In this blog we’ll show you how to keep your puppy out of harm’s way to prevent potential accidents or a trip to the vet:

Understanding Your Puppy’s Behavior

All puppies have unique personalities! It’s important to monitor your pet’s adolescence behavior so that you are prepared for even the unexpected.

• Chewing: Chewing is a very natural behavior that puppies exhibit during the start of their little lives. Dogs chew out of curiosity and the discomfort of teething. Depending on how to train your puppy, some pups may chew more than others.
  Commonly chewed items: Furniture, shoes, game controllers & remotes, socks
• Curiosity and adventure: It’s a whole new world for Fido so of course they’re going to explore! Your puppy will use their mouth, nose, and paws to explore so it’s best to monitor their behavior and respond accordingly.
  Common exploratory behaviors: digging holes, relieving themselves in the house, knocking over trash cans, playing with plants, getting stuck under furniture.
• Socialization: Socializing your puppy is a good way to get them exposed to other humans and pets. This can help eliminate the chances of bad dog behavior such as consistent barking or biting. If you’re looking for a leash perfect for socialization, our friends at Bark Box are offering a FREE, hands-free dog leash with every 6 or 12 month subscription!
• Separation Anxiety: It’s common that puppies experience separation anxiety, which can lead to more than just crying at the front door. Chewing and getting into things they shouldn’t are very common.

Essential Puppy Proofing Tips

Hiding your favorite pair of shoes may not be enough to deter your puppy from finding them as a chew toy. Here are some puppy proofing tips for commonly trekked areas at home.

Living room

• Electrical cords: Make sure you stash your cords into a cord protector as your puppy may view these cords as a chewing rope.
• Choking hazards: Keep kids’ toys and other small items off the floor to decrease the risk of your puppy choking or getting hurt.
• Gates: Place baby or pet centric gates in areas that you do not want your furry friend to access. Having them at the top of steps is smart, too, since puppy legs aren’t fully grown, making their chances of falling a bit high.
  Furniture covers – Investing in furniture covers will help eliminate damage due to chewing, scratching, or even muddy paws on a rainy day.

Kitchen

• Trash: A very common go-to for dogs, make sure you have a sturdy trash can with a lid that does not open easily.
• Kitchen cabinets: Never keep your kitchen cabinets open as cleaning products may be stored at eye level.
• Floors: Make sure you sweep and inspect your kitchen floor in case of scraps that could potentially be life-threatening to your puppy.

Yard

• Fencing: If you have a fenced in yard, inspect it before you get a puppy so that they are secure to prevent any chances of escaping
• Plants: Some plants are toxic to dogs so it’s best to remove them from your outdoor area.
• Grounds: Check your yard for holes (not dug from your puppy) to decrease the chances of them, and you, from falling down. Inspect areas where there can be potential bees, so that your puppy doesn’t get a kiss from a stinging insect.

Puppy Proofing mistakes

Understanding your dog’s abilities will help you better prepare when it comes to making a puppy proof home.

• Underestimating: Sometimes dog owners can underestimate their dogs abilities, especially their jumping height. It’s best to monitor your dog’s behavior so that it’s easier to understand what they like and tend to gravitate towards.
• Leaving items behind: The most common mistake when it comes to puppy proofing a home is leaving items around the house. The most common culprits are houseplants and toys with sharp edges. Regularly inspect your home to prevent a potential trip to the veterinarian.

The importance of training

Puppy-proofing a home is an important step, but training is just as important. Understanding your dog’s breed-specific behaviors and investing time in training your puppy can reduce the likelihood of misbehavior and make for a real puppy-proof home.

Looking for a new paw-some friend? Check out our new puppies today!

The post Essential Puppy Proofing Tips & Mistakes To Avoid appeared first on Keystone Puppies.

The main places to look for reviews of Keystone Puppies are on Google (on our Google profile) and on independent review services – like Site Jabber and Trust Pilot. Finally, we also display some of our favorite testimonials directly on our website.

Check out 1,000+ Keystone Puppies reviews:

Google Reviews (427)     ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Site Jabber Reviews (94) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Trust Pilot Reviews (710) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

After you work with Keystone Puppies, we encourage you to use one (or more) of these platforms to tell us how we did – and to help advise future customers as well.

