A PUPPY'S FIRST DAY AT ITS NEW HOME

Well, the big day has finally arrived, you have just picked up your precious little bundle of joy and are taking him or her home! Hopefully the puppy was not fed in the past 2-3 hours, or you will have a very soggy puppy (and lap). Many puppies will dribble and drool as they are unused to car travel; some will be car sick even if they have not been fed.

  The safe way to travel home is to have a small box or an old towel, so that if mishaps occur (as they inevitably do), everyone stays a lot cleaner including the puppy. If you have a long way to travel and it is a hot day, take some water for small drinks for the puppy, and a towel to wet if necessary and put under the puppy if it is distressed by the heat. The puppy will be panting very rapidly and heavily and its tongue will be hanging out halfway to China!

  When you get home the fun begins. There is an initial settling in period that can last up to 10-14 days, where adjustments are made on both sides. A lot of your preconceived ideas may fly out the window; the puppy, while having no preconceived ideas at all, is more than willing to make its own rules but only if you let it.

Information contained from - "The New Dog Owner's Manual" - Written by Dr Karen Hedberg