Bringing Home Your New Puppy: The Ultimate Guide to a Smooth First Week

Welcoming a new puppy into your life is an exciting, heart-warming, and slightly chaotic experience. That first week sets the tone for your puppy’s development — but it’s also when many common mistakes happen. By laying the right foundations early on, you can help your pup grow into a confident, well-adjusted companion. Here’s everything you need to know to set you and your puppy up for success.

🏠 Puppy-Proofing Your Home

Before your puppy even sets paw indoors, take the time to puppy-proof your space:

• Use stair gates to prevent access to unsafe areas.

• Set up a puppy pen or crate as a safe base.

• Tidy away anything valuable, chewable, or dangerous (shoes, cables, kids' toys, cleaning products).

• Ensure bins have secure lids and that anything toxic (like chocolate, grapes, or household cleaners) is out of reach.

Think of your home from your puppy’s perspective — curious, low to the ground, and eager to explore everything with their mouth.

💤 Crate & Separation Training

One of the most common mistakes new owners make is trying to be "tough" from day one — expecting their puppy to sleep alone and settle without help. But your puppy has just left their mum and littermates. They're in a completely new environment, and that can be really overwhelming.

Start by allowing your puppy to follow you around and even carry them around the house if needed. You're not creating clinginess — you're building a secure attachment. This foundation helps them feel safe enough to be left alone later.

Begin short crate or pen sessions using food or a chew as enrichment. Pop them in their crate during meals or when giving a licky mat, close the door for a short time, and let them out before they start to panic. We recommend covering the crate with a lighweight blanket to reduce stress and frustration.

Set up the crate next to your bed at night and keep it close to you during the day. Once they’ve settled in (around week 1 or 2), you can gradually move it to your preferred location.

🧸 Setting Up to Succeed

Give your puppy plenty to do so they don’t make up their own games (like chewing furniture or stealing shoes):

• Safe chew toys

• Food puzzle toys

• Enrichment games like snuffle mats or scatter feeding

• Tug toys and soft toys for interactive play

• Offer more than one resting place so your pup has options to settle where they feel most comfortable.

If you do catch your puppy chewing something they shouldn't, be ready to re-direct them to a suitable chew and calmly praise them.

👀 Supervision is Key

Never leave your puppy to roam freely when unsupervised. Use a pen, crate, or puppy-safe area (like a puppy-proofed kitchen) where there's nothing dangerous to chew or steal.

When you’re supervising, keep your puppy in the same room and ensure the environment is set up for good choices — not temptation. Puppies are always learning, whether you’re training or not.

🥩 Feeding and Food Choices

A healthy puppy starts with a healthy diet. Many breeders provide free food from popular brands, but not all of these are high quality. When swapping food, make sure to change your pups food over gradually so they don't get an upset tummy, and ensure to increase the amount as they grow.

Look for a diet with clearly listed ingredients, high quality protein content, and few fillers. Brands like Acana, Millie's Wolfheart, Platinum, Eden, Butternut Box, Orijen, and Nature’s Menu are good places to start. Or go to www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk and check out your pups current's diet rating and aim to choose a brand that rates 75% or above,

Use half of your puppy’s daily food allowance for training, and give the rest after training sessions to reinforce the value of learning with you. This is easier if your pup is fed on a dry food diet, or if you feed dry for 50% and wet for meals/licky mats.

💤 The Importance of Naps

Did you know puppies need 18–20 hours of rest a day?

If your puppy seems wild, bitey, or out of control — they’re probably overtired. Puppies don’t self-regulate well, so it's our job to ensure they rest.

Use a crate or quiet pen area to help schedule rest throughout the day, especially after play or training sessions.

😬 Biting and Jumping: What’s Normal and How to Handle It

Puppies explore the world with their mouths — so biting, nipping, and grabbing clothes or hands is completely normal. It doesn’t mean your puppy is aggressive or "naughty" — they’re just trying to make sense of everything!

