The Best Pet Safety Tips For First Time Puppy Owner

Safety is always number one and it's no different when you raise your puppy for the first time. I'm going to be sharing with you some useful safety tips that you're going to want to keep in mind while raising your new puppy. 

This is Jisuk, Creator of Million dogs. We offer comfortable recovery cones to pets and I’ve seen so many injuries, surgeries and blurry puppies and worried puppy owners. It's not that these puppy parents were bad or negligent, they were just uninformed or maybe slightly distracted or maybe they just didn't have the right setup at home. 

1. Bedding

I know we all want our little cuddly pups to have the softest possible bed. And there are so many amazing pet beds out there, not to mention all those comfy blankets for them! But hear me out! Most trainers do not recommend any bedding in their crate. Bedding in the crate can be Very dangerous because most puppies under a year love to chew on soft squishy things! This means they're going to want to chew on the bed that's in the crate. Did you know it can cost several thousand dollars to have something surgically removed from your dog? Keep the bedding out of the crate until your puppy is well past the chewing stage.

2. Watch the poop

Our 2nd tip is watch the poop! Yes you heard me right. I want you to check your pups poop. It sounds absolutely ridiculous but this is very important!
Even after they've passed the potty training stage, your pups poop can tell a lot about things and definitely show you if they've eaten something they shouldn't. Also poop can also tell a lot about how they're feeling - loose stool may mean your pup has an upset tummy or they ate something they shouldn't have. It’s always best to pick it up right after they go so that they don't form the habit of eating it.

3. Check the temperature

Did you know that a puppy's natural temperature is warmer than ours? A dog's temperature runs between 101 to 102.5°F. This means they are more susceptible to heat stroke than we are. Dogs can't control their temperature by sweating like humans can. They only have a few sweat glands on their paws. The best way they keep cool is by panting. Dogs can get heat stroke from being in the Sun too long and playing for too long. This is why we let our pups run and play for shorter periods of time and then we need to give them breaks often. Pups don't realize that they need to stop running around and playing before they get overheated.
This is why it is important for you to periodically stop the play and give them that break.

4. Be Careful with the Cold

Just because your puppy's temperature is a little warmer than ours it doesn't mean that they can't get cold! A well-fitting sweater to keep your pup’s core a little warmer might be what they need. So don’t forget to check our cozy knit cable sweater which will make your puppy’s body much warmer! Shop below.

5. Puppy proof your home

Did you know that Puppy mouths are more effective than vacuum cleaners?😂Our pups are low to the ground and they explore everything!! Even tiny little things we can't see. This means that really some items like thumbtacks, lost pills, plastic pins from clothing and everything in between are available to them. This is why we recommend having a puppy proof safe area in your home. If you can't keep an eye on them all day, Clean the house and use a puppy pen in the house!

6. Food

What I want to talk to you about is what foods you shouldn't feed your pup!! It's important to know what human foods are okay for pups and which ones you should avoid and even with ones that are toxic and can kill your dog. 
For example we never want to allow our dogs to have grapes, onions, caffeine, chocolate, raisins and sugar.

7. Exercise

So your puppy has lots of energy and you want to make sure you give them the right amount of physical and mental exercise but we don't want to overdo it. But we need to talk about growth plates! Grow plates are made up of cartilage that sits between where the long bones connect and allow the bones to grow long and strong. Puppies don't stop growing before a year, this means if we ask lots of repetitive motions, it can actually put too much strain on those growth plates. If those growth plates get damaged as a puppy, they can have a lifelong impact on your dog's health. This means you can't make them your running partner until they are over a year and you need to limit their jumping to age-appropriate exercises.

Which safety tip did you find most helpful? I'm going to be sharing even more safety tips with you to keep your puppy safe, so don’t forget to bookmark our website!

Thank you.

Jisuk Kim┃ Creator

@milliondogs_hello