When you’re getting ready to bring a puppy into your home, you’re probably imagining that there’s going to be some chaos. You’re fully ready for the challenges of housebreaking, and you can foresee a lot of messes in your future. However, some of the realities of puppy care can come as a surprise. Knowing what to expect will help you plan accordingly and give your pup the best possible care. Here are a few aspects of puppy care that may be unexpected.
Your Puppy Is Going to Bite You
You might anticipate that your puppy is going to do some play nipping, but you might be surprised at just how often and how hard your puppy likes to bite you and other people in your household. For this reason, bringing a puppy into a home with small children can be kind of tricky and you’ll initially need to limit their interactions.
Puppies’ first set of teeth is razor sharp. This is nature’s way of prompting their mothers to wean them off of their milk. Adult teeth are typically in by around nine months, but it could depend on your dog’s breed. Until that time, puppies have an insatiable urge to bite everyone and everything.
When you’re learning how to stop puppy biting, you’ll probably find that distraction tactics work best. Make sure your nibble monster has plenty of great chew toys and puppy-safe treats. Be aware that not all bones are safe for puppies because their sharp teeth can break them into small pieces that may be hazardous.
Be patient with your puppy during the biting phase. Your fur baby doesn’t really want to hurt you, and it’s counting on you to show it the ropes of homelife with a human family. Also, don’t shout and scold. If your puppy decides that biting you is a good way to get your attention, it will keep on doing it. Ending a play session and ignoring bitey antics is a more effective way to discourage them.
Your Puppy Will Probably Try to Eat Crazy Stuff
When you start taking your new furry family member, it will be thrilled about getting to explore all of the sights and smells of the great outdoors. Much like human babies, puppies like to learn about things by putting them in their mouths. You’ve got to watch like a hawk to make sure your puppy doesn’t try to ingest anything harmful on the street. If you suspect that your dog has swallowed a foreign object and it appears to be in physical distress, you need to seek emergency veterinary care.
Many puppy owners experience shock and horror when they see their furry charge eat poop for the first time. In actuality, this is really common among puppies. Many puppies eat their own poop, while others are more interested in chowing down on other dogs’ droppings. Sorry to say, some dogs never break this habit. However, most give up this gross dietary custom by about six or seven months. Try rewarding your dog with a treat after it poops so it will learn that there are better things to look forward to eating. A probiotic supplement may help to deter coprophagia because they contain some of the probiotics that dogs may be trying to get from eating stool.
Not All Puppies Appreciate the Joys of Naptime
You may have read that puppies sleep more than half of the day, but this is an overgeneralization. During the day, some puppies spend most of their time zooming around until they drop like a sack of potatoes. After they’ve had a minimal amount of adorable snooze time, they start the zoom-nap cycle again.
Don’t worry that your puppy will stay like that forever. As dogs get older, they usually begin to relish their naptime a little more.
Taking care of a puppy is a ton of work, but it will fill your home with joy. Be loving and patient, and give your puppy the love and care that it needs to thrive
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