What do I need before bringing a puppy home?

At minimum: a crate sized for your puppy now, a bed, food and water bowls, the same food the breeder or shelter used, a collar or harness with an ID tag, a lead, chew toys, poo bags and an enzymatic cleaner for accidents. Book a vet appointment for the first few days too.

What age should a puppy come home?

Most puppies go to new homes at around 8 weeks old, once they are weaned and eating solid food. Some breeders keep toy breeds a little longer.

When should a new puppy see the vet?

Within the first few days. Many breeders ask for a vet check within three days, and puppies from a shelter or rescue should be seen promptly. See your puppy’s first vet visit for what to bring.

Should my puppy sleep in a crate the first night?

A crate next to your bed works well for most puppies: they feel close to you, you hear when they need the toilet, and they learn the crate is a safe place to sleep. Expect some crying for the first few nights.

How big should a puppy crate be?

Big enough for your puppy to stand up, turn around and lie down stretched out, and no bigger. Too much room lets a puppy toilet at one end and sleep at the other. Buy the adult size with a divider if you want one crate for life.

New Puppy Checklist: What to Buy and Do in the First Week

Before your puppy comes home you need a crate, a bed, bowls, the food they already eat, a collar or harness with an ID tag, a lead, chew toys and a cleaner made for pet accidents. In the first week, the jobs that matter most are a vet check within a few days, a steady routine of meals, sleep and toilet trips, and gentle, safe introductions to the world.

Here is the whole list, split into what to buy, how to get the house ready, and what to do day by day.

What to buy before your puppy comes home

The essentials

Item	What to look for
Crate	Big enough to stand, turn and lie flat, no bigger. An adult-size crate with a divider grows with them
Bed and blankets	Cheap and washable at first: puppies chew. Blankets without holes or loose threads
Food	The same food the breeder or shelter used, labelled complete for growth or all life stages. Large and giant breeds need a large-breed puppy food
Food and water bowls	Washable, heavy or non-tip
Collar or harness	A collar you can slide two fingers under, with an ID tag carrying your phone number. You’ll replace it as they grow
Lead	A standard fixed lead. Retractable leads make training harder
Chew toys	Several, in different textures, firm but with a little give. Rotate them so they stay interesting
Enzymatic cleaner	Breaks down urine smell so your puppy isn’t drawn back to the same spot
Poo bags	Plenty. You’ll use more than you think
Small treats	Soft, pea-sized training treats for rewarding toilet trips and good behaviour

Useful from the start

Puppy gates or a pen to close off rooms and give your puppy a safe area when you can’t watch them
Puppy pads or a washable crate liner, for overnight or if you live high up
A secure car crate, carrier or dog seat belt: puppies should be restrained in a moving car
Brush or comb suited to the coat, nail clippers, and a dog toothbrush with dog toothpaste (never human toothpaste)
Puzzle feeders or lick mats to slow eating and keep busy minds busy
A food storage bin with a lid your puppy can’t open

What can wait

Expensive beds, a wardrobe of collars and a basket of novelty toys. Your puppy will chew the bed, outgrow the collars and prefer a cardboard box. Buy these once you know their size and habits.

Puppy-proof your home

Get down to puppy height and look around. Anything they can reach, they will try to chew.

Cables and chargers: tuck them away or cover them
Medicines, vitamins and cleaning products: up high or locked away, including handbags on the floor
Food: chocolate, grapes and raisins, onions, xylitol (in some sugar-free gum and peanut butter) and more are dangerous to dogs. See foods toxic to dogs
Bins: lids that close, or behind a cupboard door
Shoes, socks, hair ties, children’s toys: small things get swallowed
Houseplants and garden plants: check them against the ASPCA’s toxic plant list
Stairs, balconies and ponds: gate them
The garden: check fences for gaps, and store slug pellets, antifreeze and fertilisers out of reach

If your puppy eats something it shouldn’t, call your vet or an animal poison line straight away. Don’t try to make them sick at home.

Before the day itself

Choose a vet and book a check-up for the first two or three days
Ask the breeder or shelter for vaccination and worming records, the microchip number, the food they eat and how much, and their routine
Ask for a blanket or toy that smells of their mother and litter, to put in the crate
Agree house rules with everyone at home: is the sofa allowed, who feeds, which word means “go to the toilet”
Set up the crate somewhere quiet but near people, and a second sleeping spot by your bed for the first nights

Day one

Go straight to the toilet spot when you get home and wait. Praise and reward the moment they go
Keep it calm. One room, a few people, no visitors queueing to meet them
Feed the same food at the times they’re used to. If you want to change food, wait until they’ve settled, then mix it in gradually over a week or so
Show them the crate with a treat or a chew inside and the door open. Let them walk in by choice (more in how to crate train a puppy)
Toilet trips often: after waking, after eating or drinking, after play, and every hour or two while awake
Bedtime: a last toilet trip, then the crate by your bed. Expect some crying. A hand near the crate helps; a quiet trip outside if they wake needing to go, then straight back to bed

The first week

Day	Focus
1–2	Routine: meals, naps, toilet trips at the same times. Lots of sleep
2–3	Vet check: vaccines, worming, health check, microchip if not done
3–4	Short, gentle handling every day: paws, ears, mouth, a soft brush
4–5	Start their name, sit, and short spells alone in the crate or pen
5–7	Safe socialisation: new sounds, surfaces, calm visitors, car trips in your arms

Routine

A puppy’s day is mostly sleep, food and toilet trips. Young puppies sleep around 18 to 20 hours a day (see how much puppies sleep), and most eat three or four small meals. Ask your breeder or vet how much, or start with how much to feed a puppy.

Toilet training

Start on the first day and be consistent. VCA recommends a trip out after every meal or big drink, immediately after every nap, every half hour during busy play, and every one to two hours while awake. Many puppies still need a trip in the night until about 5 months. The full method is in how to potty train a puppy.

Time alone

Build it slowly, a few minutes at a time, from day one. A puppy left alone for no more than about 3 hours can usually be crated; longer than that, they need a toilet break, so arrange a friend, family member or sitter.

Socialisation

The first three months of life are when puppies accept new things most easily. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends socialising puppies before their vaccinations are complete, carefully: carry them to see the world, invite calm vaccinated dogs to your home, and join a puppy class. Puppies can usually start a class at 7 to 8 weeks, at least 7 days after their first vaccines and after their first worming. Keep them off the ground in places unknown dogs use until the vaccine series is finished (see the puppy vaccination schedule).

Paperwork and ID

Microchip: make sure your puppy is chipped and the database shows your details, not the breeder’s. In England, dogs must be microchipped by 8 weeks of age; rules vary elsewhere
ID tag with your phone number on the collar, as many places require by law
Vaccination card: keep it safe, and note the next due date
Pet insurance: if you want it, compare policies early, since conditions found later may be excluded
Registration and licence: some councils and states require a dog licence

The first week is a lot of small jobs at set times, and they’re easier when the whole household knows whose turn it is. PetTrackr puts meals, toilet trips and vet dates on one daily plan, lets you assign each to a person, and reminds them on their own phone.

Printable checklist

Before they arrive

Collect from the breeder or shelter

Vaccination and worming records
Microchip number and transfer paperwork
Food brand, amounts and meal times
A blanket that smells of home

First week

PetTrackr helps you keep track. It is not veterinary advice: if your pet seems unwell, call your vet.

New puppy checklist