and requirements. Learn ahead of time what breed you’re thinking of getting needs and desires to feel fulfilled. Otherwise, if we don’t meet our puppy’s needs, this can lead to anxiety and destructive behaviors.
Also, make sure that the breeder is improving the breed and is not just selling puppies to make money. Many breeds have genetic predispositions to health conditions like hip and elbow dysplasia. To find out what your breeder should be testing for PRIOR to breeding, check out the Canine Health Information Center to learn more about what tests specific breeds should have done.
2. Nutrition
Nutrition is the foundation for health. This is what will feed the microbiome and support the immune system. Figure out what diets you want to transition your new puppy to optimize their overall health.
Feeding the freshest, meat-based diet that you can afford is optimal but also needs to fit into the budget. There are numerous diets that are available that are high quality that can help your puppy get off to the best start.
Learn more about how to pick the best food.
Using supplements can also optimize and support your new puppy’s immune system. Products like colostrum and probiotics can be helpful, especially if your puppy was weaned early from the mother. Other supplements that are helpful for optimizing health with your new puppy include Standard Process Canine Whole Body Support and Standard Process Canine Immune Support. You can check out these supplements and others we recommend for your puppy by creating an account here: Puppy Supplement Recommendations
3. Environment
What does the home environment look like for your puppy?
Have you created a quiet and safe place for your new puppy?
Make sure that your puppy has an area away from the hustle and bustle of every day life where they can relax, sleep and rest when needed since puppies require a lot of rest and downtime along with play, training and engagement.
There are a lot of environmental toxins, and by using natural cleaning chemicals, we can help reduce the toxic burden that our pets come into contact with. Learn more about potential toxins that your new puppy may come into contact.
Crate training can be a life saver for creating a safe place to put your puppy when you can’t engage, watch or play with them, and many puppies will return to their crates to sleep or rest as adults since this is similar to a safe den.
4. Training
There are many important aspects to training your new puppy, ranging from crate training, socialization, and potty training. Crate training and consistency are key to potty training.
Socialization through puppy classes is also very important. Exposing your new puppy to different experiences, dogs and people is essential to helping raise a well-adjusted puppy.
A great resource on raising the perfect puppy is Dr. Sophia Yin’s Perfect Puppy in 7 Days book. I highly recommend it!
5. Veterinary Support
The last foundation is partnering with a veterinarian. It’s important to partner with a vet that you feel comfortable with.
When you get a new puppy, you need to take your puppy in for their first wellness exam and check-up. This is key to making sure there are no problems that you need to monitor and getting specific advice on how to help them thrive for life.
Make sure to ask your veterinarian about the best diet to feed your puppy, if they are an ideal body condition score, and what’s the best level of exercise for your new fur baby. These areas will help your pet feel their best and start on the path to optimal health.
Make sure to watch the full video for a more in-depth discussion on each of these 5 pillars for optimizing your new puppy’s health.
SUMMARY
In this video, we cover 5 top tips for getting a puppy:
Research
Nutrition
Environment
Training
Veterinary visits
MORE NATURAL PET HEALTH INFORMATION
1. Grab your FREE Beginner’s Guide To Raising Your Puppy’s Naturally.
Sign up for your free guide to receive simple steps that you can implement today to help your puppy achieve optimal health and reduce the risk of disease. Happier pets and fewer vet bills! Click here to get your guide!
2. Join our FREE Facebook Natural Pet Parent Community group for more natural health guidance.
You’ll join a group of amazing, like-minded pet parents who are supportive and engage actively to help pets achieve optimal health. Join by clicking here!
3. Inquire about our Healthy Holistic Pet For Life Blueprint program for even more guidance with your pets.
You may be spending hours and hours researching what is the best way to raise your puppy and other fur family and feeling lost, stuck and confused on what is the best path forward. Many pets are developing diseases early in life that are expensive, shortening their lives and are stressful for pet parents to endure watching their pets not feel well. We’ve created a program that guides you through the 5 pillars of health to help you gain confidence in the essential areas of pet health that will help reduce disease from occurring, keep your pets healthy and happy, reduce vet bills and help you feel empowered and confident as a pet parent to tackle anything. The best part is you gain access to an incredible world-wide community of pet parents and weekly 2-hour Q&A’s with Dr. Katie to gain further clarification and get your questions answered. If you’d like to learn more, make sure to schedule a call with us here: Healthy Holistic Pet For Life Application
*Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your own veterinarian or doctor. The information contained in thenaturalpetdoctor.com is strictly for educational purposes. Therefore, if you wish to apply ideas contained in thenaturalpetdoctor.com, you are taking full responsibility for your actions. Please consult your veterinarian for medical advice for your own pets. Dr. Katie Woodley cannot answer specific questions about your pet’s medical issues or make medical recommendations for your pet without first establishing a veterinarian-client-patient relationship.