You may not know it yet, but you’ll remember the day you bring your new puppy home forever. You’re about to begin one of the most fulfilling journeys in the world, and you’re going to have a blast.
With that said, raising a puppy is not all cuteness and cuddles. You’ll also face some canine chaos in the coming days. This means you’ll have to be proactive and put in some work to achieve the kind of pupper-parent bliss all owners want.
Don’t worry – I’ve put together a comprehensive checklist for your new pooch, consisting of nine steps that’ll set you and your puppy up for success.
And it all starts on day one.
New Puppy Checklist Step #1: Puppy-Proof Your Home
Safety is critical when taking care of a new puppy.
Mature doggos may be remarkably smart creatures, but new puppies don’t understand much at all. In fact, they often seem determined to injure themselves in surprisingly creative ways.
So, you’ll want to make sure your home (or at least, the portion of your home your puppy will have access to) is completely puppy proofed.
This means removing anything on the floor that may seem chew-tastic, blocking off stairways or ledges to prevent falls, and ensuring that nothing is going to fall onto your new pup if bumped.
Speaking of safety, now is a good time to learn about basic first aid. You don’t have to know everything yet, but learn the basics, such as what to do if your puppy eats something they shouldn’t.
New Puppy Checklist Step #2: Establish a Daily Routine from the Get-Go
Implementing a consistent daily routine is important for all dogs. It helps make their day more predictable, which canines find comforting. It will even help prevent separation anxiety and accelerate the rate at which they learn things like house training.
So, start teaching your new puppy the daily ropes from the outset.
Among other things, this means:
- Waking your puppy up around the same time each morning.
- Taking scheduled bathroom breaks around the same time each day (you may also have to make unscheduled trips outside in the beginning but be sure that you’re also including ones that occur at predictable times).
- Making time for play around the same time each day.
- Feeding their meals around the same time each day.
- Encouraging them to sleep at the same basic time each day (puppies usually sleep about 18 to 20 hours per day).
Note that timing isn’t the only thing you’ll want to keep consistent; you’ll also want to keep the locations and general procedures the same. In other words, you not only want to feed them at the same time each day but also feed them in the same place too.
New Puppy Checklist Step #3: Start Developing Your Relationship
The next step is honestly one of the most enjoyable parts of puppy parenthood — it’s oxytocin time!
When you spend quality time with your pooch and look deeply into their eyes, it causes you both to release oxytocin (sometimes called the “love hormone”). This will help start fostering a good relationship and encouraging them to look to you for safety, security, and affection.
So, pal around with your little one a lot over the next several days or weeks. Watch some TV together, play in the backyard, and relax on your living room floor together.
But that doesn’t mean you want to keep them by your side 24-7. It’s important to allow your puppy to have some alone time so they will learn how to be independent. This will help promote a properly balanced relationship and prevent separation anxiety in the future.
New Puppy Checklist Step #4: Visit the Vet
Ideally, you’ll find a veterinarian you like before bringing your new puppy home. This way, you can just stop by the office on your way home from the shelter, rescue, or breeder. By doing so, you go ahead and get their initial vaccinations out of the way, and it’ll let your vet give them a once over and make sure they look healthy.
But don’t fret if you haven’t yet found a vet or taken your new pup in for a first visit yet. Just go ahead and do so now.
While you’re there, be sure to discuss things like flea-and-tick control, microchipping, heartworm medications, and your vet’s recommended vaccine and deworming schedule.
New Puppy Checklist Step #5: Buy Everything on Your New Puppy Shopping Checklist
This is another step that you’d ideally complete before bringing your new pup home, but it’s OK if you haven’t yet.
You’re going to need a lot of puppy supplies over the next several months, ranging from training clickers to adorable canine clothing. But the following represents a basic new puppy shopping checklist:
A Collar or Harness
Some breeds (looking at you, pugs and Frenchies) should always wear a harness rather than a collar when going for walks, but other dogs can safely wear a collar. Ask your vet if you’re not sure which one is most appropriate for your pooch.
