Meet Our FURiends: Sydney and Mattis

New Pup, Now What?

One of our favorite bloggers, Sydney, has oh-so-graciously agreed to be our guest blogger this week! We are beyond excited to feature her tips on becoming a new pup parent. Please check out her blog, Mad Pup Life, and follow her on Instagram for adorable pics of Mattis and Keela. Now, on to the good stuff!

 So you got a new puppy?!

Congrats! It’s such a fun and exciting time in anyone’s life when you take the plunge into (dog) parenthood.

It can be extremely overwhelming though if you’ve never had a puppy before (that definitely doesn’t include getting one when you were 5 because let’s be honest, did you really take care of them then?) 

So if you are preparing to bring your new furry family member home or you’ve been taking care of them for a few weeks and you’re wondering what in the world you need to do now, you’ve come to the right place.

First, let’s go over some of the must haves.

Puppies, like babies, need quite a few things to get started. Here are some of my most recommended products to grab before you bring them home.

• Dog Bed/Crate
• Blanket
• Toys (it’s best to grab a few different types to see which ones your dog likes best)
• Collar
• Leash
• Dog Food (there are so many types and brands of dog food so be sure to do thorough research beforehand so you can feel confident you are feeding your dog the best)
• Dog Food Container
• Dog Bowls
• Bully Sticks/Chews (no rawhide!)
• Small Treats
• Carpet Cleaner (because accidents happen)
• Training Guide (either tips you read online or a hired professional)
• Grooming Essentials (brush/comb, shampoo)
• Poop Bags (if you live in an apartment complex, or like to take your dog on a walk, these are a must!)
• A Vet (you’ll have to take your new puppy to the vet often, so make sure you find one you love)
• Flea/Tick/Heartworm Medicine

Of course there are more products you can get to make your life easier or help you dive into the world of #InstaFamousDogs, but I feel like these items are a perfect place to start when bringing home your new puppy.

Dogs are smart, but they’ve gotta learn all those tricks from somewhere right? 

There are so many helpful resources online to get started, and even online dog training classes you can purchase and watch from the comfort of your own home if you are willing to train your dog yourself, but if not I’d recommend taking them to a well-known, highly rated dog trainer in your area.

This trainer can teach your dog basic obedience, commands, and even some more advanced tricks. You’ll have to decide what results you are wanting to achieve to determine how much you want to invest in training. 

It’s also a *great* idea to take your dog out to dog parks, on walks where there are other dogs/people, dog-friendly stores and restaurants, etc. to get them socialized early on. 

I feel like this makes all the difference with your dog’s personality and behavior going forward. Unfortunately for us, Mattis has never truly liked other people or dogs (or any social situation for that matter) even after us taking him out time and time again when he was younger. 

Some dogs don’t do well in that situation, and others thrive in it (like our Golden Keela!) Don’t be upset at your dog if they can’t handle it, just help them cope as best as you can to leave them as stress free as possible.

*PS: Your dog needs to be at least 4-6 months old before visiting areas where other dogs frequent (dog parks, daycare, grooming, etc.) because they aren’t old enough to get certain vaccines and you definitely don’t want them getting sick!

And if you have questions on potty training your new puppy - you’re not alone! It’s definitely one of the harder tasks we had to accomplish when bringing Mattis home, but we made sure to take him out around the clock and tried our best to pick up on his “needing to go” cues.

Now for my personal favorite - finding all the best local dog-friendly spots in your area!

Fortunately for you, the US has become increasingly more dog-friendly over the years. Stores and restaurants are finally starting to understand just how important it is to a lot of people to have the ability to bring their dogs with them wherever they go.

One of the easiest ways to find the local dog-friendly hot spots in your area is to simply search on Instagram. You can use hashtags with your city name such as #CharlotteDogs #CharlotteNC #cltdogs and look through the images to see where the pups are hangin’.

You can also do a google search, or visit a website like BringFido.com and use their search tools to find places and read reviews.

And of course you can go straight to the search - check out the store or restaurants website or give them a call to see if they are dog-friendly. 

It’s also so much fun to take your dogs downtown and walk around outside and see all the smiling faces when they see your happy pup taking a stroll nearby. 

We’ve also frequented both dog parks and normal parks (on leash) and always have a great time doing so. 

Like I mentioned before, it’s such an exciting experience getting to bring home a new puppy to your family. When we first got Mattis, I had never had a puppy before and was learning everything as time went on.

It was definitely a bit of a change at first (Mattis wasn’t a fan of his crate) but things got better, he learned what to do and what not to do rather quickly, and now I couldn’t imagine our lives without him. 

Hopefully these tips help you feel a little more confident when bringing home your new puppy!

Treat you pawsome puppies next week!