Bringing Home a Puppy: What to Do in the First Week
The first week sets the tone for everything after it. Your goal is not training milestones — it is a puppy who learns that this new place is safe, predictable, and worth relaxing in.
Before the puppy walks in
- Pick one quiet room as home base and puppy-proof it: cords tucked away, houseplants moved, small chewable objects gone.
- Set up a crate or pen with a soft bed, water, and one or two safe chew toys.
- Agree as a household on the rules — furniture, feeding times, who does night duty — before day one.
- Have your vet's number and the nearest emergency clinic saved in your phone.
Days 1–3: settle, don't celebrate
Keep arrivals quiet. One person, one room, short greetings. Skip the welcome party — a puppy meeting fifteen new people on day one is being overwhelmed, not socialized.
Feed the same food the breeder or shelter used for at least the first few days, then transition gradually if you plan to switch. A diet change on top of a home change is a common cause of an upset stomach.
House-training that actually works
- Take the puppy out on waking, after every meal, after play, and before bed — plus roughly every hour or two in between.
- Go to the same spot each time and wait quietly; reward the moment they finish, outside, not once you're back indoors.
- Accidents indoors get cleaned with an enzymatic cleaner and no scolding — punishment teaches puppies to hide, not to hold.
- A rough guide to bladder capacity: about one hour per month of age, so an 8-week puppy will need a night-time trip.
Sleep and the first few nights
Crying at night is normal and usually short-lived. Placing the crate beside your bed for the first week helps enormously; you can move it gradually later. Take one scheduled toilet break in the night for very young puppies rather than waiting for the crying to escalate.
First vet visit and early socialization
Book a check-up in the first week even if vaccinations are up to date — it gives you a baseline weight, a parasite check, and a plan for the remaining vaccine schedule.
Socialization can start before a puppy is fully vaccinated, as long as it is safe: carry them to see traffic, let them hear a vacuum from across the room, invite one calm vaccinated dog over. Short, positive, and frequent beats long and intense.
Keep week one small and predictable: one room, one routine, frequent toilet trips, and a vet check on the calendar.
General guidance for healthy pets — your vet knows your animal and always takes precedence.