Stay calm and avoid yelping or reacting dramatically. Instead:

• Remove your hands or body part if your puppy starts mouthing.

• Immediately offer a chew or toy as a more appropriate outlet.

• If your puppy is relentless, it may be a sign they’re hungry or overtired and need a nap — another good reason to keep rest scheduled.

Biting is a normal part of your puppies development, so consistent application of the above will reduce and eliminate biting as your puppy gets older; but you won't see immediate results!

Jumping is another common issue — especially during greetings. It’s important that everyone in the house is consistent:

• Only greet your puppy when all four paws are on the floor.

• Teach a Sit or Middle cue early on to teach your puppy an alternative behaviour from the start

• Avoid pushing your puppy down — even negative attention can feel rewarding.

• If your puppy struggles to stay down, scatter a few treats on the floor as you greet them. This encourages a low head position and helps break the jumping habit over time.

🚽 Toilet Training: Getting It Right from the Start

Toilet training is one of the most important — and often most misunderstood — parts of puppyhood. Many new owners reach for puppy pads or indoor toilet areas, but we don’t recommend this unless absolutely necessary.

These can create a soft surface preference, making rugs or carpets fair game later on, and they teach your puppy that it's acceptable to toilet indoors, which can make outdoor training far more difficult to transition to.

Instead, aim to take your puppy outside every 30 minutes in the first week and then every 1.5 to 2 hours in the early weeks thereafter, especially after meals, naps, or play. Go with them, avoid distractions, and stay quiet while they sniff and explore. As soon as they go to the toilet, praise calmly and offer a treat right away so they start to associate outdoors with positive reinforcement.

If your pup doesn’t go after walking around for 15–20 minutes, bring them back inside but keep a very close eye on them — supervision is key.

Signs your puppy may need the toilet:

• Sniffing

• Circling

• Whining

• Panting

• Over excitability (more biting/jumping)

Some puppies may feel too nervous to toilet outdoors during their first week, especially in unfamiliar places. In these cases, it’s OK to start with a pad temporarily, but we recommend placing it near the back door and gradually moving it outside as your puppy gains confidence.

If your puppy has an accident indoors, stay calm. Don’t punish them — scolding can make them fearful of toileting in front of you, leading them to hide or wait until you’re not looking. Simply clean it up with an enzyme cleaner to remove the scent and carry on.

If you can’t supervise, use the crate or pen to prevent accidents. Puppies are less likely to toilet where they sleep, making the crate a helpful tool for teaching bladder control and good habits.

According to University of California's Davis College of Veterinary Medicine the frequency of elimination breaks should align with your puppy's age. The guidelines are: 6 to 14 weeks/eight to ten times daily, 14 to 20 weeks/six to eight times daily, 20 to 30 weeks/four to six times daily, and 30 weeks and older/three to four times daily. These timescales don’t necessarily alter with breed or size of the dog’s bladder because the volume of water they drink will also vary.

🌍 Enrichment Without Overwhelm

Many owners believe they can’t take their puppy outside before vaccinations — but carrying them in a sling or buggy allows them to see the world during their critical socialisation window.

Carry your puppy to:

• Pet shops

• Dog friendly cafe's

• Alongside roads with traffic

• Around livestock

• Near playgrounds

• Through town

It's important to advocate for your puppy and don't allow strangers to reach into your arms to stroke your puppy: greeting people should be on their terms and not forced

Pair this with at-home enrichment:

• Obstacle courses using cardboard boxes, ball pits, low tunnels, wobble boards

• New textures and surfaces

• Interactive toys and confidence-building games

Mental stimulation is just as tiring (and important) as physical play!

👶 Introducing Children

Start introductions behind a pen to give your puppy space and avoid overwhelm.

