Bringing Home a New Puppy: Your First Week, Day by Day
PawPicked is reader-supported: we may earn a commission from links on this page.
The most useful thing to do in a puppy's first week is to change as little as you can. A new home is already a lot, so keep the food the breeder was using, keep the routine simple and spread the new experiences out. What follows is a day-by-day outline for the first seven days, offered as a general guide rather than a strict timetable. Puppies vary, and so do households.
Before the puppy arrives
Ask the breeder or rescue what the puppy eats, how much, how often and at what times, and ask for a few days' supply to bring home. Ask what vaccinations and worming have been done, and for the paperwork. Dogs in the UK must be microchipped, and the chip should be registered with your details by the time the puppy is eight weeks old, so check that the records are transferred to you. Put away shoes, cables and anything chewable at puppy height, and set up a gated area, a bed and a water bowl before the puppy arrives, so that the first hours are not spent improvising.
Day one: arrive quietly
Keep the journey calm and the welcome low-key. Let the puppy sniff around a small area, offer water, and take it to the toilet spot soon after arriving, then after every sleep, meal and play. Feed the breeder's food at the usual times. Let the puppy sleep as much as it wants and avoid a stream of visitors. The first night is often unsettled; a warm, safe bed near you is common advice.
Day two: start the routine
Pick regular times for meals, toilet trips, play and naps, because puppies settle on predictability. Short sessions of play and gentle handling are enough. Begin introducing the crate or bed as a calm place, and see our crate training plan if you plan to use one.
Nights, visitors and children
Expect broken sleep for several nights. Most young puppies cannot last a whole night without a toilet trip, so a late visit to the garden before bed and a quiet trip out if the puppy wakes are normal. Keep the lights low and the fuss minimal so that nights stay boring. Visitors can wait a few days, and when they do come, ask them to let the puppy approach and to stay calm. With children, a short, supervised session on the floor with the puppy resting between turns works better than being passed around, and the puppy should always be able to walk away to its bed.
Days three and four: gentle handling and short absences
Brush, touch paws and look at ears for a few seconds at a time, with a reward. Begin very short separations of a minute or so, in the next room, so the puppy learns that you come back. Keep expecting accidents; they are normal. Our house training routine sets out what a realistic week looks like.
Day five: the vet visit
Most owners book a check within the first few days. Take the paperwork, a stool sample if asked and any questions. Your vet will advise on vaccinations and when the puppy can safely go outdoors, and on worming and flea treatment. Bring the breeder's food details too, because the vet will ask. This article is general information and not veterinary advice.
Days six and seven: look at food and take stock
By now the puppy should be settling. If you want to switch to a different food, wait until the puppy is eating and toileting reliably, then change gradually over a week or more, mixing a little of the new food into the old and shifting the balance. The listing for Harringtons Complete Puppy Turkey & Rice says to change foods gradually and to feed young dogs little and often. It is a complete dry food with smaller kibbles and lists turkey and meat meals at 33%, with 30% protein and 14% fat, and 383kcal per 100g. The listing says it contains chicken as well as turkey and notes that wheat may be present, which matters if you know of any sensitivities. At 18 kg the bag is a large one, so you need somewhere dry to store it, and you may prefer to start with whatever size the breeder used. How much to give depends on age, breed and activity, so follow the pack's guidance and your vet's advice rather than the listing alone. For a wider look, see how to choose puppy food.
Common mistakes in week one
Too many visitors, too much handling and too many new places at once are common. So is changing food on arrival because a bag was bought in advance, which can upset the stomach on top of the stress of moving. Others are letting a puppy be carried on the ground outdoors before the vet says it is safe, skipping naps and punishing accidents, which teaches a puppy to hide rather than to toilet outdoors.
Looking ahead
Week two is the time to start the socialisation ideas in our puppy socialisation checklist, at a pace your puppy can manage. If anything worries you, such as persistent diarrhoea, vomiting, refusing food or lethargy, call your vet promptly.
Featured product
Affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.