Things You Must Do When Buying a New Pet
Bringing a new pet into your home is an exciting and rewarding experience. However, before you bring your new furry friend home, there are some essential things you must do to ensure their health, safety, and happiness. Here are some important steps to take when buying a new pet:
Research the breed: Different breeds have different needs, personalities, and health concerns. Before choosing a pet, research the breed to ensure it's the right fit for your lifestyle and home. For instance, it would be very difficult for both you and a Belgian Malinois to live in an apartment in New York City. This is because the Belgian Malinois is a breed that is used for police work. So they are bred to be super high energy and require a ton of external stimulus in order to be happy and well behaved dogs. If you need help finding the right dog breed for you, try out the dog breed selector from Iams! It’s actually pretty in depth and should be able to help you find the right breed you are looking for!
2. Find a reputable breeder or adoption agency: It's important to buy from a reputable breeder or adoption agency to ensure your pet is healthy and has been properly cared for. Some of the things you should ask a breeder who has your potential pup:
Have the parents been health tested? It is very important to know if the breeder has taken the time to health test the parents. A good breeder wants to put amazing animals into the world that will live long and healthy lives. This testing can save you thousands in vet costs down the road.
How are the puppies/kittens socialized? How the young furry ones are socialized is an incredibly important part of their psychology. For instance, my family raises puppies in our kitchen. They experience adult dogs and cats, are interacted with by many humans, and hear all types of sounds. This makes them more chill for you initially. This question also lets you know how much your breeder cares about their dogs. The more time they spend with them, the more they care and the better your puppy will be.
What is your experience with this breed? Good breeders should be able to tell you stories about all types of dispositions and situations with their breed.
Do you provide a health guarantee and contract? Good breeders do. The health guarantee means they are upfront with you on if the pet has any issues like a hernia, overbite, etc. They will make you take your new pet to the vet within a designated time window as well and address any concerns your vet may find (more on this later). The contract should have a no shelter policy in it. This means if you ever need to rehome your pet you would return it to the breeder before putting it in a shelter. GOOD BREEDERS ARE NOT PART OF THE OVERPOPULATION PROBLEM IN SHELTERS. This statement is the key thing to always consider.
How can we contact you after we receive our puppy? Good breeders give lifelong support for their clients and furbabies. Anything else is a big red flag.
What disqualifies a potential buyer from receiving one of your pups? Good breeders care for where there pups go. They do not want their babies to be put in bad situations. This help them later down the road as well as it will prevent headaches like having to take a puppy/kitten back and rehoming it down the road.
Do you have references? A good breeder will always have happy previous customers! The only way they will not is if it is their first litter, which they would explain to you prior to this question as well.
Finding a good breeder is the most important thing you can do in order to ensure you are getting a healthy puppy with a great dispostion. The above questions should let you know To make it easy, buy from one of our preferred partners! Also, Good Dog is a very solid listing site that has ethical breeders there.
3. Prepare your home: Make sure your home is ready for your new pet by pet-proofing the areas where they will spend their time. This may include securing loose wires, removing toxic plants, and setting up their bed and food/water dishes. For dogs, you should do everything you can to make sure their crate feels like their home. Throw some toys and bedding in their kennel. Make sure they sleep in their crate for the first few nights and give them treats every time you put them up and take them out.
For cats, they need to get adjusted to where their litter box is going to be. Be sure to seclude your kitty in the room where their litter box will be for the first couple of days. This way, they can go potty in piece and wont run underneath your couch or a spot where they can hide. A bathroom or laundry room is the perfect candidate for this room. I would suggest putting their bed and cat tree in this room to start as well (you can always move the bed and tree/toys later; do not move the litter box from its original postion though). Be sure to love on them while they are in this room that way your kitty knows you are their person. After a couple of days, let them out to explore their new home!
4. Schedule a visit to the veterinarian: Take your new pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible to ensure they are healthy and up to date on their vaccinations. A good breeder will make this vet visit mandatory in their health contract (make sure it is in the health contract on your end as well). There is usually a 48-hour window for this visit after you receive your new pet. This is mutually beneficial for both you and the breeder. If there are any issues at the checkup, it will be the breeder’s responsibility to take care of it. If there are no issues at the checkup, the breeder is protected from any health concerns moving forward.
5. Purchase necessary supplies: Make a list of necessary supplies, including food, treats, a collar and leash, toys, and grooming supplies. Purchase these items before bringing your new pet home. Our list for dogs consists of the below:
1.Dog food Food and water bowls 2. Collar and ID tag 3. Leash 4. Potty pads 5. Poop bags 6. Dog crate 6. Dog treats 7. Dog bed 7. Toys 8. Training tools 9. Dog chews/chew toys Puzzle or treat-dispensing toys 10. Comfort toys 11. Dental products 12. Grooming products 13. Flea and tick control 14. Heartworm prevention 15. Stain and odor remover
The Checklist for the above list can be downloaded from Chewy here as well
6. Set up a routine: Establish a routine for your new pet, including feeding times, exercise, and training sessions. This will help your pet adjust to their new home and feel more comfortable and secure! Make sure to have patience with your new furbaby also. It will be a big change of pace from them if they are a young puppy/kitten being away from their littermates for the first time. If they are an adult, they will need some time to settle in to you being their new person and routine!
Buying a new pet is a big responsibility, but by taking these essential steps, you can ensure a smooth and happy transition for both you and your furry friend.