A Leash
Ideally, you’ll start with a standard, 6-foot-long training lead. Leave the long lines and retractable leashes for later.
An ID Tag
One of the most important puppy necessities, an ID tag will help ensure you get reunited with your new pet if they become lost during puppy training. Seattle requires all dogs to have, anyway, so be sure to pick up an ID tag for your little lady.
A Nutritious Puppy Food
Volumes have been written about picking a food for your new puppy. For the time being, stick with the same food the breeder, rescue, or shelter was feeding them. If that’s not possible, just pick a food that meets the AAFCO guidelines for growth and run your choice by your vet to be on the safe side.
A Few Dog Bowls
Dog bowls seem pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised how many puppy parents forget them when first adding a new furry family member to the pack.
A Crate
A crate will prove to be an invaluable dog-management tool, and it will be extremely helpful when you start trying to housetrain your new pooch. It will also give them a place to feel completely secure, which will help prevent stress and the associated problem behaviors.
In a perfect world, you’d get a crate that is only large enough for your little lady to stand up, lay down, and turn around completely. But if you want to buy a larger crate, make sure you pick one that has a removable divider.
A Comfy Dog Bed
All dogs should have a comfortable bed to call their own. At the outset, it usually makes the most sense to buy a dog bed that fits snuggly in their crate. After they’ve completed crate training, you can opt for a larger, more luxurious option if you like.
At Least One Good Chew Toy
Look, your new four-footer is going to use their puppy teeth a lot over the first few months. This means you’ll want to give them something safe and fun to chew, so they don’t decide to chomp on your favorite shoes instead.
Bite-Size Treats
Tasty treats are invaluable for reinforcing positive behaviors and rewarding your new pooch. But the size of the treats is very important – your puppy should be able to chew them up in only a few small chomps. That way, you won’t have to wait around long for them to finish chewing during training sessions. Also, purchase a selection of treats of varying values; some should be utterly delicious, while others should be a little less awesome.
New Puppy Checklist Step #6: Start Housetraining Your Little Pooch
Housetraining is often one of the most challenging parts of raising your new puppy, but if you implement a good system and remain consistent in your approach, you can be successful.
One of the most helpful things is to prevent accidents from happening in the first place. Every time your pooch poops or pees inside, they’re “practicing” the behavior, which will make it harder to correct in the future. It will also leave odors that may continue to trigger them to go.
Compassionate crate-training is often the method that works well for many pet parents. In a nutshell, you’ll want your new pooch to remain in their crate except during times when you can directly supervise them. If they start to squat, scoop them up and run(!) for the backyard.
You will want to remove them from the crate first thing in the morning for a bathroom break, then feed them breakfast, and then head back outside to go potty again, before putting them back in the crate. Lather, rinse, and repeat an hour or two later (minus the food – just feed them twice or thrice daily).
This will help teach them that there’s one place to answer nature’s call: outside.
Over time, you can start spacing their bathroom breaks out longer and longer and start giving them more and more freedom to remain out of the crate when you’re not directly observing them.
As a rule of thumb, puppies can hold it for one hour longer between each break for each month they increase in age. In other words, a three-month-old pupper can probably hold it for about three hours.
New Puppy Checklist Step #7: Initiate a Basic Obedience Training Regimen
Believe it or not, you can start training your puppy at about 8 weeks of age. You just have to do so slowly, gently, and with lots of positive encouragement. You’ll also want to keep training sessions short, as little puppies tire easily and have short attention spans.
In practice, games serve as a great way to start training your new pooch. Here are a few of the best games to play with your puppy:
- Hide and Seek: Hide-and-seek with a four-footer works almost the same way it does with a two-footer. Hide somewhere in your home and then call your puppy’s name, then reward them when they find you. Aside from simply being fun, this game builds your canine’s confidence and recall.
