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Introduction

Hi everyone! I am Paulina, the hoomum of Donut the Maltipoo (@donut.pawfriend). Donut is currently 4.5 months old and is a tiny pup weighing only 1.9kg. Do not let her tiny size fool you, she is an energiser bunny and the epitome of good things coming in small packages.

My husband and I got our puppy on the 31st of July 2020. We watched Youtube for all possible training videos; we combed the internet for all the tips and tricks to being furparents. Yet, when our tiny maltipoo Donut came home with us, we were overwhelmed. 

Fast forward 2.5 months later, I now have a clearer sense of what we did right and wrong when we first brought our little furball home.

Before Your Puppy’s Arrival

1. Set-up a puppy proof area; our home is full of appliances, so it was difficult for us to puppy proof an entire area. Instead, we set up a huge playpen in the kitchen area which we could enter in order to play with Donut. Her crate, toys, and pee pads were all inside her playpen. Our first mistake was putting PVC flooring in her pen. She chewed it up and we had to monitor her for 48 hours to make sure she did not have internal blockage (thankfully she did not).

2. Research veterinarians near your area and schedule a puppy wellness appointment. It can be hard to book some vets, so it is better to reserve in advance.

3. Get a lot of sleep. You will not be sleeping well for the next 3 days at least. Try to bring your pup home on a Friday (or use your leave days) so you have the weekend to devote time to your new puppy.

Day 1 With Your Puppy: Welcome Home

1. Start potty training the minute you get home.

   When Donut arrived, the first place we brought her to was to her potty tray. At first, she was not sure of what to do so we stayed there and waited for about 20 minutes until she peed. When she did, we praised her and gave her a treat. This was an important step in successfully getting Donut (more or less) potty trained in a week. 

2. The puppy’s personality will not shine through in the first day.

   On first impression, Donut was very quiet and shy. We thought that we had won the lottery and that we had gotten a tame and obedient puppy - looking back, we realised we were just naive. During the first few hours at home, Donut would just hide behind her crate and stay at the corners of her pen. It took about 6-8 hours before she warmed up and was ready to play. It took even longer until Donut was ready to eat and poop at home. 

3. Do not overwhelm your puppy

   I know it is tempting to introduce your pup to all your friends, but remember that being separated from littermates and moving to a new home is a huge adjustment for your puppy. Do not make it more overwhelming than it already is. Allow your puppy to come home to a quiet home. If you have young children, remind them to greet the puppy calmly. 

Day 2 With Your Puppy: Vet Visit 

Most shops and breeders have a 48-hour guarantee on a puppy’s health. It is important to get a vet visit in during this period in order to hold the shop or breeder accountable, should anything be wrong. 

Because puppies return to the vets often for the first few months for vaccinations and deworming, we wanted to make vet visits a positive experience for Donut. While her vet was handling her, we rewarded her with treats often. 

Our first vet visit really helped us plan a schedule around Donut. We learned that due to her small size, she needed to be fed more often or else she could get hypoglycaemia. We also asked about the risk of deadly viruses such as parvovirus and distemper in the area so that we could make an informed decision on whether or not we should bring Donut out already.

After the vet visit, she was knocked out and she napped for about 3-4 hours.

We also keep a record of the timing of her bowel movement and urination in order to detect any abnormalities in the future.

Day 3 With Your Puppy: Socialisation 

Since Donut was starting to be comfortable at home we wanted to socialise her to different sounds and sights so that she would no longer whine or be scared. There is this notion that socialisation means playing with other dogs, but it is not just that- it is also getting them used to day-to-day activities. 

We found this great album on Spotify called “Puppy Socialisation”. The album contained common noises such as blenders whirring, doorbells ringing, and police cars passing by. We played this album often, and we made sure to reward Donut with treats so that she could form a positive association and remember that there is nothing to be afraid of. We also bought a stroller because we wanted Donut to get used to the outside world but at the same time we wanted to minimise the risk of parvovirus and distemper. 

Early socialisation paid off. Now, we can vacuum the entire house and whip up a shake in our blender and Donut can just sleep through it. 

Wrapping It Up

It has been 2.5 months since we brought Donut home. We no longer have sleepless nights due to her whining; she is completely potty trained even if we change the location of her pee pad; and she eats like a champ. We have also had our fair share of troubles: Donut had a bad reaction to her Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccine; she also had a urinary tract infection and a viral infection but for the most part we have gotten her schedule (and ours) on track. We are now able to unwind and leave her for up to 3 hours at a time. We also set up a dog camera for our peace of mind, so that we know what she is up to when we are away.

To date, we are still learning and hoping to be better pawparents daily. We hope to share the new things we have learned with you in the future! For any questions, feel free to DM me at donut.pawfriend on IG.