Frequently Mentioned in Reviews of Keystone Puppies

For the vast majority of families who choose Keystone Puppies for their puppy adoption agency, the most important things about our reviews are how many there are and that our average ratings are so high! If you’ve been concerned with what you’ve seen from other agency reviews, we are grateful that our reviews can reassure you. Additionally, since reviews of Keystone Puppies are often very detailed, they can also give insights about some specific questions you may be having.

Here are a few key points often highlighted in reviews of Keystone Puppies:

Specific Breeds & Breeder – Hearing about individual breeders and individual breeds is a common topic for Keystone Puppies reviews to address. This can be helpful for future puppy parents thinking about adopting from the same breeder.

Puppy Shipping – Many of our reviews provide details about our puppy travel program, which can be helpful for giving new pup parents from far away peace-of-mind.

Answering Questions & Communications – Many reviews highlight the experience of working with our team and getting answers for your questions.

Trustworthiness – Unfortunately, puppy scams are still highly prevalent on the internet. This is why many reviews of Keystone Puppies highlight that we are an honest and trustworthy organization.

Why Keystone Puppies Ratings Matter So Much

Bringing home a puppy is an enormous decision – and where you find your four-legged pal is incredibly crucial as well. Our reviews are a vital tool in helping people from all over the country find the right pet for them.

We are very grateful for all of our customers and our reviews! One of the reasons that Keystone Puppies ratings stand out so much is because many dog adoption agencies don’t put the same focus on dog health – or customer happiness. Seeing our reviews is a key way to know that you’ll be getting a healthy pooch from someone who truly cares about them.

Ensuring that both dogs and pet owners are well taken care of is central to our mission, and that will never change. In fact, we’re taking more strides than ever to hold breeders accountable with our Animal Welfare and Breeder Accountability Specialist!

Meet Our Pups Right Here

Ready to add to your fur-family? There are pups who would love to meet you. Get to know tons of different breeds all looking for their people!

Say hi to our new arrivals!

The post Keystone Puppies Reviews: Where to Find Verified Ones appeared first on Keystone Puppies.

At Keystone Puppies, we’re dedicated to connecting happy, healthy puppies with the families who will love them for life. Since we have ample experience with puppy introductions, we put all of the need-to-know advice into one place. Keep reading to dig up our first time puppy owner tips – or start the search for your pooch right here!

Best Advice for New Puppy Owners to Survive the First 30 Days

Making sure you know what to expect and guaranteeing your house is fully stocked with the essentials to take care of your pup right away – our tips cover all of it. From decades of working with different breeds to our own personal experience with our family dogs, here’s our best advice for new puppy owners:

1. Stock-Up on Chew Toys

Chewing is one of the main ways your pup will interact with their new space. So, having plenty of safe-to-chew items on hand is key to making them feel comfortable – plus, it keeps your furniture free of bitemarks! We also recommend buying multiple styles of chew toys until you learn their chomping preferences.

PRO TIP: If you notice your pup is chewing on furniture or unwanted items, try this anti-chew spray!

2. Clear Your Calendar

The one thing your new dog will need more than anything else is your time. They are making a big transition from being around their mom and siblings and coming home with you. By giving them tons of time and love, you make it easier on them. Plus, you’re going to need to have ample time to train them the rules of your house. Bottom line: some of the best advice for new puppy owners is to make sure you have the time to commit, or else both of you will wind up unhappy!

Our recommendations: the best dog breeds for first time owners!

3. Set a Routine

Here’s a first time puppy owner tip you may not have considered: set a firm routine. Everything from feeding times to walk, play, and sleep schedules should be as similar as possible on a day-to-day basis. This helps keep your pup calm and comfortable as they begin to learn what is going to happen and when. Keep in mind, everything is all new here for your precious pooch – keeping things consistent helps them acclimate.

4. Arrange for Social Time with Other Dogs

While your new puppy pal will be bonding with you most of all, they almost always appreciate the chance to play with other dogs. Giving them an early opportunity to connect with other dogs should be something you do early on. Not only will that help with their transition into your life, but it is a good foundation for development. By socializing your new pup early and often you help them become less fearful of and less apprehensive around other dogs.

Learn how to introduce dogs!

5. Have Someone You Can Talk To

If you know a fellow dog parent, they can be a fantastic resource and support system during this time. Not only will they have their own advice to share for new puppy parents, but they may be able to model their advice in-person, working with your dog. Plus, having someone else to give you an occasional break can keep you feeling fresh during the occasional tough times.

6. Introduce Them to People

This first time puppy owner tip goes along well with the previous two! Introducing your pup to human friends early will help them greet the new people they meet appropriately. This early step is important for nurturing the friendly demeanor you want to see!

