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Staticflickr.comPuppies! The epitome of cuteness. Almost all of us have, at some point in our lives, considered adopting a furry friend and taking him home. Having grown up with dogs myself, one thing that I have learned is that it's a joyride and a frustrating mess all at once. Much like motherhood, โpuppyhoodโ is an experience that can change your entire world. So here I am, jotting down a few tips, tricks and โwhat-to-expectsโ to help facilitate the arrival of your tiny little furball into your home.
Socializing: Be it with your other dogs or just any random dogs, your little one will learn social interaction at a very young age. At this stage, you must let him/her be around other canines as a puppy which can be done by taking it on walks.
Madness hours: Expect your tiny cutie to go from being an innocent corner toy to a giant ball of energy in no time. Sudden barking, grabbing at things, jumping and running around is very common amongst puppies and is called zoomies. As adorable as it sounds, your puppy might unintentionally end up tripping things over or hurting himself in the process. Be warned.
Your food is NOT your puppy's food: I cannot stress on this enough. Your dog might make the most innocent, cutest little face asking you for a bite of your food. Take a step back and stop right there. Firstly, it could potentially harm your cutie and secondly, it will form a habit that will be hard to break.
Accidental poop eating: I know, I know. Sounds unpleasant, looks unpleasant, and is downright gross. Puppies sometimes tend to develop a habit of licking their own poop and have to be trained against it. What can you do about it? Be fast on the draw about poop scooping.
The start of a family life: It's extremely important to accustom your furry friend to household tools such as vacuums, refrigerators etc to help him mature into a responsible family dog.
Training isn't an overnight process: Your puppy will not become a house dog in a day. For him to get adjusted to the new setting could take time depending on the breed and the personality of the breed/puppy.
Patience and consistency: Much like having a baby, bringing a puppy into your family can be a lot of hard work that will require copious amounts of patience and consistency. Donโt give up, it will all be worth it in the end.
Crate training: It might sound cruel but you might sometimes have to ignore the pleas and cries of your little one while you're in the process of crate training him. Itโs okay, weโve all been there.
Form rules: Dogs are pack animals and all packs have a leader. For your dog, you are the natural leader. You form the rules and your canine best friend will follow them. You will also be bestowed upon with endless, unconditional love. Buckle up!
Adult teeth: Your puppy will begin growing adult teeth around 3 to 6 months of age. This can be immensely discomforting for your little one and he will try to chew on anything and everything during this time to relieve the pain. Chew toys and ice cubes will be your best friends at during this time.Altogether, adopting a puppy can be exhausting and trying. Stand your ground through the sleepless nights and youโll be rewarded in ways you couldn't have imagined.