What to Do With a Puppy on the First Days At a New Home?

Your first few days with your new puppy are critical to your future with your dog and set the tone for the relationship you will develop. Preparing for the arrival of your puppy and ensuring the first few days are a success will start the dog-human bond on the right track.

  1. Before

    • Prepare for your puppy's arrival before your bring her home. Go shopping. You'll need a crate, food, bowls, toys, harness, collar, ID tag and leash. Pick up a few extra rolls of paper towels as well. You'll need these for cleaning up the messes during house training. Set up your puppy's crate and have all of her supplies at the ready. Also, puppy-proof your home. Ensure that any items on which the puppy can injure herself or choke are out of reach. Put away any items you don't want the puppy to damage.

    Veterinarian

    • You should take your puppy to the veterinarian within the first few days that you have him. If you have other pets at home, you should take the puppy to the veterinarian before you take him home. You don't want to spread parasites or disease to your other animals. You should also ensure your current pets are current on vaccines and parasite-free before bringing the puppy home. At the veterinarian, the puppy will receive a set of vaccinations, a fecal examination, de-worming if necessary and protection against topical parasites such as fleas and ticks.

    Time

    • If it's possible, bring your puppy home on a Friday night or early on a Saturday morning. Schedule nothing else for the weekend. You need lots of time to spend bonding with your puppy during the first few days and you're going to need this time to establish the puppy's routine. If it's at all possible, consider taking a few vacation days from work so that you can have even more time to spend with the puppy, getting her acclimated and trained.

    Schedule

    • After providing affection and establishing trust with your puppy, the next most important aspect of your puppy's first few days in your home is to establish a routine. The routine will aid in house training as well as providing comfort to the puppy. Dogs like to know what to expect and a routine provides them with that security. Everything--feeding, exercise, nap time, bedtime, playtime and potty breaks--should be done at the same time every day.

    Feeding

    • Find out what type of food the puppy was eating in his old home. Even if you plan to feed the puppy a different food, begin by feeding him the same type that he has been accustomed to eating. Gradually introduce him to the new food over several days, mixing more of the new food in with the old food at each feeding. While adult dogs may do OK with only one or two meals a day, puppies need to eat three or four times per day. Plan these meal times as part of your puppy's schedule.