Top Tips for Your New Puppy

For many new puppy or dog owners, the excitement can get the better of them on collection day. Here at Microchip Central, we try our utmost to advise our customers on the best practices of new ownership. In this week's blog, we'll look to get some of these conversations down on paper, that way you can read it before your collection date.

Puppy or dog ownership comes with a realm of responsibility and it's important for you to understand the early days may not be easy, but they'll certainly be rewarding and pleasurable in the long run.

Your new puppy will more than likely have spent at least the last 8-12 weeks in the comfort of its mother and other pups. What is an exciting new venture for you, can be an unnerving new environment for your puppy.

Top Tips:

1. As tempting as it might be, try not to pass or over handling them around lots of new faces. It's important to limit their exposure to loud noises or startling experiences.
2. Comfort! Just like you'd treat a new guest, make them feel at home. We recommend a spacious & comfortable dog courier with a cosy blanket. Be sure to provide fresh water and some food if you've got a long journey home.
3. Toilet stops are key! Be sure you give your puppy comfort breaks and take spare bedding - puppies are inclined to wee when nervous or excited so watch the car seats!
4. Microchip registration details. Ensure you pup is microchipped and registered to the breeder prior to collection. This has been the law since 2015. Make sure the breeder gives you all the necessary paperwork to transfer the microchip registration of your new pup into your details upon collection.

New keeper shopping list

It can be confusing putting together your shopping list, so we've made it simple for you. Here's our list of top purchases for your new puppy!

1. Collar & Leash
Your puppy will need a collar and leash on the day of collection. Make sure it's new collar is leight weight and can be adjusted as your puppy grows. It's good to get your new puppy used to wearing its new collar right away. This will help when teaching your new pup to walk on a lead. Remember not to fasten the collar too tight, allow room for a new fingers underneath


2. Crates & Containment
During training and the early weeks of your puppy ownership it's handy to have some support to contain & monitor your puppy.


3. Dog bed
Reduce stress levels by providing your puppy with a new and comfy bed. Make sure your puppy's new bed is big enough to stand up, turn around and lie down but don't buy a bed that is too big. You may also want to give you new puppy a comfy cushion or blanket but make sure the materials are safe for pets and easy to clean.


4. Food & Water Bowl
You'll need these ready for the homecoming of your pooch. You can find breed specific food or water bowls to help with those long ears if needed! Make sure you buy a separate bowl for food and water and look out for bowls that are hard for pets to tip over.


5. Towels
It's inevitable your new pup will find itself knee deep in mud at some point. It's great to have a pile of dog towels at the ready. Microfibre towels are great as they are fast drying, easy to clean, compact and often stain and odor resistant. Find out about our new Eco Pet Towels here!


6. Identification
Microchipping and ID tags are a legal requirement but also very important. New puppy's go missing regularly so helping get them back home is imperative. Find out about our dog ID tags here!


7. Toys
Soft, hard or squeaky - give them something to play with in their new home! Pups love to chew toys to help their teeth stay healthy and clean. Choose toys that are safe for puppies and can’t be torn or swallowed


8. Grooming Supplies
Grooming can be conducted at home or outsourced but it's always handy to have the basics available. Shampoo is a must when coming back from those muddy walks!

Making your home puppy-proof

You’ve got a new friend who’s going to be interested in every inch of your house so it’s wise to think about making their new playground a little safer. Most puppy owners will tell you they love sticking their noses in all sorts of places. Taking this into consideration there’s a few changes to protect both your household belongings and your new puppy!

• Make use of your new dog crates or containment areas when your back is turned in the early days. Keep your puppy in a limited area of your home with barriers, making sure doors are closed. A child stairgate is a popular purchase to keep certain rooms off-limits!
• Gardens will be a new adventuring ground but can bring new worries. Be sure to check all fencing, gates and hedges don’t provide your new pup with a route away from home.
• Move hazardous cleaning materials into a high cupboard.
• Household plants will become a quick favourite. Check you don’t have any potentially harmful plants in the house or garden.
• Electrical cords. These are difficult to manoeuvre but should be closely monitor if your new friend is adventuring behind your furniture.
• Remote controls, electronic toys, key fobs, and any other devices that contain batteries should be picked up and kept well out of reach. Not only can small parts be chewed and swallowed, but a swallowed battery is even more dangerous because it can cause burns to the soft tissue inside your pet’s oesophagus on the way down. Disc batteries are especially dangerous!