Cat Care Clinic

Posted on: 19 April 2016

If you are considering getting a puppy for your child, you want to make sure they are going to be ready to have one. There are a lot of considerations you should think about before you go and bring home a new puppy. This article will provide you with information on deciding whether or not your child is ready and steps you should take to make the transition of having a new puppy an easy one.

Make sure your child is old enough to treat the puppy right

Very small children think of puppies as toys. They don't yet understand that it is a living, breathing creature they can hurt. They will pull on its ears, poke its eyes and pull its tail. They can also squeeze it too hard or feed it something it shouldn't have.

You may think that you can prevent these things from happening by keeping an eye on your child, but this can be more difficult than it sounds unless you have other people in your household who can help you observe your child with the puppy every moment they are in the same room together. If you feel your child is now at an age where they understand how to be nice to a puppy, take them around other people's puppies first so you can be sure. 

If you are considering a puppy for your school-aged child, and you want them to be responsible for it, then you want to make sure they are ready for that responsibility. You can get them a small animal first and see how well they care for it, such as a hamster.

Prepare your home for the new puppy

Prepare for your new puppy before you bring it home so you can immediately start on getting it settled in when you get it. You should have food and water bowls, food, a harness, a color and tags with your number, a leash, a crate to put the puppy in when it's not being supervised properly, a bed, toys and information on the nearest veterinarians. It's important you have the numbers of emergency veterinarians in your area that are open 24 hours, so you can get help right away if something happens to your pet during off-hours.

Once you get the new puppy, everyone will be very excited and want to shower it with attention. However, remember that puppies require a lot of sleep, so make sure it is given a lot of breaks during the day.

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