Planning On Bringing A New Puppy Home? 3 Decisions You And Your Partner Should Reach Before You Adopt
Getting a new puppy is a lot of responsibility. In many ways, it's similar to bringing a baby home. Your new puppy is going to be dependent on you for all of its care. As it's caregivers, it's important that you're prepared for the responsibilities that will await you. That includes being on the same page with any other caregivers in the home. If you and your partner are going to be adopting a puppy, you need to sit down and discuss your care plan. Agreeing on a care plan ahead of time will prevent disagreements later. Here are three issues that you and your partner should resolve before you adopt a new puppy.
Specific Sleeping Arrangements
You may think that it's perfectly fine for your puppy to sleep in your bed. However, your partner may feel that puppies belong in their own space at night, or vice versa. If you haven't discussed sleeping arrangements before you bring your new puppy home, you and your partner could find yourselves facing some stressful moments while you try to come to an agreement. Your puppy is probably going to feel the tension in the air and react accordingly. Unfortunately, that could lead to problem behavior. You can avoid the tension by coming to an agreement about the sleeping arrangements before you bring your new puppy home.
Dietary Issues
Your partner may think that table scraps are perfectly acceptable treats for a puppy, while you might think that they should be completely off-limits. Most veterinarians will agree that table scraps should be kept away from puppies, but that's something you and your partner should discuss before you decide on a puppy. It's important to note that table scraps can lead to digestive troubles, which could make it difficult to house break your puppy. Not only that, but table scraps can be quite unhealthy for young puppies.
Disciplinary Choices
When it comes to disciplining your puppy, it's important that you and your partner be on the same page, especially when it comes to things like jumping, nipping, and barking. If one of you is disciplining that type of behavior, while the other one is ignoring the behavior, your puppy will receive mixed signals, and not know how to behave. Before you adopt your new puppy, make sure you and your partner agree on what constitutes problem behavior, and how to discipline that improper behavior.
Now that you'll be adopting a new puppy, make sure that you and your partner are in agreement about its care. For tips on how to raise and train a puppy, be sure to speak to your vet.