Finally, the day has come. Finally, your new family member moves in with you! From now on, your life and the life of your puppy will change. You will become a family, a team and nothing will be the way it was before! Are you ready for this new life? – Then go for it!
To help you get started on the right way with your puppy, and to help you get through the first few days like a real dog pro, we at Pupy will give you all the tips you need to know for the first few days with your new furry little friend.
What do you need to prepare?
Preparation is in every situation in life, the basis for relaxation. We’ve made you a list here of everything that should be done before your puppy moves in:
Shopping List:
- Food and drinking bowl (preferably ceramic or stainless steel)
- Dog food (ask your breeder what kind of food your puppy is used to)
- Dog basket
- Transport box (for the car ride)
- Leash
- Long Leash
- Collar
- Harness
- “Safe” puppy toys (look for high-quality sturdy materials)
- Kitchen roll and odor remover (for house training)
- Comb and brush
- Claw scissors
- Tick pliers
- Food bag (for training and on the way)
- Insurance (liability and if the necessary OP or health insurance)
Also important:
- Secure all objects, plants, chemicals, and electrical outlets from your puppy.
- Find a good veterinarian in your area.
- Write down the number of the veterinarian and the nearest veterinary clinic in your area.
- Find out about the breed of your dog.
- Find a small puppy group (max. 6 human-dog teams) and download the Pupy App to train with your dog daily and discuss your individual questions with our professional dog trainers.
The first day with your puppy:
Now the time has come and your puppy is sitting safely in his dog crate in the car next to you. Don’t worry if your little friend gets a little nauseous on the ride to his new home (it happens to even the bravest puppies!). You’re hopefully stocked up on kitchen roll by now, too. In time, your puppy will associate many great things with the car ride e.g. exciting walks, visiting his dog friends, outings, etc. If the drive to the new home takes longer than 1 hour, we recommend you take a short pee break on the way, so that no mishap happens during the drive.
When you get home, your first stop should be your dog’s new pee place. This is the place where your puppy will do his business in the future. Choose a piece of meadow that is easily accessible and where your dog can do his business undisturbed.
Now it is so far! Your puppy enters his new world. You have already checked your home the day before for its puppy safety one last time, so you can now let your puppy explore its new home with a clear conscience. It is best to take him to the room where you spend most of your time and where your dog’s basket is located. The best thing to do is to hide some welcome treats in the basket the day before. This will teach your puppy that it’s worth exploring the room and that his basket is a great place to be.
Take your time now to just watch your puppy, get to know each other, and enjoy this new beginning!
After about 2 hours, it’s time to head back to the pee place so that maybe you both can spend this day without any mishaps. If it has already happened, you know where to find your kitchen roll and the odor remover. But be careful: even if your puppy has already peed in the apartment, you should once again go with him to his peeing place.
For your puppy and also for you, this first day is especially exciting but also exhausting. Therefore, give yourself and your puppy enough space to calm down. Let your puppy sleep and rest when he retires and reflects during this time, your first impression of this exciting day. Are you proud of your puppy? What do you like most about it? Have you noticed any little peculiarities?
The first night:
At some point, even the most beautiful day comes to an end and the first night together is coming up for you and your puppy. It’s best to walk your puppy to his pee place before going to bed. Even if you don’t want your dog to sleep next to your bed, it’s important in the first few days that your puppy is allowed to sleep near you so that you can notice when your puppy needs to get loose again to release. It is best to place your dog box next to your bed (by the way, transport boxes with a roof opening https://tidd.ly/3bBo8Vd are well suited). Put your puppy in the box and give him a small treat before you go to sleep – this will become your ritual in the future and will signal to your puppy that it is now bedtime. If you notice that your puppy is getting restless at night, lift him out of the box and carry him (if possible) to the pee place of release, so that no mishap happens on the way. If something should happen – you know where the kitchen roll and the odor remover are!
By the way, it is quite normal if your puppy is a bit restless in his box at first. If he doesn’t settle down at all and you can’t even think about sleeping at some point, here’s what you can do:
- Open the top opening of your box and hold your hand inside.
- Keep stroking your puppy until he calms down.
- Put yourself to sleep, leaving the top door of the box open if necessary.
Tip: If you really want to get your dog used to sleep in another room from the beginning, you will have no choice but to move your own sleeping space to where your dog sleeps for the first 1-2 weeks.
That’s it! Your first day as a human-dog team is behind you! Tomorrow is a new exciting day with lots of new impressions for your puppy. Want to know how to make this day great, download the Pupy app now and let our professional dog trainers create your personalized training plan for your pup.
We look forward to meeting you and your pup!
Your Pupy Team
