A puppy can be a wonderful addition to your household. They are fun, playful, and will quickly become a very important member of your family.

Once you have chosen a puppy, the most important thing to do for your new puppy is to take him/her to a veterinarian for a check-up and shots. This is important for the future health of your pet. Once this has been accomplished, it is time to look at the necessary accessories to insure that your puppy grows into a happy and healthy dog. Following is a list of the suggested items for your new pet.

How to prepare:

1. Educate yourself about dogs. The more you know about the breed the better prepared you can be.

2. Select a veterinarian.

3. Puppy-proof your house and surrounding areas, they are curious by nature

Supplies you need:

1. Pet food to meet your puppies nutritional needs.

2. Shallow food and water bowls.

3. A properly fitted buckle or snap collar, and a light weight leash that is about 4-6 feet in length.

4. A crate/exercise pen, or blocked off "puppy-proofed" area of your home for those unsupervised times.

5. A collage of chew toys, be careful of bells and squeakers if your puppy likes to find them and eat them!

6. A toy box to keep all his toys in.

7. A dog bed with soft bedding.

8. ID tags are necessary items should your dog get lost.

9. Grooming supplies.

10. Lots of smiles and high-pitched giggles of glee.

11. Patience, preferably in large doses.

REMINDER: Puppies are like babies. They require a great deal of time. It is important to realize that the quantity of time you
spend with you puppy is more important than the quality of time when the puppy is very young. By spending time with your puppy,
 you will be able to see what types of behaviors your puppy is doing that is inappropriate. You will then be able to teach your
puppy the appropriate behavior for your household.

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