As my residency was finishing, which thankfully meant a slightly more manageable schedule, the first thing I wanted to do was to adopt a puppy! My family had always had a dog while I was growing up, and these furry friends were always important members of our family. Once I got my reluctant husband on board, I knew that I needed to make sure we were ready for a new pup!
- Read up on breeds/sizes. As a lifelong student, often my first step is to do some research. Try to envision what kind of furry companion would fit the best in your life. For some, you may be able to go to a local dog shelter and fall in love at first sight. I have known many people who have found their perfect match this way. I have been allergic to dogs since I was a child- which meant that I had perpetual congestion growing up in our house and had to get painful allergy injections weekly. I knew that my heart could love any puppy but I really needed a hypoallergenic dog. *Note hypoallergenic dogs do not completely eliminate an allergic response. Typically, this means that they produce less pet dander (which causes many allergic reactions) and they shed less. People who have allergies to dogs may still have allergic reactions to “hypoallergenic” dogs. Luckily for me, we chose a hypoallergenic breed (many are poodle mixes) and my allergies do not seem bothered. If you have a severe allergy, I would check with your doctor/allergist before going down this path, and the safest thing may be to avoid puppies all together. It was also very important for me to have a dog who would be good with children (since we knew we wanted to grow our family in the future). I learned from my parents that not all dog breeds are family friendly. They had to find a new home for their beloved dog when my eldest sibling was born.
- Check with your landlord about pet policies. This may not apply to you if you own your own place but many buildings and apartments have strict pet policies. Even if your landlord does allow pets, sometimes they have weight or breed limits. Make sure that you understand the policies and let them know that you are looking to adopt a pet. You may have to pay a fee and an extra security deposit. You don’t want any surprises or penalties once you find the perfect pup.
- Think like a puppy. Your beautiful furnishings and belongings may be the ideal toys for your new puppy. They will scratch and chew all of these things. You need to make sure that toxins are not present within paw’s reach and any sentimental or fragile items are out of the way.
- Set up a puppy pen/crate. Many people advocate for crate training. This broke my heart (although many say that dogs learn to love their crate). We tried it initially but found a pen worked better for us. We found a lovely clear dog pen that provided a good amount of space, and placed a covered dog bed inside of it, so our puppy had a safe little covered area. I’m linking it here because I loved it so much. We kept him in the pen while we were at work and let him out while we were home. I liked the clear sides so he could see out the window and look around. We lined it with puppy pads while he was being trained to go outdoors. We also got this little patch of grass for him. It was great to reinforce going outside but having a relief area should he need it indoors. Once he was fully trained we didn’t need it anymore.
- Pick out dog food. This part was easy for us because we decided to stick with the same food that the breeder had been using to avoid upsetting his stomach. We were able to transition to the adult food once he outgrew the puppy version. Anytime you are planning on making a change in their diet, we were advised to do so gradually, mixing the types of food together and gradually using more of the new type to avoid gastrointestinal upset.
- Pick out a vet. You are going to want to take your new pup to the vet soon after you pick him up so make sure you know who you are going to see and have an appointment set up. Consider getting pet insurance- vet bills can be pricey and the new puppy will have to visit the vet frequently in their first year of life.
- Purchase some puppy essentials. This was one of the most fun parts! Make sure you have a good leash, appropriately sized collar, plenty of puppy pads, training treats, and some toys! My pup loves his Kong (filled with peanut butter) and some soft plush toys. We also bought a puppy cam online. This was wonderful for when I was at work and would watch him in his pen (mostly napping). This is the one we picked out. While I’m sure my dog would have loved the tossing treat function, I actually had to place the camera outside of his pen because he liked to chew the cord, so we never actually used that feature.
Finally, make sure you have space on your camera to capture those sweet puppy moments (they grow up so fast!). Consider a plan for training your pup to be a good citizen and get ready for some puppy kisses!
