Tips for Your First Few Weeks
Mary Stacey of Jemar Pet Supplies
30 Years of Insight
to help you and
your dog.
While many people give plenty of thought and research into selecting their new companion, perhaps even turning to pet professionals like groomers and vets for advice about food and grooming needs, some of the most critical needs of the new companion end up overlooked because many people are simply unaware.
Stress is an important component of the first few weeks of your dog's life with you. They are getting used to a new routine, environment, family and often other canine companions during this time. It's easy for stress to become anxiety and for that anxiety to result in a host of undesirable and even unacceptable behaviors including aggression (to people or other dogs), excessive barking, destructive behavior and more.
With this in mind, Mary Stacey, the owner of Jemar Pet Supplies, a company with over 30 years experience in advising dog owners offers the following tips:
1) Supervision is key! Keeping your new dog safe from potential hazards which can include toxic substances in the trash or cabinets and electrical cords is critical. The part that supervision plays in developing good habits like housetraining and calmly resting in the house cannot be overemphasized. When you can't be there with both eyes on your dog, consider using a tool like a crate to provide a safe, secure den for your dog. They will be more comfortable being able to observe the goings on in your home than if they were closed up in a garage or utility room and less likely to develop destructive behaviors as a result.
DigitalDog offers more helpful information about cratetraining. Jemar's complete selection of crates will help you find the ideal crate for your dog with a variety of options to suit all budgets and needs.
2) Mental and physical stimulation will overcome alot of future problems. So many dogs, left alone for a bulk of the day, develop bad habits out of boredom and a lack of mental stimulation. Dogs love to think and work, so be sure to teach your dog how to play early on. Many people are surprised at their dog's ability to understand and help develop complicated games like hide and seek and much more. Their ability is often only limited by our imagination! Toys obviously create a great starting point for people and pets to interact. Whether your preferences are for toys to be chased, retrieved, kept away or other options and whether your dog prefers noisy toys over squishy ones or toys that drop treats over bright ones, Jemar's Toy Box (link to Jemar Toy section here) delivers some of the best, newest and most fun toy choices out there.
Obviously playing gives your dog an opportunity to burn off lots of energy (and make them more likely to relax and nap in the house) as well as building new communication and interaction skills with you. Both of these are helpful in developing positive habits and building a base for ongoing learning and training.
DigitalDog also offers more ideas about helping you and your dog learn to play. Easily the most fun you can have learning about your dog!
3) Whether your dog grows a long coat or not, grooming is critical and should be started early. Unfortunately many people think of grooming as something left to the professionals. This creates a potentially unpleasant experience for the dog with increasing stress at every visit. Every dog owner should be comfortable with basic tasks like brushing their dog's coat out completely as well as earcleaning and nail trimming. Jemar (link to jemarpets.com) offers an incredible array of grooming supplies and products. This need not overwhelm you though as our customer service will work with you to select the exact product you need for your canine darling, as well as in being assured that you know how to use it properly.
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