Keep things calm and quiet — no running or shrieking, and definitely no chasing games! While it may look like fun at first, it quickly becomes a recipe for jumping, biting, and frustration. Ensure your puppy has a safe space to retreat to where children are not allowed to bother them (a crate, play pen or separate room) so they can move away if they feel overwhelmed

Tips for safe play:

• Give children a tug toy or ball to use instead of their hands.

• Keep sessions short and structured.

• Encourage children to hold the other end of a chew to help puppies settle with them.

• Put the puppy away for naps during busy times, like mealtimes or post-school chaos.

"Children should be discouraged from picking up puppies. Not only is there a risk of them accidentally dropping the puppy, but lifting a puppy without its consent can cause stress and discomfort"

It's important to teach children to interact with puppies in a way that respects the animal's comfort and safety. Encouraging gentle petting while the puppy is on the ground allows the puppy to choose the interaction, fostering trust and reducing the risk of injury.

🐕‍🦺 Other Dogs in the Home

All dog-to-dog interactions should be supervised. Don’t let your puppy harass your older dog and don’t rely on the older dog to "teach them a lesson."

Keep your puppy on a lead indoors at first and interrupt pestering behaviour.

Encourage calm co-existence:

• Settle in the same room with a chew (unless guarding is an issue)

• Encourage play time outside in the garden rather than in the home

• Keep sessions short and always end on a calm note

• Once vaccinated, sometimes walk them together (if appropriate) — but don’t let the puppy annoy your older dog. Let them take turns being off-lead and reward good behaviour around each other.

• If your current resident dog has bad habits on walks such as reactivity or barking, it is recommend that they are always walked separately, otherwise you will soon have 2 dogs who behave in this way on walks

• Ensure to spend time playing, training and walking each dog separately too, so you build individual bonds and so unwanted habits don't spread between dogs

• Don't leave them unsupervised together: not only will your puppy be likely to harass your older dog, but your puppy could be rehearsing unwanted behaviours when you're not around

🐾 When to Start Training

Right away.

At 8 weeks old, your puppy is a learning sponge. They’re constantly working out what gets them attention, food, or play.

Start short daily training sessions with:

• Luring and following food

• Teaching their name

• Fun tricks like nose touches & spin

• Free shaping games to build problem-solving skills

• Fun obstacle courses & puppy parkour

These aren’t just obedience — they teach your puppy how to learn and create a strong bond with you.

🎾 The Power of Play

Play is one of the best bonding tools you have. Daily games like tug and fetch can build confidence and connection.

Let your puppy win tug games early on — this boosts engagement. Keep the toy low and avoid pulling them off their feet to protect growing joints and teeth.

Play makes training fun, builds focus, and is a great outlet for energy.

You can also introduce scentwork as a low impact, enriching activity that will tire your puppy out and is great for bonding!

Games of hide and seek are also a great way for children to get involved with playing with your puppy

🚶‍♂️ First Walks After Vaccinations: Advocating for Your Puppy

Once your puppy is fully vaccinated, you can begin taking them on short, gentle walks — but keep in mind that these early outings are about confidence building, not covering distance.

Start with a well-fitted harness (avoid collars, which can place too much pressure on a young pup’s neck) and choose quiet, low-traffic areas where your puppy won't be overwhelmed.

Let these first walks be unstructured and slow-paced. Allow your puppy to pause, observe, and take in the world at their own pace. Carry food treats to help create positive associations with anything new or slightly unsettling — from passing bikes to rustling leaves.

It’s important to advocate for your puppy and begin introducing the concept of consent early on. Don’t allow strangers or other dogs to approach uninvited. Instead, give your puppy the freedom to choose whether they want to greet someone or move away. This helps build trust and empowerment, teaching them that their choices matter and are respected.

We recommend teaching the "Middle" cue before your pup starts going on walks. This is where your puppy stands between your legs, and it can become a portable safe space for them. When your puppy feels unsure, cueing “Middle” gives them a chance to regroup, feel protected, and communicate that they need extra support.

