Welcoming Home Your New Puppy

Welcome to the wonderful journey of puppy parenthood! Bringing a new furry family member home is an exciting adventure filled with love, laughter, and plenty of adjustments. To ensure a smooth transition for both you and your precious pup, here are some essential tips and tricks to help you ease into your new life together!

You can also take a look at our top puppy buys here.

1. Adjustment Phase; Let your puppy adjust to the new home, sounds, smells, and family members, all in the world your puppy was familiar with has now changed. When you arrive home, take things slowly, they will be frightened, anxious, or overexcited, all of this is normal.

Let them settle, and a bit later carry them into the different rooms and show them around, talk gently explaining things to them ( dogs are so intelligent) Do not let a new puppy attempt stairs whilst their growth plates aren’t closed and consider using a stair gate to stop this from happening making sure to cover it at the bottom to stop little heads getting stuck!

Unsettled tummies are very normal during this time - it will help for you to have some marshmallow root powder or slippery elm (marshmallow is much more gentle) or a natural probiotic paste on hand for these upsets - be sure to check out our first aid kit recommendations for more information on settling tummies.

2. Toilet Training; Take them to the garden to potty in the same spot very regularly (we Recommend once every hour or every time your puppy eats, awakens, plays - or whichever is greatest) , and each time use a command that you stick to for life. You may wish to clap your hands, and say ‘go toilet’ ‘go potty’ or ‘do your business’. Using puppy pads can be beneficial short term but long term this can often confuse puppies into thinking they should toilet inside.

3. Nighttime Routines; Remember puppies are tiny and will need to go out during the night as well. Don’t leave them out in the garden on their own for extended periods of time where they could dig and escape, be aware of foxes and other wild animals, be patient with them. During the first few weeks, it may be beneficial to crate your puppy in your bedroom at night.

4. Feeding Routine; stick to Regular feeding times - start with 4 meals a day and adapt as your puppy grows. Typically its 3 meals at 4 months and 2 meals at 6 months but listen and respond to what your puppy is telling you. In my experience, my last puppy went to eating one meal a day from 6 months.

5. Food; Feed your puppy a species-appropriate fresh diet; feed raw, or Home cook ( we can help further with this - check out our Uk food database and alternative to raw articles for UK/USA) always feed fresh. Please come and join our specialist feeding groups for individualistic help. Learn more about why a fresh food diet is best here.

5a. Avoid Changing Foods; this can turn puppies into fussy eaters which can in turn become a stressful and costly problem each mealtime. Learn more about fussy eaters here.

6. Sleep Routine; Get them used to a regular sleeping place. Crate, or With you, whatever fits your lifestyle best. They will need regular rest periods during the daytime, as well - it’s well documented that puppies can sleep up to 20 hours a day - this is completely normal and nothing to be alarmed about.

7. Water; Always have fresh water available 24/7, NEVER limit, or Withdraw at night, or Any Time! Filtered water is best given from a glass bowl. Learn more about this here.

8. Harnesses; use a harness when walking. With name tag and never use a collar to walk with. Collars should be avoided in brachycephalic dogs and those prone to CM/SM.

9. Collar safety; if you decide to use a collar within the home, only do so when you are able to supervise your puppy to avoid your dog getting stuck. Remember To also remove the collar at night if you are using a crate. We have heard of some pups sadly jumping about in the crate and the collar gets stuck causing fatalities.

10. Socialising; is crucial for puppies - you can introduce them to new sights, sounds and smells by taking them out in a buggy or puppy sling before vaccines. this will get them used to being outside as well as providing ample enrichment. Take them to populated areas like shops, schools, cafes etc. When your pup can go out, walk regularly, and the right distance for the dog's age - in all weathers! Learn more about enrichment activities here.

11. Do not Desex too early; Read the group files/posts/topics concerning the timing for neutering, if that is something you want to consider. we do not recommend doing so before at least 18 months. Learn more about early spay & neuter here. And the link between early desexing and increased aggression in dogs here.

12. Toy Safety; Use safe, age-appropriate toys, and NEVER Give rawhide or greenies.  do not give string toys, puppies will pull out the strings and this too can cause blockages/fatalities. Avoid using nylabones as these are made using toxic chemicals. Check the toys in the toy box regularly, and keep them washed and clean. Do not leave toys in the garden, foxes may mess on them, and this, in turn, can have a negative health effect on your puppy.

13. Minimal Puppy Vaccination Protocol; read up on our recommended puppy vaccination protocol to minimise vaccine damage - don’t be talked into Annual boosters. Always Titer test to check the immunity of your puppy - this is in accordance with WSAVA guidelines. You can read more about our recommended puppy protocol here. If needed, we will help further please ask a member of admin in our puppy group..

14. Parasite prevention; use natural flea And worm meds if possible, NEVER use Bravecto orNexgard  - you can see a whole host of natural preventatives that can be used here.

15. Worm Prevention; always worm count, Every three months - we can help further with this in our puppy group and you can find details of companies that sell wormcounts here.

16. Winter Care; in the winter months consider using a coat or Fleece for warmth as well as a good natural paw balm.Each dog is an individual and even though they have fur, some will still feel the cold, just as we do. You can read more about winter care for your dog here.

