Surviving Your First 30 Days With a New Puppy

Bringing a new puppy home can be exciting and overwhelming. The best way to ensure that your puppy’s arrival is a happy one is to prepare as much as possible beforehand. Knowing what you can expect during the first month with your new fur baby is also helpful. Here we will give you a guide to your first 30 days with a puppy.

Before Your Puppy Arrives

Your preparations should start before your puppy comes home. This preparation will lay a good foundation for an easy transition. Some things you may want to consider purchasing for your new puppy include:

  • A dog bed
  • Food
  • Water dishes
  • Toys
  • Training mats
  • Crate
  • Leash
  • Collar

Remember, even if you already have a dog, the new puppy should have its own things as well. It is not a good idea to try to force animals to share, especially if they do not know each other well yet.

Day 1

The first day with a new puppy is very exciting. In fact, it can be so exciting that it is overstimulating. Everyone in the house must be on the same page concerning a calm transition for the puppy. This means that the first day should not focus much on playing and excitement. Rather, on this first day, the puppy should be introduced to the house, the people, and the pets in a very calm, non-emotional way. There will be plenty of time for playing in the future, once the dog has adjusted to its new environment.

It is better to simply observe and oversee the puppy at this stage rather than interact with it too much.

Let the other dogs in the home introduce themselves to the new puppy in their own time, but with much supervision.

Day 10

After a few days, your puppy will start learning how the house works, where food and water can be found, where to sleep, and hopefully, will start pad or potty training. During this time, do not allow the dog to do anything you do not want it to do years from now. The first few days in a new environment are the best time to get patterns of behavior set in your dog’s brain. Whatever they think is allowed is what they will try to keep doing.

Now is the time to train in earnest. You are setting a foundation with your puppy that will shape the type of dog it is for the rest of its life.

It is also important during this phase to keep a close eye on your puppy’s urine and feces and overall health. This helps you know if they are adjusting normally.

Stay very consistent with the schedule you want the dog on from now on. The dog’s behavior is very moldable right now. Set up a schedule you can easily live with.

Day 30

During the first 30 days with a new puppy, it should visit the vet for shots and evaluation. You should also have preventive treatments set up and rolling by now as well.

Talk to the vet about when to spay or neuter. Continue training your dog during the next few months to ensure you have a happy and well-behaved new pet.