The New Dog in the Family
We've been discussing my first days with my dog, Griffey, and the things that we can learn from my ownership of an animal. After our cocka-poo, Griffey, arrived, it was really important to realize certain things to try to help him to adjust. The first night, we awoke in the middle of the night to a piercing scream. We had put Griffey in his own room, in a little kennel and had assumed he would sleep through the night.
Tip #1 - Your new puppy is a baby - really a baby! He will have trouble sleeping through the night at first, just like a baby does. The puppy is used to being surrounded by his mom (perhaps), other puppies, etc. It's very hard for him to suddenly be in a new environment.
We took him out and let him pee, walk around for a bit, and cuddle. And then we put him back in his kennel. I was startled by this experience, and it would have been helpful for me to have been prepared.
As I mentioned in the last post, I bought all sorts of dog equipment for Griffey before he even arrived. The funniest thing was his leash. It worked on a pulley system of sorts and the dog was supposed to pull the owner along. Griffey was so small when we bought him, that he couldn't possibly make it work!
Tip #2 - Take your dog with you, after you purchase him, to the pet store and pick out things that you truly need. Ask someone who works there for assistance. This will make your buying much easier and more useful.
Enjoy your first days with your pet - it's a great time in your life!
