Single Mother Tips on Getting a Family Pet

Family pets like dogs can provide key support for the entire family. That is why they are so great for single parents. Dogs can give your children the support and love that they need, while also teaching them crucial and key skills. Not only can they benefit your child’s development, but they can also even help you relax, stay productive, and can even help you reach your daily physical exercises requirement. This means that not only will dogs make you happier, they will also make you lower your blood pressure, cholesterol, and can help you manage your weight. Dogs are very tactile animals, and they are also very attuned to our emotional and physical states of being, making them the perfect companion and addition to any family.

The breed or mix you choose should be researched beforehand, though. Each breed has different personality traits and health issues, so knowing beforehand will help you ensure that the breed you choose is a good fit for your family. Once you’ve chosen the right breed for your family, it’s time to welcome them into your home!

Vet Visits

When you first bring your puppy home, you shouldn’t let them go outside. That is because they do not have the full immunity that they need to protect themselves from common diseases. This is especially true if you live in warmer climates, since even small nuisances like mosquitos can cause problems for your puppy. These problems are the very reason that you need to go to the vet once you bring your puppy home. Vaccinations can help boost your new puppy’s immune system so that they live a long and healthy life.

The vet visit can also help you discover any other underlying health concerns. Some will be treatable, while others won’t be. When your puppy has an untreatable condition, you need to take him back to the breeders. While it may seem cruel to do this, the puppy will instead live out the rest of its short life with its mother, and you don’t have to traumatize your children.

The vet can also check for many other things and provide different services, including:

1. Worms

Deworming is a common practice. This is because puppies likely contract the parasites before they are born from their mother. That is why you need to go to the vet to have them examined. If done promptly, your puppy will be fine. If this is left untreated, the worms can lead to anemia and severe weight loss. In puppies especially, this could be fatal.

2. Heartworm

Heartworm is another disease that puppies can contract that you can easily prevent with a trip to the vet. This disease is spread by mosquitoes, and the parasites involved live in your puppy’s cardiovascular system, particularly the heart. Preventing this disease is your best option.

3. Spaying/Neutering

There are disadvantages and advantages to spaying or neutering your dog. If you plan on breeding your puppy, then you should, of course, leave them as they are. But spaying/neutering can prevent cancers later in life, and more. Discuss with your vet what the full benefits and disadvantages would be, and make the decision for yourself.

At Home Preventative Measures

Protecting your puppy from disease and harm is imperative. They are like any other baby – they need support, protection, love and care. They also need a consistent and firm training regimen. This means not letting your puppy up onto the couch if you want to make that a rule. The more consistent you are, the better. Furthermore, the more preventative measures you have in place, the better. While the vet can help your puppy out if he ever becomes sick, it’s always better to stop that from happening in the first place.

This means using Pet-Lock dog flea and tick medicine before ticks ever arise. There are preventative measures that you should put in place, and, if your dog does become infested, ways to kill off the invasive species before they enter and spread throughout your home.

Thankfully, preventing and treating these inflictions is easy, and you have the support of your vet to help guide you through the process. Training your puppy, on the other hand, will require all hands-on-deck.

Training

When you first bring a new puppy home, you need to get your kids on board. You likely spend your days at work, which means that you will need all the help that you can get. The most important part of getting your kids on board with puppy training, however, is to ensure consistency. Your puppy won’t learn what he can or cannot do if you occasionally let him do things. If you don’t want your puppy to jump up on the couch, then you will have to be firm with that rule. You can’t have your kids undermining your training and letting your puppy get away with what he wants when you aren’t around!

First-time dog owners should also go to puppy-training school. This is also a perfect learning and bonding experience for your children. That’s why you should enroll your kids so that not only does the puppy learn something, your kids do too.

Exercise

Dogs of all ages need a lot of exercise, and once your puppy is cleared to go on walks by your vet, you need to walk him every day. The best solution to manage both your time better and to teach your children responsibility is to either take your children with you on these walks, or to get your children to take the puppy on walks on their own (if they are old enough). The puppy needs to be the family pet because you’re already providing for a family of your own.

Dogs are simple to take care of. All they need are their needs to be met, and for them to be loved. That is why they are such a great companion, teacher, and friend to all members of the family.

Thanks to Carol Trehearn