Puppies are one of the cutest creatures on the planet, but as cute as they are, they need great care and patience to become a good pet. If you are planning to be a new puppy owner, here are some things you should keep in mind while raising your cute little friend.

Prepare your house for the new member

Puppies can get into all sorts of trouble even in a place as safe as your home. Electrical cords, low lying switchboards or thorny plants pose a great risk to your puppy as the puppy might chew on to them and injure himself. So its important to puppy proof your house before you bring the puppy to his new home. look for all the places he could reach and remove all the things that may harm your puppy.

Choose the right name for your puppy

Naming your new pet is a very special thing but be wise to choose a name that your dog can recognize and learn easily. Choose a short name that ends with a strong consonant sound like B, T, K, O, R. Names like Ginger, Jack, Toby are easily recognizable by dogs and it helps a lot while training your pup.

Set up a vet appointment for your puppy

Taking your puppy to a veterinarian should be on the top of your to-do list after you adopt a puppy. Vet will look into your pup's health and inform you about pending or required vaccines, infections and deworming if required. and will educate you about dog ownership.

Diet tips for your new puppy

This one is very important. Puppies grow rapidly and need right nutrition to support their rapid muscle and bone growth. Thus, great care should be taken when deciding the diet for your new pet. Your pup should eat a mix of protein, carbohydrates and nutrient-rich food and drink water from 3 weeks on. Here are some points you should keep in mind while planning the diet for your puppy.

What to feed

Ideally the puppy should feed on mother's milk till 6/8 weeks. But you can start feeding the puppy some solid food from 2/4 weeks. This food should be a mix of food and water in 3:1 ratio, that is 3 part solid food mixed in one part water. This helps puppy to digest food easily. Its preferable to feed your pup commercially manufactured food since they have all the necessary ingredients and is easily digestible. Avoid foods that contains high amount of cereals and flavorings.

When and how much to feed

Puppies, like babies, need many small meals a day. You might need to feed your puppy three to four times a day. Its recommended to train your pup to eat as per a fixed schedule so that you can take note of your pups diet and determine the portion sizes your puppy needs by observing his feeding behavior.

How to feed
Puppies should ideally be fed through hands as it helps create a bond between you and your cute pet. And this brings us to our last point:
#5.Be consistent with your Puppy
Raising a Puppy needs patience and consistency. Serve meals at regular times. Take him out for walks every day at around the same time and train your puppy consistently. This includes establishing a proper bathroom routine as well. Reward him for obedience and good behavior and teach him necessary skills. Last but not the least, be a responsible puppy owner, after all its one of the cutest things in the world.