You may need to upsize your carrier as your puppy grows, depending on their size and breed. Make sure this carrier is small enough to keep your puppy secure and provides enough space for them to stand and turn around.

A puppy carrier - you’ll need this for bringing your puppy home for the first time and vet visits throughout their life.

Once your home is puppy-safe, it’s time to get your new puppy all the things they need to help them grow up happy and healthy! Once they’re older, you can begin to allow them to explore, just not right away. Puppies are very small and rather uncoordinated, and falling down the stairs poses a risk of injury.

Make sure your stairs are boarded off for your puppy with a stair gate or barrier so they can’t go wandering up them.

The same goes for bins which are best kept in a room your puppy doesn’t have access to. Avoid any mishaps by keeping things you don’t want them eating, such as human food or medicines, houseplants (toxic or otherwise) and small objects out of their eyeline and general vicinity to stop any temptations.

Many puppies will eat and chew just about anything, even if it’s toxic to them, because they don’t know any better.Make sure there are no gaps in fences where your puppy could squeeze out and escape or set up a safe penned space where they can run around freely outside. Make sure there are no small spaces your puppy could squeeze into and get stuck such as fireplaces, under or behind furniture.Keep any loose or hanging wires out of their way or securely wrap and fix them so your puppy can’t chew or get tangled in them.To make your home puppy-safe, make sure to:

Puppies are known to be very excitable a have a tendency to chew things, especially as they teethe or their adult teeth begin to come in. Once you’ve decided on your puppy and are waiting for the big day of bringing them home, it’s important that you make your home as safe as possible. If the answer to these questions is a resounding yes, then you’re on the right track! Research - Have you done the appropriate research for owning a new puppy, especially if they’re purebred? Have you looked into the exercise, enrichment and nutritional needs of their individual breed and any potential health risks they may be prone to? Are you ready to change your life and home to accommodate these needs suitably?.Your Home - Is your home suitable to accommodate a new puppy and then an adult dog? Do you have proper access to a garden where they can run and play, or at least a space they can go to the bathroom outside of walks? Is there enough space for all their essentials and can you make your home suitable dog-safe? Is everyone in your home (current pets included) open to having a new puppy around?.Do you have the time to commit to their care, exercise and enrichment every day? And this doesn’t just go for when they're puppies, but their entire life. If you don’t have the time to spend at home with them, then you may need to consider doggy daycare or dog sitter options or opt for a more low-maintenance pet. Time - New puppies shouldn’t be left alone for longer than 2 hours and will need constant company, entertainment, walking and training throughout their day when they’re young.Plus, you’re not only buying the puppy itself or paying an adoption fee, you’ll also need to buy all their essentials, pay for insurance, and the ongoing costs of food and leashes as they grow. Cost - Have you heard the saying, “Don’t get the pet if you can’t afford the vets”? Well, this applies to puppies who will need to go to the vet frequently before they even reach a year old.This requires not only a lot of patience but also time and money to ensure you’re meeting all the necessary requirements.īefore you get a new puppy, ask yourself the following: Welcoming any new animal into your home is a big responsibility, but puppies are especially so as you’re not only taking on their care but also the surety that you will raise them properly so they can grow into happy, healthy and well-rounded adult dogs.

New labrador puppy checklist