Every Monday, I will be sharing with you posts from my favorite canine care author Nicole N S Mackie. She is the author of a great book entitled “Living in Harmony with Your Puppy”. She runs a website about canine care at www.shalvaholistics.com . Check it out! I really enjoyed reading her book, filled with wisdom and just the right information for every canine owner.
Continued from a previous post here.
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This is when life really gets exciting … the day you bring home your new baby puppy. However, to make this a little easier for your puppy, try to arrange with your breeder to allow you to visit your puppy a couple of times before you finally collect him.
A few days before you collect him, give your breeder a small cloth or towel which can be placed with the mother and other siblings. You can take it home with the puppy as it will contain their smell for a number of days.
Allow the puppy to have this cloth as much as he likes and to sleep with it. It may be dirty and smelly but to your puppy it will be a comfort and you can throw it away or wash it after a few days when he is more settled.
When you collect your puppy, try to have another person with you who can sit in the back of your car with the puppy, especially if you have a long distance to cover, and stop a few times in safe places to allow the puppy to relieve himself and drink some water if he needs to.
Your puppy may be a little worried and cry or bark, especially if this is his first time in a car or away from his mother and siblings. He may or may not settle on the journey, so try to be patient with him, after all, this will be a very traumatic time for your puppy.