Hi guys this is Lisbeth again, and in this opportunity I'm going to share my thoughts on an amazing topic: Welcoming a new pet to the family, so let's start from the beginning.

If this is your first fur kid, congratulations! You will unlock a new level in your heart and mind, because all pets are to humans not only companionship but also teachers full of life knowledge, there is no lie when someone tells you that your life will change if you get yourself a pet, but it will change for better, of that I'm sure.

If this is not your first time having a furbaby and there is other pets at home, the easiest way is introduce them to the new furbaby and allow them a couple minutes to smell, feel and play each other, normally older dogs and cats are very curious but welcoming to new pets, so if this is the case you are very lucky it will be matter of days for them to feel like a real pack, but if it goes the other way and one or the other are very uncomfortable, then it is always my best recommendation to invest in a professional dog trainer to help ease this situacion as soon as possible, and you can live in a peaceful pack environment.

So let me share from my experience what I truly recommend for you to know prior to taking the new baby home:

• Age: depending on how you got your dog, if its a rescue, from a breeder, from a family friend, it is always important to know the age or an estimated date of birth not only to celebrate them their PAWtys which is important hahaha but mostly because we want to make sure they are having the food and nutrients corresponding to their age and developing process, if you are unsure on the age and it does not seems obvious, it is always my recommendation to take the baby to the vet, they are the professionals.
• Size: and by size I meant the actual size of the breed when they are fully develop, you need to make sure that your home is the correct fit to accommodate your new furkid and responsibility, in case your home does not meet the criteria according to the size you can always make extra steps to make sure your pet is comfortable with the home size its living (example: if your house is small and you know your puppy will develop as a very large breed, make it use to large walks with a lot of running and playing every day so the routine meet the breed necessities and the house sizing won't be a problem at all).
• All on board?: This means if all the household members are okay with having a new pet, let's remember that pets are long time responsibilities, they are live beans and they deserve to be treated with respect.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE SET?

Prior to the arrival we recommend for you to already have a designated space for the new pack member, in which I would definitely include:

-Bed or blankets for the chill time

-Water and food bowls, if there are other animals, each needs their bowls separated from the others.

-If you already know what food the new baby is having, you can get it in advance, or have a conversation with your vet in case of any specific recommendations according to the breed or size.

-Make sure what vaccines are already up to date or not and schedule your next vet appointment to make sure everything is under control; normally pets can't leave the house until they complete their vaccination, it is best practice to also make sure the other pets in the house are up to date on their vaccines too.

-A lot of patience, remember this is going to be a young pup or kitten, they are full of energy and curiosity, make sure to look your shoes and other things that you don't want for them to destroy in a different room or have it out of their reach, playing with them and create a walking and exercise routine since very youngs helps a lot with this part of the process.

-Make different research, on training tips, pee pee training, best treats and food, all according to your new furkid, let's make our best effort on making it feel at home and safe.