Bringing home a new puppy is incredibly exciting… You have so many hopes and dreams for your fuzzy bundle of joy! With just a little preparing and planning, you can make sure those dreams come true. The first few days can be a bit of a shock for your puppy – He’ll be in a strange new environment and away from his mother and litter mates for the first time, with new people who have different expectations. In order to make the transition smoother, it helps to get your house and family prepared ahead of time.

Put together a feeding and bathroom schedule and delegate responsibilities. Make a list of supplies you’ll need – food, bowls, toys, grooming supplies, bedding, a dog collar and leash, and a crate are just a few of the necessities. You’ll need to puppy proof your home by removing anything within your puppy’s reach that could harm him including plants, rugs, and breakables. Tape electrical cords down or cover them so that they are safe from chewing. Store chemicals on higher shelves and remove any loose articles such as shoes or knick knacks your puppy might want to chew on. Decide what room will be your puppy’s – A nice quiet space with a comfy dog bed for him to relax. Puppies need ample amounts of rest and breaks from playtime. Set up his crate in this space, and put up baby gates to partition this area off. You won’t want to give your new puppy free run of the house right away. This would confuse him and maybe frighten him and could also hinder his house breaking. Schedule a vet appointment within the first 24 hours of bringing him home. This is important because you want to make sure there he has no underlying heath issues and set up a vaccination schedule.

When you pick up your puppy, you’ll want to ask about his feeding schedule and replicate it once you come home. Changes to food and feeding schedule should be made gradually or you could end up upsetting your puppy’s sensitive stomach. On the ride home, the puppy should ride in the back seat either in someone’s arms or in a crate or carrier. When you arrive home, take the puppy immediately to the area you want him to potty in. This will begin to enforce house breaking right away. From this point, you’ll carry out your pre-made schedule for potty breaks, feeding, playing, and napping. Your new pup will need lots of love and attention, but he will also need periods of solitude and quiet so that he may rest. A dog crate is great for this purpose, though your puppy might not think so at first. It’s very likely he will protest by whining and crying, but don’t give in! By comforting him when he displays bad behavior, you are reinforcing that this behavior is okay and will get him what he wants! Rewarding your dog and giving him attention for good behaviors will let him know that those are the things you want him to do. By doing things correctly from the start, you will have a well behaved and happy puppy!