If your puppy jumps up at you during a walk, try not to scold. This behaviour is often their way of saying, “I’m overwhelmed, help me.” Offer calm reassurance, crouch down to their level if needed, and let them take breaks. This shows them that you are their safe place in the big wide world.

Avoid busy parks or areas with off-lead dogs until your puppy has built more confidence and can better cope with new experiences. These early walks should be about security, connection, and choice — everything else will follow with time.

🛒 Your Puppy Shopping List: Essentials for a Great Start

Before your puppy comes home, it’s a good idea to stock up on the essentials to help them settle in comfortably and safely. Here’s what we recommend:

• Crate – Start with a size where your puppy can stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably, but not so large that they can toilet in one end and sleep in the other. You can size up later as they grow.

• Vetbed – Ideal bedding that’s soft, absorbent, and quick-drying if there’s an accident. It keeps your puppy comfortable without ending up soaked.

• Avoid plush beds for now — most puppies will chew, dig at, or destuff them!

• Y-front harness – Choose a well-fitting harness from trusted brands like Perfect Fit, Ruffwear, TTouch, or Copenhagen to allow free movement and gentle control.

• Buckle collar – Avoid plastic clip collars, which can snap. A proper metal buckle collar is more secure.

• Long line (10 metres) – Perfect for safely introducing off-lead time while maintaining control in open spaces.

• Short lead – A soft, comfortable lead for everyday walks and early training.

• Chews – Puppy-safe options like calf hooves and split antlers help soothe sore gums and keep them occupied.

• Toys – Invest in a variety:

  • Tug-E-Nuff toys for interactive play sessions

  • Cheaper, durable toys for independent play to help prevent chewing on furniture

  • Kongs, puzzle toys, and snuffle mats for mental enrichment and meal times

• Dog treat pouch – Makes training on the go much easier!

• Training treats – Choose healthy, low-additive options like JR Pet Pate, which can be chopped into small, soft pieces for high-value rewards.

Having the right tools from day one makes a big difference in helping your puppy settle, learn, and thrive in their new home.

🌟 Final Thoughts

Your first week with your puppy is all about security, bonding, and gentle introductions. Avoid rushing into obedience or high expectations. Focus instead on building trust, setting up your home for success, and creating positive first experiences.

With the right approach, you’ll set the stage for a confident, well-mannered adult dog — and a lifelong partnership built on trust and understanding.

Need support during those first few weeks?

Our Ultimate Puppy Course in the Online Academy are here to guide you every step of the way with video tutorials, expert advice, and personalised help.

You'll find videos on:

• Puppy shopping list

• Crate training & separation

• Jumping & biting

• Introducing cats

• Introducing the lead

• First walks

• Early training and socialisation

• Puppy to Pro Challenge: daily video tutorials from 8 weeks old

• Basic obedience cues

• Fun tricks, puppy parkour and shaping games

• Solving common problems

• Plus advancing training as your puppy grows

Puppy Residential Training Stays

Give your puppy the best start in life with our comprehensive residential training program, designed to lay the foundation for a confident, well-behaved puppy. Our experienced trainers focus on essential skills such as toilet training, sleep and crate routines, and basic obedience commands. 

Recognising the critical importance of early socialisation, we also provide safe, controlled exposure to various environments and experiences—even before your puppy's vaccinations are complete—by carrying them during outings. This approach ensures your puppy develops positive associations with new sights, sounds, and people, setting the stage for a lifetime of good behaviour and adaptability.

Key Benefits of Our Residential Puppy Training:

• Toilet Training: Establishing consistent routines to help your puppy learn appropriate elimination habits.

• Sleep and Crate Training: Introducing your puppy to crate comfort and promoting restful sleep patterns.

• Basic Obedience: Teaching foundation cues such as sit, down, middle, wait, come, heel, settle and leave.

• Pre-Vaccination Socialisation: Safely exposing your puppy to various environments by carrying them during outings, aiding in early social development.

🐶 Ready to raise a confident, happy pup? Let’s get started!