BlueMyst Australian Shepherds

Bringing Your New Puppy Home

What Now? Being Safe Outside

Bringing home a new puppy can be one of the most exciting times in your life, especially if it's your first puppy.

You immediately want to share your new sweetie with everyone you see, but the truth is, you could innocently expose your new fur baby to diseases and dangers that could change both of your lives forever. Joy could quickly turn into heartbreak in the blink of an eye.

The most important thing you can do for your puppy is to complete the puppy vaccinations, before taking him/her anywhere.

Since a puppy does most of its growing and development in the first 6 months, this is the time to be the most protective, and to take the most precautions to avoid situations that would expose him/her to a number of dangers, both inside and outside your home.

Places that you should be cautious of, or avoid:

•Your own backyard

•Walking in the neighborhood

•Dog parks and neighborhood parks Dog Parks with Reviews

•The beach, hiking, and hunting areas Be Careful of Outside Areas

•Going to pet friendly stores, like Petco or Petsmart

•Visiting pet stores and touching the animals, with or without your puppy

•The veterinarian's office

•The groomer

•Taking your puppy to any dog care facility

Right about now your thinking, I can't take my puppy anywhere outside of my house, that's impossible!

True, but for the first 6 months of your fur baby's life, treat him/her as if he/she were a 2 year old human baby. In fact, you should seriously think about taking the same kinds of safety precautions with your own children. Poisoned Profits

You may not be able to puppy proof the entire world, but you can make sure that your home environment is safer, starting with your own back yard.

YOUR OWN BACK YARD

Look around your yard. How safe are the plants?  Foxtail Weeds  California Foxtails  Common Poisonous Plants Remember, puppies smell and taste everything.

Are you using pesticides to maintain your yard for weeds, ants, gophers, or snails? More Outdoor Hazards

Chemicals in antifreeze and rat poisons, can be deadly to your puppy. Here is some information on what to do if your puppy eats rat poison. Here are the top 10 causes of dog poisoning. More poisons to avoid.

If you have a landscaped yard, and you want to keep it looking that way, set up an area of the yard that is pesticide free, AT ALL TIMES, including water run-off from the main yard.

Exercise pens are easy to use, and you can clip 2 or 3 pens together to make a larger area. You can also use them inside the home, and they easily fold up for storage.

Make sure there is a shaded area, water, and shelter from the sun, rain, and snow. Let this area be the puppy's own personal space, so when he/she digs, and chews on puppy safe plants, you won't be upset.

If you have flies, your puppy could be at risk. Flies carry diseases. Parvo is one of the more deadly diseases here in our area that can kill a puppy in 3 days or less. Parvo

Mosquitoes may give your pet heart worms, so if you live in an area known for this, make sure you do not have standing water around your home, and bring your dog into the house when mosquitoes are present. Mosquitoes cause heart worms

If you live in an area where insects and other pests are unsafe, try using natural ways to deal with it, if you can.

WALKING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

When you walk a puppy that is 6 months of age or older in the neighborhood, you're exposing them to pesticides, herbicides, poisonous plants, car fluids, animal droppings which may contain worms and diseases, and animals with diseases. You also have to deal with other dogs that may attack your puppy.

Some sadistic dog owners get enjoyment out of encouraging their dogs to attack other dogs. They quietly get their dogs to attack, then run over to you after watching the attack for a minute or two, and act as if they are sorry it happened. Watch out for these mentally disturbed individuals and their dogs. It happens more often than you can imagine.

Also, if two or more dogs are running loose, it is very likely that if one of them attacks your puppy, all of them will attack him/her, with deadly results. You may also get badly bitten while trying to stop the attack. You can use 3% hydrogen peroxide for wounds.

If you still think it's safe to walk your puppy on leash in the neighborhood, remember, if your puppy drinks water from the gutter, or from someone's yard, it is very likely to be contaminated.

If your puppy chews on someone's healthy looking grass or plants, it's likely that they are covered in pesticides, fertilizers, and snail bait, and your puppy could be poisoned.

If your puppy meets up with another dog, it will greet it by sniffing the dog's backside, and licking the dog's face. This is normal canine behavior. The other dog may look completely healthy, but could be carrying worms, fleas, ticks, or a disease that could be given to your puppy.

Also, never let your puppy drink from a community drinking place. The slobber from the other dogs could make your puppy sick.

The dangers you have when walking your puppy in your own neighborhood, are the same for all outside areas.

Dog parks and neighborhood parks also have dogs that play too rough, and when your puppy is around other puppies/dogs for playtime, it could turn into a hospital visit, where bones could be broken, or injuries to joints and backs.

Make sure your puppy is on a leash and at your side, so that he/she doesn't end up with an injury that could leave him/her with a disability, and you with a huge vet bill.

When you go to a pet store and pet the animals, you could be petting sick animals. Don't bring the sickness back to your pets by petting them after you return home. Parvo can be easily transmitted this way. A lot of people pet these animals, and they could have also given a sickness to these animals. It goes both ways.

Finally, going to the veterinarian's office also exposes your puppy to illnesses and parasites from the dogs that are brought to the office. Try to keep your puppy away from the other dogs, and the outside areas near the vet's office where sick dogs could have urinated and left feces.

Don't think for a minute that the issues described above couldn't happen to your puppy/dog. It's people with that kind of thinking that are sitting in an emergency room right this minute feeling guilty and saying to themselves, "I should have been more careful."

You can never be too careful with a puppy that is 6 months of age or younger, and once a dog is over 6 months of age, and has all of his/her puppy shots, there is still no guarantee that direct contact with a sick or out of control dog is ever completely safe for your fur person.