Last month, my wife and I became the proud owners of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy. Since then, we’ve been searching out things to do with our “little girl” that are both entertaining and helpful in getting her to become the perfect family pet.

Our first step was to enroll Chloe in PetSmart’s puppy class. Although it didn’t sound like much fun, puppy class is actually an entertaining hour where we get to learn good tips and tricks for training our dog. It’s also been a great way to meet a few people who are also new puppy owners and to share some stories about the naughty things our puppies are up to when not in class.

Another way we’re getting the puppy adjusted to being around people is to take her to pet-friendly restaurants in the area. It’s not something I’m a fan of doing all that often, but it enables us to get in a good meal and lets Chloe meet some unfamiliar faces. We also get to practice our puppy-class commands like sit and stay a lot. One of the better locations we’ve found in our neck of the woods is the new French pastry on Plant St. in Winter Garden. Their soups, salads and sandwiches are the perfect summer lunch and their pastries are to die for. Just give the chocolate eclairs a try and you’ll be hooked.

Finally, an option we’ve yet to try out is heading to one of the many dog parks in the Orlando area. These parks are fenced in and allow dogs to run around off-leash and misbehave (playfully) all they want. Orange County has a list of dog parks available on their website that includes addresses and phone numbers. Orlandodogparks.com offers similar information, along with a separate blog and articles on dog-related stories.

If you’ve got any other tips for a new puppy owner, please leave them in the comments. If you’re interested in the PetSmart puppy class, just stop by one of their stores or visit their website for more information.

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