7. Remember to Be Patient

Your new fur-baby is quite literally a baby, and the entire world is new to them! That’s why one of the first time puppy owner tips we always impart is to be patient. There will be challenges and accidents. The time will come where you think you have them trained, only for them to regress. Make sure you keep calm and stay patient – getting flustered or upset is counterproductive.

We recommend this dog training guide to help you navigate the challenged of training your puppy!

8. Work with a Reputable Breeder

This is a piece of advice we’d give to ANYONE. The quality of the breeder you work with determines much about the health and temperament of your pooch. A kind and reputable breeder will have treated their puppies well, which makes them even easier to integrate into your life. However, puppies that come from a bad breeder may have emotional or physical difficulties that you’ll have to work extra hard to overcome.

Uncover the can’t-ignore signs of a bad breeder!

Keystone’s Accredited and Certified Breeders

We launched our programs to accredit and certify the breeders that work with us as a way to give peace-of-mind to the families who trust us. In order for a breeder to be able to list their puppies with us, they must meet a rigorous set of requirements, ensuring dog health and happiness! This is our way of taking a stand to shut down puppy mills and terrible breeders – while helping our customers have the comfort and confidence to fall in love with their new fur-ever family member right here.

Here’s why families all over the country choose to work with Keystone Puppies!

Share First Time Puppy Owner Tips with Others!

We hope you found our first time puppy owner tips helpful! If you end up bringing home a Keystone puppy of your own, we’d love for you to share it with our community on Facebook! We’d love to see adorable pics and hear about your experience in working with us. Plus, we encourage you to share your best advice for new puppy owners, too!

Find Your Fur-Ever Friend – No Matter Where You Live 

If you’re ready to start falling in puppy love, you’re in the right place. One of the very best ways to meet your new four-legged family member is by using our Puppy Finder right at the top of this webpage! However, if you don’t know exactly what dog breed is right for you, we can help there, too! Check out our puppy breed quiz and answer a few quick questions to be paired with some possible pooches!

The post 8 First Time Puppy Owner Tips for More Smiles & Less Stress appeared first on Keystone Puppies.

Sometimes, introducing a puppy to a family with an older dog is no walk in the park. The dog who was “there first”, can see the new addition as a threat, annoyance, or latest squeaky chew toy. But with the right tricks – and the right know-how – welcoming a pup can be a time of enjoyment, not frustration!

Read our blog to discover unbelievably easy tricks for bringing a new dog home and introducing them to your current one.

Why Is It Hard to Introduce a New Puppy to Your Current Dog?

If you expect your current dog to welcome a new puppy with open arms (or well, open paws that is), it may not always happen like that. Here are the top 3 reasons why your current dog may be having trouble connecting with a new fur baby:

Aggression – An aggressive dog is a problem in itself, but a dog who is aggressive towards a human or puppy is one to keep an eye on even closer.

Jealousy – If you’re an older sibling, you know exactly what we’re talking about. You may have been young when your baby brother or sister was brought home, but the idea of having to share your mom and dad probably sparked some jealousy. Adult dogs can feel the exact same way when bringing a new dog home!

Territorial – Some dogs tend to become territorial when another pup is brought into the mix – after all, this was their home first! Favorite chew toys, chairs, or blankets that your dog has already claimed as their own may not be open for sharing.

7 Tips When Introducing a Puppy to Your Dog

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but you can teach an old dog to get along with their new puppy friend.

Here are our top 7 tips when introducing a puppy to your dog:

Bring Your New Dog Home with Confidence

During the first few weeks after bringing a new dog home, you will need to nurture the budding relationship between your new puppy and your adult dog. But with a little assistance, a tad bit of perseverance, and lots of love, you will be one big happy family in no time!

Keystone Puppies makes the adoption process easy – and our health guarantees mean you can adopt with confidence! See some of our most popular breeds below:

Let Keystone Puppies Help You Find the Perfect Pooch!

If you’re still on the fence about bringing a new dog home, the experts at Keystone Puppies are here to help! Check out our numerous helpful blog articles if you need help finding the best name for your new dog, ideas for puppy training, or discovering which dog breeds are ideal for families with children.

Still waiting to find the pup of your dreams? Use our puppy finder to fetch your perfect new family addition!

The post 7 Ways to Make Bringing a New Dog Home Easier appeared first on Keystone Puppies.