First days with a puppy: a practical guide for the home

The first days with a puppy are a mix of excitement and short nights. A bit of planning makes the change easier for them and for the whole home.

Before they arrive

• A spot of their own: a bed somewhere quiet, away from foot traffic.
• Food and water bowls always in the same place.
• The same food they were eating at first. If you want to change it, do it gradually over a week.
• A puppy-proof home: cables tidied away, cleaning products and medicines out of reach, and care with foods that are toxic to dogs.
• A collar or harness, lead, a tag with your number and a few chew toys.

Routines from day one

Puppies learn by repetition. The more predictable their day, the sooner they settle:

• Meals at set times, split into several a day depending on their age.
• Toilet breaks after waking up, after eating and after playing. Reward them right when they go in the right place.
• Plenty of rest. Puppies sleep a large part of the day; it’s fine if they aren’t always active.

The vet, in the first week

Book a general check-up early. Bring whatever came with them: health booklet or passport, and any vaccines and deworming they’ve already had. Your vet will tell you which vaccine schedule to follow and when they can safely go outside. Ask about the microchip and its registration too.

Share the tasks from the start

If several of you live together, agree early on who feeds the puppy, who takes them out and when. It avoids the usual mix-ups: fed twice because nobody knew someone else already had, or not taken out because everyone thought someone else would. Logging each task and who did it ends those doubts.

This guide is general. Your vet will tell you how to adapt food, vaccines and walks to your puppy.