17. Find a good vet; Find an integrated vet, that will respect your views, that you can work together With - your opinion matters. You are his pet Parent - you are his voice, never forget that! You can find a map of alternative vets recommended by our team and members linked here.

17.a Financial Aid; Remember to insure your dog - for the UK, we recommend Many Pets (formerly Bought By Many) and Pet Plan, For the USA Healthy paws - if you prefer, consider taking out a credit card especially for any emergency veterinary costs or creating a savings account and saving monthly in case of sudden expenses.

18a.Microchipping; All Puppies must be microchipped in the UK by 8 weeks by the breeder. If you are elsewhere in the world, Remember to microchip in case he gets lost - if you move home, update the microchip details.

19. Dental Health; Feed raw Meaty bones for Dental health, and check your puppies teeth and mouth have teeth regularly. ( always stay with your dog when feeding bones, particularly if you have a ‘gulper’ ( a dog who eats very quickly) Know your bones - not all bones are created equally, some are right and some are not ) NEVER feed any cooked bones, they are extremely dangerous. Learn more about feeding RMBS here and more about dental health here. You’ll find our recommendations for teeth cleaning products in our dental guide here.

19a.Puppy teething;Dealing with puppy teething through positive reinforcement involves redirecting their chewing behaviour onto appropriate items. Provide plenty of chew toys and praise them when they use them. Whenever they chew on something they shouldn't, gently redirect them to their toys and reward them for chewing on those instead. Consistency and patience are key!

20. Playtime; Play with your dog - consider agility training once they reach maturity and they have stopped growing. Great for Mental health, and de-stressing.

21. Independence; Get your dog used to being around and staying with other family members, or a friend, in case you need to be away from home,Or are on holiday.

22. Travel Safety; Consider a safe method of travelling when in the car - A crash tested crate is optimal, but if this is not possible using a car seat and at the very least a crash tested seatbelt.

23. First Aid; Have a first aid box especially for your pet. You can find our recommended products here. Also consider taking part in  a canine first aid course so you can render aid in emergencies. We recommend this program taught by a registered vet nurse.

24. Groundwork; Start with simple rules such as sit, come, and stay. Try to Master these in the garden before Venturing out - they are lifesavers. Aim to do basic training every day - just five minutes can be hugely beneficial - always end training sessions on a positive - if you notice your puppy getting bored or resistant, end it there.

25. Socialisation; When you can, socialise your dog, puppy training classes are fab and in-still structure and crucial groundwork from a young age.

26. Garden Safety; If you have a garden be mindful and knowledgable about the types of trees and shrubs, Particularly if they produce berries - Some can poison a dog very quickly. Be careful of spring plants and daffodil bulbs very poisonous. We have a list of springtime plants to be avoided here.

27. Water cleanliness; Don’t let your dog drink from puddles. They may have antifreeze in them from cars, during the winter months. It tastes sweet and your puppy will be attracted to it. It’s a killer, beware. Inside the home, filtered water is best given in glass bowls. Learn more about this here.

28. Lawn/yard safety; Care if you are treating the lawn with Fertilisers. Please avoid. If you have walked your puppy in an area where Fertilisers or pesticides have been used - use a paw cup and a natural paw cleaner on return to the home.

29. Poisons; Do not place any poison in the garden such as slug pellets, again your dog will be drawn to the taste, and they can kill a puppy/dog very quickly.

30. Christmas Safety; Avoid hanging chocolates on the tree at Christmas time. Don’t leave any sweets under the tree, and don’t hang salt dough models from the tree - we have seen fatalities in this group from youngsters displaying their handmade gifts. Don’t leave around play-dough or plasticine.You can find a more comprehensive list of popular foods to avoid at Christmas here.

31. Household objects;Pick up all shoes and handbags from the floor especially if handbags contain any medications.  puppies are sharp and quick.

32. Household cleanliness; Keep the rubbish bins well away from your dogs - they are masters at knocking them over, and eating the contents. Consider using toxic free chemicals to clean - read more about this here.

33. Holding your puppy ; When holding your new puppy, remember to be sitting down on a chair/sofa, or the floor - puppies are very wriggly, and can, and do, jump out of your arms - resulting in often very serious injuries. Always supervise small children whilst they hold your puppy.

34. Paw safety; Please be very careful of puppies sitting on, and walking under ‘open’ types of garden seats ( slatted) - some have got their paws caught in the open slats, and ended up breaking legs and feet. Also running under this type of garden furniture, some have had their fluffy tails stuck/caught - this also can, and has caused broken tails, and other serious injuries.

35. Treat time; Teach your new puppy to be gentle when receiving a treat. Make him or her sit close to you, show them the treat, then say ‘gently’ followed by their name, or ‘softly’ followed by their name. Only give when they don’t snatch it from you and when they always have four paws on the ground, and give lots of praise when they get it right. They will remember this command for life. Ensure you are using high quality grain free treats to prevent tummy upset - learn more about dog treats here.

Lastly, remember to take time to love and enjoy your puppy, dedicate your life to making their Life healthy, enriched, long and most importantly, happy.

We hope our guide will help you make better decisions to help you raise your puppy in the healthiest way possible!