Celebrate National Puppy Day

  • Sarah Reyes, Everett Animal Shelter outreach team
  • Thursday, March 12, 2015 10:53am
  • LifeFur and Feathers

In case you weren’t aware, National Puppy Day is right around the corner on March 23. If you have been considering bringing a new pup into your home, now is the time to act! If you and your family are ready, here are some tips for when you bring home your soon-to-be family member!

Children: First and foremost, make sure that not only are you ready for the new addition, but that the new dog will be ready for your home. If you have younger children, be sure to always have proper supervision during puppy-child interactions. Children may try to show affection to the animal, but could instead end up harming it. In return, the pup may try to end the scary situation by nipping or scratching at the child, resulting in a bad outcome for both sides. Give the puppy a safe sanctuary where he can go to be alone for times when he, or your child, is too excited.

Potty Training: Take your new pup out frequently and show praise when they make it outside, whether you do that through a treat, or through positive reinforcement. Puppies take a lot of patience. Accidents happen, but having patience is key. Try to correct mistakes early on in the process so they don’t become a habit. Simply remove the puppy from where the accident occurred and place them where you would like them to go. Keeping a schedule of when your pet needs to go outside will also help eliminate accidents, while keeping you and your pet on track. You should expect more accidents than not. You will need to be diligent and patient in your training, but they’ll get it sooner or later and will be on the road to being a good adult dog. If you don’t have the patience for potty training, you should think about getting an adult dog that has already been trained.

Diet: Puppies need a high-caloric intake during their time of rapid growth. It is suggested that puppies can transition to solid food when they’re about four weeks old, during the time when they can no longer get the calories they need from nursing. It may still be necessary, however, to moisten the dry food to make it easier for your pup to consume.

Teething: A puppy’s teeth begin to come in when they are around 16 weeks old. From here, the world is their chew toy, and owners are not off limits …namely fingers. Never let a puppy chew on your fingers as play. If that happens, remove your fingers and replace them with an appropriate chew toy. It may seem fun when your puppy is still small, but as the dog grows those teeth will get larger. When the nipping and biting ends and the chewing on appropriate items begins, reward your pup with praise. Talk with the folks at your local pet store about appropriate chew toys for puppies.

Vaccinations: Vaccinations are crucial during the first year of your puppy’s life. Be sure your pup has had all of its vaccinations before you take them to a dog park or let them interact with other dogs. Until their vaccinations are complete their immune systems are not fully developed and they are susceptible to disease. Check with your vet about the vaccinations necessary for your pup.

Bringing home an energetic bundle of joy is not only wonderful, but it is also a huge commitment in all areas including time, financial resources, and especially, patience. If you are not ready for this responsibility, then do not rush into adding a new member to your family. However, if your household is yearning for a new pup, then following these steps above is a great start to a lifetime of happiness with your new pal.

Learn more about the Everett Animal Shelter. Plan a visit, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and check out all of our adoptable pets. And be sure to watch our featured Pet of the Week on the Everett Channel.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.