Puppy Hacks for New Pet Owners

This post featuring puppy hacks for new pet owners has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GrowingUpPurina #CollectiveBias
If you’ve ever brought a new puppy home, then you know all about the work and commitment that’s involved! They will keep you on your feet and you may even feel defeated at times, but at the end of the day it’s always worth it!

Our girl Charley definitely tested our patience a time or two, but now she’s the most perfectly trained dog! It looks lots of trial and error to figure out the best ways to crate train and bell train her, as well as teach her what was off limits for chewing, but we finally figured it out!

I’ve rounded up some of my favorite puppy hacks that worked best for us in hopes that they may help a new puppy owner too!

PUPPY HACKS FOR NEW PET OWNERS

Choose a Puppy Food That Can Transition Into Adulthood

One of the most important decisions a new puppy owner will decide on is the type of food their new pet will eat. It’s important for your puppy to not only get quality food, but also something that can easily be transitioned into adulthood.

Purina® offers many varieties to suit various dietary needs ranging from puppy food to many options all through adulthood.

Pets are their passion, safety is their promise, and innovation is their pledge. With 500+ scientists globally and over 85 years of research, it’s reassuring that Purina is a food that’s dedicated to the lifelong potential of your pet. 

Purina® ONE® True Instinct Grain-Free Formula is a great option for transitioning from puppyhood to adulthood. It has exceeded safety standards and the brand is committed to quality to advance the lives of pets.

Sign your dog or cat up to take the 28 day challenge on purinaone.com and receive a $3 off coupon. If you’re looking to transition your pet, hover over the image below to shop and be sure to check out the Target site to see more Purina products!

Create a Routine

Creating a routine and sticking to it is one of the easiest ways to train a new puppy. Your routine should be consistent throughout key parts of the day, including feeding time, play time, and especially potty breaks for house breaking. This will allow your puppy to learn what is expected of them and also help them seamlessly transition into your family’s schedule.

Redirect Unwanted Behavior with a Toy

Puppies love to nibble and bite, but despite having those razor sharp teeth, puppies don’t intend to cause harm! The best way to break this behavior is to redirect with a toy every time it happens, and soon enough, your pup will catch on!

Puppy Proof the House

The less stuff a puppy has access to, the less they can chew! When your puppy is little, they don’t understand what is off limits yet and everything on their level is a toy! For your sanity, it’s best to just go ahead and puppy proof the house! Remove any rugs and extra items on the floor you don’t want to risk getting destroyed until your puppy is done teething and is fully house trained.

Don’t Use the Crate for Timeout

In order to successfully crate train a puppy, they need to know it’s their safe place. Crates should never be used as a punishment or timeout spot! Crate training will go smoothly when you reward your pet for entering the crate on their own.

Wear them out

As the old saying goes, a tired puppy is a good puppy! Also, a bored puppy is a bad puppy! It’s important for puppies to get adequate exercise and play time each day. Just 10 minutes of playtime could give you an entire evening of peace and quiet, so be sure to let your new puppy play hard everyday! 

Make Bath Time a Positive Experience

Bathing your puppy for the first time can be quite challenging. The tub is a new environment and water can be scary at first, so to make things go smoothly it’s best to make bath time a positive experience from the get go! The best thing to do for a scared puppy is to distract them! Peanut butter (check the ingredients first!) smeared on the tub wall makes for a great distraction! While your pup tries to lick it off the wall, you can get them clean without creating a traumatic experience! Hopefully these puppy hacks will make your experience as a new pet owner a little better! If you have any puppy hacks for new pet owners, be share your tips and tricks in the comments below!