- Tug of War: Grab a safe and fun tuggable toy and start battling your pooch! But while playing tug, periodically say “drop it” to teach them to let go. Once your puppy releases the toy, reward them with treats or praise to reinforce the lesson. Once they’ve got this skill mastered, try pausing the game a few times, and ask them to sit before resuming. These games and variations will help with impulse control and patience.
- The Name Game: This game is really simple; all you have to do is say your puppy’s name and reward them when they respond. Over time, incorporate distractions to help your floof learn how to focus.
- Follow the Leader: To play this game, you’ll want to walk around your living room or backyard, while encouraging your puppy to follow you off-leash. Reward them for staying close, to help them learn loose-leash walking skills and improve their focus.
New Puppy Checklist Step #8: Expand Your Pup’s Social Horizons
Socialization is a critical component of raising your new puppy, and mistakes in this area can have long-lasting repercussions. Basically, socialization entails introducing your furry friend to other creatures. This primarily means humans and other dogs, but it may also include cats if you have feline family members.
But the timing of puppy socialization is a bit of a tricky issue.
The ideal socialization window for puppies takes place between 8 and 16 weeks of age. The problem is that your puppy won’t yet be completely vaccinated during this time period. But that’s OK! You can still do a number of things that’ll help your puppy become socialized while also keeping them safe.
For example, you can carry your puppy in your arms, haul them around in a bag, or let them ride in a stroller to prevent them from coming into contact with potentially dangerous germs. You can also try sitting on a blanket with them in a busy public place.
Another important component of socialization is teaching your little wagger to stay calm – especially when they’re in a busy place or observing strangers. And speaking of strangers, always reward your puppy when they engage with strangers.
However, you don’t want to rush them; always allow puppies to engage with others on their own terms. This is especially important for shy puppies. Don’t be afraid to advocate for your shy puppies or create boundaries so they’ll feel safe.
It’s also important during this time to start creating positive associations with all sorts of new sights, sounds, and smells. You’re basically introducing your pup to the world and trying to teach them to be optimistic and confident about unfamiliar things, rather than frightened.
Nevertheless, dog-dog interactions are an important component of canine socialization. You just need to carry them out in a safe way – always keep your puppy close and prioritize their health and safety when learning about the world.
For starters, only allow your puppy to socialize with safe, calm dogs that you know – don’t allow unfamiliar dogs to greet your puppy. It’s also important to avoid socializing with dogs with different vaccination statuses than your own pooch.
It’s also important to note that dog parks aren’t always the ideal place for your pup to meet other pups. Some of the dogs at dog parks will have behavior issues, which may lead to fights. This may not only leave your pup injured, but it could also cause them to be frightened of other dogs for the rest of their life.
And finally, avoid on-leash greetings, as they’re unnatural and may have unpredictable consequences. This could lead to frightening interactions, which may have lasting ramifications.
One Last Thing: Be Ready to Adjust and Adapt
While the above steps will help get your puppy started on the right paw, it’s important to remember that all dogs are individuals. Cookie-cutter plans rarely work well in all circumstances.
But these idiosyncrasies are features not bugs!
They’re what make our dogs wonderful, unique companions. It’s incumbent upon us as owners to figure out the best way to communicate, love, and guide them. This can be tricky at first, but once you crack your canine’s code, you’ll find that it does wonders for your relationship!
Get Help from YOUR Seattle Puppy Trainer
Adding a new pupper to your family is certainly exciting, but there’s a ton of responsibility that comes along with it.
It is easy to become overwhelmed but do your best to look for the silver linings.
You may be scrubbing poop out of your carpet today, but your little wagger will get the hang of things over time. Before you know it, you’ll be paling around town together, cuddling on the couch, and generally sharing your lives with each other.
With that said, don’t hesitate to reach out for help when you need it – especially when it comes to training. A high-quality dog trainer can often provide exactly the kind of help you need.
If you encounter some bumps in the road to obedience or simply want some help teaching your new pooch the ropes, give us a shout! As the leading Seattle in-home dog training expert, I’ve been helping other owners train their dogs since 1998. I’d love to help you in your pet-parent journey too.
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