Lots of Dogs Arrived as Holiday Gifts this Season, and PetSmart® Helps New Puppy Parents with Tips on Transition, Toys, Food and More

84 Percent of U.S. Dog Owners Believe a New Puppy is More Exciting
Than a New Car*; Now is the Time to Get the Best Advice for Welcoming a
New Puppy Home

PHOENIX–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nothing is more heartwarming than the first warm nuzzle from a new
puppy, especially at the holidays. As a matter of fact, nearly half (46
percent) of dog owners have bought or adopted a puppy specifically
around the holidays* and a stunning 51 percent of those who got a puppy
at the holidays revealed they have also made a New Year’s resolution
involving their puppy*.

To help new puppy parents welcome their pets home – and keep those New
Year’s commitments – PetSmart, the largest pet specialty retailer across
North America, and trusted partner to pet parents and pets, is here to
help with expert advice including pet nutrition, socialization, new
puppy essentials and pet healthcare.

“No matter the season, it’s always a moving and emotional experience
when a puppy finds a new home,” said Eran Cohen, chief customer
experience officer, PetSmart. “We at PetSmart love all pets and know
they make us better people. Our passionate associates are available to
help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they can live more
fulfilled lives. For many families across the U.S., that journey started
earlier this month with a new puppy arrival at the holidays — a true
gift for all.”

The survey results show that puppy love and the trust we have for them
is very real. Among millennials in the recent study, about 60 percent
say they have told their puppy more secrets in their first year together
than they have told to their significant other*. Even choosing the right
name for a new puppy is a serious – but fun – business, with roughly
half of those same survey respondents saying it was harder to agree on a
puppy’s name than a child’s name*!

Once the New Year’s countdown is over, these tips on caring for a new
puppy can help keep them happy and healthy for years to come:

ID Your Pet

New pets are still getting acclimated to their new home and with people
in and out, it can be easy for them to slip out of a door. Be prepared
in case they embark on an unplanned solo journey around the
neighborhood. To ensure you are reunited with your pup, outfit them with
proper ID, including a TagWorks®
Personalized ID Tag and durable matching collar
and leash.

Find a Veterinarian

A veterinarian should be your first call if your puppy gets into
something that could potentially harm them. Vets are also great
resources to keep you up-to-date on puppy care, like knowing when to
vaccinate. Use the askPETMD app to find a veterinarian in your area.
This free app is available now for iOS and Android devices at the Apple
App and Google
Play stores.

Pup-Proof Your Home

Dogs love to chew, whether it’s on shoes or something more dangerous
like wiring and extension cords. To protect them and promote positive
chewing experiences, use toys or treats to occupy their time and allow
them to chew safely such as a Nylabone®
Puppy Bone Starter Toy Kit and a durable KONG®
Puppy Toy. Keeping toxins away from puppies is critical too, so
place household products like trash, laundry detergent and cleaning
supplies out of their reach.

Give Puppies their Own Space

According to the recent Wakefield and PetSmart survey*, 47 percent of
U.S. dog owners let their puppy sleep in the bed with them seven nights
per week*. But, when it’s time for puppies to rest on their own, create
a space for them to nap and feel safe. A puppy crate like this one
can do double duty, providing puppies their own area away from stressors
and as a structure that promotes potty training. A warm and cozy “cave
pet bed” is a great refuge for pups to rest and snuggle too.

Give Your Pup Time to Say Hi

Socialization is critical during a pup’s early years. While everyone may
be ready to meet the new member of your family, consider introducing
them to one or two people at a time, so the puppy can get to know them
and warm up to their scent.

Research Puppy Nutrition

It may be tempting to feed a puppy human food, but they require
specially formulated puppy food and often have different eating
schedules than an adult dog. Do your research, read labels and ask
questions of the experts. Consider Simply Nourish™, Blue
Buffalo® or Only Natural Pet®, leading
natural pet lifestyle brands, which offer such formulas as Puppy
Power Feast food, as well as lots of great pet treats.

Invest in Training

Consistent training is an important responsibility of a puppy parent.
Dogs crave love and praise, and a properly trained pooch will better
understand what’s expected of him or her and will be happy to showcase
good behavior. Get help from puppy
training experts to ensure all human family members and the new pup
to live happily in one harmonious pack.

Use the PetSmart Pet Lifestyle Mobile App

Perfect for the on-the-go pet lifestyle, PetSmart’s new mobile app can
assist new pet parents with tips and content. Pet parents can register
and create a pet profile for their new pup, and get tailored content
that can help guide pet parents through the first months with a new
puppy. The app provides checklists and guidelines for scheduling
vaccinations, alerts to train a puppy, suggestions on food choices, and
even provides tips on what kind of items you might need during the
various stages of a puppy’s growth and development. The new app is
available now for iOS and Android devices for free at the Apple
App and Google
Play stores.

Consider Pet Adoption

For those looking to get a new pet, consider pet adoption. As a gift to
those who saved a life through adoption (no matter where they choose to
adopt their pet**), PetSmart offers its free Adoption Kit, which
provides useful content on how to integrate a pet into the family while
offering true value – with more than $450 in real savings – to the
adoption parent. Included are coupons for a free bag of dog or cat food
from Simply Nourish™, Authority® or Good Natured™, a free veterinarian
visit, a complimentary private training session with an accredited
trainer, a free Doggie Day Camp session and a free overnight boarding
stay, as well as half-off on a grooming service. Also included are
savings on all the essentials for a new pet, including beds, crates,
gates, brushes, feeding bowls, collars, leashes, toys and treats, as
well as solutions like pet calming products and stain and odor remedies
for any mishaps that may occur.

* According to a recent online survey of 1,000 dog owners in the U.S.
and Canada commissioned by PetSmart and conducted by Wakefield Research.
**
Adoption paperwork is required.

About PetSmart®

PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and
solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and
we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection,
PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their
pets so they can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts
everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates
and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 55,000
associates, operate approximately 1,500 pet stores in the United States,
Canada and Puerto Rico and 204 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat
boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively
priced pet food and pet products and offers dog training, pet grooming,
pet boarding, PetSmart Doggie Day Camp day care services and pet
adoption services in-store. Our portfolio of digital resources for pet
parents – including PetSmart.com, PetFoodDirect.com, Pet360.com and
petMD.com – offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet
care information in the U.S. Through our in-store pet adoption
partnership with independent nonprofit organizations, PetSmart
Charities® and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, PetSmart helps to save the
lives of more than 500,000 homeless pets each year.

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Contacts

Golin for PetSmart Inc.
Danielle Bickelmann, 469-680-2503
dbickelmann@golin.com
or
PetSmart
Media Line:
623-587-2177