So, you’ve just gotten a new puppy and you are definitely overwhelmed with love for the little being. It’s adorable and all kinds of amazing and, of course, you don’t want to leave it all alone when you need to go out. That’s, possibly, part of the reason why people have started to take their dogs everywhere.
But not everyone is happy about it. And as a new dog owner, you need to understand that there are places where you shouldn’t take your puppy with you. It’s a consideration for the safety of everyone involved, including both yourself and the puppy.
However, there are also places where you should definitely go as often as you can. That’s because your new little friend needs exercise to develop into a healthy and happy dog, and it might not be able to get the necessary kind of workout in your apartment.
Places You Should Visit with Your Dog
The main point of taking the dog out is to give your pet a workout. For a puppy it’s crucially important because dogs need to develop physically. Therefore, you should get a comprehensive puppy exercise chart and set out to explore all dog-friendly parks within your reach. And plan your schedule so you can spend a few hours there because your little furry friend has a lot of energy and needs a lot of work to strengthen bones and muscles.
You should also take your puppy to explore the wilderness. Going on a hike? Take the puppy with you, provided that you do everything to protect the little guy (or gal) from parasites, insects, and overheating.
Aside from the vast patches of nature and specialized dog parks, you need to be extremely careful with where exactly you take your pet. They might be allowed to many places, from stores to cinemas, but you need to recognize the dangers you might face there.
And above all, you need to consider the comfort of your pet. Remember that while you might want to keep your puppy with you at all times, they definitely won’t be comfortable in a place like a cinema because the sound will hurt the dog’s sensitive ears.
Places You Shouldn’t Take Your Puppy To
In essence, all heavily-populated areas aren’t good places for dogs. Of course, sometimes it’s unavoidable that you have to go through crowded streets or parks where kids play ball. You might also need to pop into a store on your way to or from a walk. However, on each of these occasions, you need to consider that the animal you have on the leash is, in fact, an animal. Therefore, it requires careful monitoring at all times.
And while not all dogs react to people with fear or anger, there’s a risk that something might trigger this kind of reaction. If that happens, your puppy, yourself, and, possibly, bystanders will be in danger.
So, if you take your dog out in the public, be sure to watch it carefully and keep the animal on a short leash or in a carrier. This is most important when you are near places that can cause high stress to dogs. Those are parks where people play ball or run, roads, and stores with loud sounds in the background.
Also, you should definitely avoid taking your puppy to a stadium as they might get scared and develop behavioral problems because of it. Even if this doesn’t happen, there’s always a risk that the dog will get startled or stressed and it might attack someone or run away. In either case, the owner will end up in trouble, and the animal itself might meet a tragic end.
Conclusion: Reconsider Taking Your Puppy Everywhere
The reasonable thing for a puppy owner to do is to forget about the movies where you see girls carrying their pets everywhere and to think about the animal’s wellbeing instead. This means that you should only take them to places where the dog will be comfortable and have a chance to relax and enjoy being outside.
Also, you should find out exactly when you can start taking your puppy outside. The dog needs to be healthy, strong, and, above all, vaccinated before they can venture outdoors without the risk of catching some deadly disease. Talk to your vet if you aren’t sure whether your puppy is ready to take on the great outdoors.