3 Kids and Us

How to Take Care of Your New Puppy

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Have you recently become a proud owner of a puppy? Congratulations! You made a wonderful decision. Your life will change for the better because you now have a true life companion. Puppies bring a lot of joy to your world but you also need to do your part. You need to learn a few things so that you know how to take good care of your new best friend. So, let’s jump right in!

Get your home ready

Safety is of utmost importance! Before you bring home your beloved puppy, we advise you to make sure that your home is as safe as possible. Just like toddlers, puppies like to explore and check everything out in the house. That’s why you need to protect your belongings from being destroyed by an adventurous puppy. Many call this act of preparation ‘puppy-proofing’. It is similar to toddler-proofing, but there are some differences. Place electrical cords, potential toxins and breakable items out of your puppy’s reach. Do know that ‘child-safe’ latches don’t work on curious and determined puppies. Secure lower cabinets and drawers with locks or metal hardware. It needs to be chew-proof. Invest in pet gates in order to keep your puppy away from certain rooms in your home. We believe that keeping your puppy away from the kitchen and the trash can is a good idea. Your puppy will be safe and you’ll have your peace.

Puppy essentials

Your little pooch will need various items from the very beginning. Some of these items are essential while others are quite helpful. The most important items include a leash, a collar with identification, food and water bowls and chew toys. A comfortable dog bed is recommended and a crate or kennel. Some of these items last for ages but as your puppy grows older, they will need to be replaced. Collars are adjustable but only up to a certain point. When it comes to chew toys, don’t be stingy, since it’s better for your puppy to chew those toys than your furniture. It would also be a great idea to get some chewables from NexGard for dogs, which prevent flea infestations and deter ticks. Considering that your puppy will be quite active and brimming with energy, walks and runs at the park will be common. Of course, your puppy will play on the grass and that gives ticks a chance to strike. So take every necessary measure to prevent infestations. Last but not least, brace yourself for the expenses associated with dog ownership. You’ll want to create a budget and stick to it. Have some extra cash in your budget for unexpected costs too. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

The puppy’s health

Since you’ll want to take good care of your puppy’s health, you have to find a good veterinarian. Within a few days of bringing your new puppy home, you need to take him to your vet for a general checkup. Make the trip to the vet’s office a good experience for your puppy. You don’t want your pooch to be scared of vet, since you’ll be paying quite a lot of visits during the first six months. Firstly, a puppy vaccine is obligatory. If you believe that your puppy should be spayed or neutered, make sure that you do that during that six-month period, too. A vet can identify any potential health issue early on, so establish a good communication with them. Another good idea would be to purchase pet health insurance. In some cases, pet health insurance covers up to 80% of your dog’s health care costs. That way you’ll keep your puppy’s expenses down.

Good food

Just like you choose only the best food for yourself, the same should apply for your puppy. Especially when you consider the fact that your puppy’s diet makes all the difference in his future health and well-being. Firstly, do your research before deciding on which dog food to buy. Consult your vet and fellow dog owners. You can always switch to another food if the food you initially bought does not fit your puppy the best. Fortunately, nowadays the choices seem endless. Some proud owners opt for premium foods while many other go for natural diets. Popularity-wise, homemade and raw diets are on the rise. Take into account the quality of the ingredients, the inclusion of proper nutrients and the taste while you are looking for puppy food. Choose a food appropriate for growth! The food needs to be healthy but your puppy also needs to enjoy eating it.

Follow our guide and you will be ready for the challenge. Just like you take good care of yourself, you need to do the same for your beloved pet. After all, you won’t find a better friend.

How to Keep Your Puppy Happy on a Long Road Trip

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Spring is here and summer is close by, and that can mean only one thing: you have wanderlust! On stunningly bright blue days with fluffy white clouds dotting the skyline, who wouldn’t want to jump in the car and head to the nearest beach or hiking trail for a weekend vacation?

It’s only natural to want to get out and go when the weather is a perfect storm of cool breezes, blue sky and aromatic blooming flowers. But, as a responsible puppy parent, taking off whenever you feel like it just isn’t feasible. If you want to go anywhere for a few nights’ stay that’ll require bunking in the car, you’ll need to make sure your number one doggo is good to go.

Here are a few ways to keep your pup happy on extended family road trips.

Secure your pup. In many states, allowing your dog to roam freely in the backseat of a moving vehicle is illegal. Not only is this maneuver illegal, but if you were to be involved in an auto accident, your dog could sustain a serious injury. To keep your pup safe and feelin’ chill in the backseat, USA Today suggests investing in a dog seat-belt. A dog seat-belt is a type of harness that straps the pooch safely in the backseat while still giving them room to breathe, stretch out and relax.

To make sure your mutt is extra comfy, pack up one of his dog beds and lay it out on the seat. The familiar smells and textures of the bed will distract him from the moving vehicle anxiety some dogs suffer from and should hopefully help him to fall comfortably asleep.

Stop for potty breaks. Is anything ever more uncomfortable than when you need to use a restroom and there are none in sight? If you’ve mapped out the pit stops along the way of your weekend excursion (if not, you should!), make sure you’ve done the same for your four-legged traveling companion. Dogs need a potty break every 4-10 hours. And to keep from sitting too long and forming blood clots, you both should get out of the car and stretch your legs every two hours.

Should your dog in her excitement manage to get away from you, you’ll want to make sure she’s wearing something highly identifiable so she is easily found. A colorful personalized embroidered dog collar will make her easier to spot and will help fellow travelers know that she’s the pooch being sought after.

Keep the music down low. As much as you may want to turn your road trip playlist on at full blast, doing so could damage your pup’s sensitive ears. Instead, keep the volume turned down low and only have the music playing at the front of your car.

Pack goodies. Like children on long car rides, dogs can get bored and irritable. To keep your dog entertained while you look for the exit you need to take to get to your campsite, pack a few of their favorite toys, preferably toys that require a lot of chewing. The more focused they are on their toy, the less they’re crying out to be let in the front seat beside you.

Monitor the air flow. Make sure that the backseat isn’t too hot or too cold. To remain feeling well and fresh, your pupper will need her airflow to feel natural and relaxing. You may be tempted to roll the windows down so she can stick her head out and let her ears flap in the wind, but you must refrain from doing this. Jaymi Heimbuch of Mother Nature Network writes that this is dangerous as another motorist could come into contact with your pup’s head on the highway. And if your pup is unrestrained, they could jump or fall out of your moving vehicle, causing a fatal injury.

If you follow the canine ride safety tips above, you and your pupper will be in for a fun road trip together!

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We left our home in Sydney, Australia many moons ago in May 2012 and, other than a brief stint back in Perth for Christmas and a wedding in early 2014, we have been travelling the world nomadically ever since, running a business from our laptops and we’re here to show you how to do it!