Puppy’s first week is finally here!
It’s finally time to bring home your new Shih Tzu
Pre Puppy Prep:
Establishing a working relationship with the breeder ahead of time is a good first step to getting your Shih-Tzu puppy. Then when you visit the puppies, see the puppy’s parents and ask important questions before you give your down payment like; were the puppies dewormed and vaccinated? Have the puppies started crate or potty training?
At Laliques we make sure all these things are taken care of before we even list the puppies as available, choosing responsible pet owners who ensure the quality of the breed just as strongly as we do.
Bring Home Your Puppy
Just as you prepare the baby’s room when bringing your newborn, you need to prep the house for the new puppy to designate areas for the puppy to eat, sleep, etc, but also establish a plan that aligns with your lifestyle; for instance creating a potty & training plan, an exercise routine for the breed, and a plan for the common room furniture (for shih tzus specifically, since they’re a part of the toy breed and therefore not allowed to jump up or down from furniture for safety reasons). It’s important to also lean on your breeder for food recommendations or logistics of
registering the puppy with the AKC. The feeling of bringing home a puppy is overwhelming – exciting for the kids but can cause worry for how the puppy will adapt to its new home; the best thing about our puppies is our pre-puppy prep to start crate training in order to help puppies transition well to families.
The First Night
It’s key to make the puppy feel loved and wanted in those first interactions also developing safe boundaries that offer both comfort to the puppy and smoothness to the transition. Keeping the puppy close to you is the best way to show the puppy the warmth it craves and is used to from the warm bodies of it’s brothers and sisters. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to cuddle with the puppy nonstop but rather create a safe space where the puppy can see you. Giving the puppy its own area near you and around the busiest spots in your house can be a tangible way to make it feel safe. You can start by getting the puppy used to being in its crate, keeping it close to you at night, and by throwing treats in occasionally in the day with the door open to establish a routine of potty and play…(Check our more resources for Surviving the first night)
For more information, check out our FAQS or give Leanne a call at 719-445-3003