NEW YEAR. NEW PET. NOW WHAT?

Merritt Milam | January 3, 2018

The sights and sounds of the holidays have started to fade. The decorations are put away.  The puppy you got your children for Christmas is chewing on your new slippers…sound familiar? Every year thousands of new puppies arrive as Christmas gifts to the joy and delight of unprepared children and their parents. Unfortunately, thousands each year will be relinquished to shelters because their families don’t have enough time for a pet, or can’t handle behavior issues that arise.

To help you and your children make the transition to puppy parenthood and avoid an unpleasant surrender, we’ve put together a few helpful tips.

Let’s Talk

Talk to your children about the importance of caring for their new pet. Whether it’s a dog or a cat, make sure they understand the responsibilities that come with their new best friend. Just like they needed attention and care as a baby, so does their new pet. Talking about these issues now may avoid big problems later.

It’s A Family Affair

Make sure all family members understand the commitment that’s required to care for a new puppy. Feeding schedules, playtime, grooming, and the inevitable cleanup chores should be everyone’s responsibility, not just the adults. Make sure your children have specific responsibilities for the care and well-being of their new pet. It’s a great learning experience for teaching many life lessons.

Train For Success

We teach our children…so why not our pets? Puppies love to please and training is a great way to channel that love and energy. It also helps provide your children and pet a wonderful bonding experience that will benefit both. Training your new pet not only helps make everyone’s life better, it also helps socialize your pet with other dogs and people. Consider a Puppy Obedience class from Love Them Train Them. They use positive, family-friendly instruction techniques that lead to a more rewarding and nurturing experience for you and your dog.  Classes begin in January – for more information call 205-902-WAGS (9247).

Adding a new pet can be a wonderful experience for the whole family. The important thing is to be prepared. The joy and memories your family make will be remembered for a lifetime. Success is assured if everyone is prepared for the journey.

 

If you would like more information about adopting a pet and our dog training class schedule for 2018, give us a call at 205.902.WAGS (9247) and we’ll be happy to help!