How to Prep for a New Puppy

It’s important to organise yourself and your household to make sure you are prepared for anything. 

Puppy owners often spend months preparing for their new arrival – but what do you truly need to get organised for your cute new addition? Here are a few things people often forget about:

You've finally brought home your puppy! This means they're probably going to want to chew everything, nothing is safe – clothing, furniture, shoes, the wall. 

Having a range of chew toys can help provide stimulation but also provide a “better” option for chewing than your wonderful slippers. Also, be aware of items that are usually puppies favourite chew toys but can be potentially lethal and toxic such as electronic cables or plugs.

Furniture can also provide hours of fun. Most puppies will squeeze underneath out of curiosity and can usually become trapped when not being watched. Be aware and tidy what you can.

Top tip: anything on the floor within reach, a puppy will chew!

Identification tag
This one is easy to forget – but crucial. Making sure your pup is wearing an ID tag and microchip is now part of the law and is crucial to dog ownership.

Puppies can run off, even if you turn your back for a matter of seconds. 

Accidents happen, but you can prevent a potentially awful outcome with an identification tag. 

Our best tip is to buy a group of them and make sure every collar and harness has them! It’s become quite a trendy accessory statement, so it is worth having a little shop online for the range of colours and shapes.

What should you put on your dog’s tag? This can be confusing for dog owners and often dogs end up with the wrong information on their tag. 

Your phone number, your family name (not your pup’s name – this can benefit thieves), and your postcode or address are the correct details to include.

However, although identification tags are important, they aren’t there to replace microchipping. This is crucial to ensure that (God forbid) if your pooch was to get lost, you’d have the best chance of being reunited with them.

Puppies are inquisitive to the extreme. Unless you are ready to supervise your new pup 24/7, place a gate or barrier at the end of the stairs, garden or anywhere that could put your pup in danger. 

This will successfully stop them from getting up to mischief and train them boundaries whilst putting your mind at rest.

A crate is an extremely useful management tool. It helps with house training, gives your dog a ‘safe space’, and prevents misbehaviour. 

Dogs hate going to the toilet in their own bed, so a crate helps with training in the vital first few weeks of adjustment. Make sure your crate is big enough so your pup can comfortably turn around in it, and you’ll be good to go.

Car safety is so important and easily forgotten about! We’re sure your new dog is going to love you unconditionally, which may mean you’re at risk of being pestered when driving. Restraining dogs in your car is a legal requirement, and if your dog isn’t restrained when you’re driving, you could make your insurance invalid.

There are tons of products on the market which allow you, other road users and your dog to remain safe when out and about. Make sure you attach any seat belts to a harness and never a collar, as this could be dangerous to your pooch.

We’ve saved the best till last! There’s nothing more worrying than your pet becoming ill. Waggel is here to relieve some of the stress that comes with your puppy being under the weather. 

You never know when you’re going to need it, and it’s reassuring to have a safety net to fall back on when you need it the most. It’s the responsible thing to do as a pet owner and it allows you to afford the hurdles that your beloved pet may accidentally throw at you.

We also offer discounts on premium, health-conscious brands that we handpick and tailor to your specific needs. Expert advice from vets and nutritionists is just one message away when signing up with Waggel: no hassle or worry over your pet’s health required!