Essential guide for bringing home a puppy

By: Monique Ceccato

Bringing a new addition home is an exciting time. For first-time puppy owners, it can also be a little overwhelming. But with a bit of research, education, and preparation, that doesn’t have to be the case at all.

We spoke to Dr Philippa Hodgen, owner and principal veterinarian at North Perth Veterinary Centre, to get the expert’s advice on how to prep yourself and your home before bringing a puppy home.

Preparing your home

Just as you would ‘baby-proof’ your home right before your baby starts crawling and walking, you must begin ‘puppy-proofing’ well before your new four-legged friend comes home.

Curious little noses can get into just about anything when nobody is watching. “Make sure any rubbish bins are impossible for puppy to get into,” says Dr Hodgen. A mess is inconvenient, but on the off chance they consume something toxic from the bin like chocolate, coffee, or onions, you could be making an emergency trip to the vet. “Make sure cleaning products and chemicals—especially rodent baits and snail pellets—are kept in a secure and out-of-reach place, too”.

She also recommends doing a sweep of the house to ensure there are no electrical hazards that pup might be tempted to chew (power cords, wires, etc.). Tuck them away under furniture and rugs, or cable tie them to your furniture to keep them out of the way.

If you’re unsure whether something could be a potential hazard for your new recruit, it’s always better to err on the side of caution. “We see a lot of puppies and dogs who have ingested socks, underwear, or even kids' toys. These items should be kept away from pup as well.”

Preparing your garden

An unprepared backyard can harbour hazards for a young and curious pup. Wander the perimeter of your garden to check the quality of your fencing, tending to any damaged sections or potential escape routes. Consider placing large rocks or stones by the base of the fence to discourage any digging.

“It’s important to make sure the garden is free of plants that are known toxins for dogs if ingested or even touched,” explains Dr Hodgen. They may look great in your garden, but sago palms, lilies, irises, hydrangeas, and tulips (to name a few) are all not-so-friendly with dogs.

You can find a comprehensive list of no-go plants here.

Transporting puppy home

According to Dr. Hodgen, the safest way to transport your new puppy home is in a wire crate secured in the car. Pop a comfortable bed and some blankets in to make it welcoming, and another old blanket to throw over the top. “It’s best to have it partially covered to provide less stimulation for the puppy,” says Dr Hodgen. With fewer unfamiliar stimulations, the car ride should be less stressful for all involved.

Like most dog owners, you’ll likely want to continue transporting your pup around with you, so spend the time to get them more familiar with the process. “It’s important to take baby steps when introducing them to car rides,” says Dr Hodgen. “Have them in your stationary car first, let them explore their crate, and only start with short rides initially so that your pup will love the car and feel confident to travel longer distances.”

As your puppy grows, you can do away with the crate in the car if you please. But Dr Hodgson stresses that “it’s the law to keep your puppy properly restrained when in the car”.

The first night

Creating a safe and stimulus-free environment for your puppy at home is key to them feeling safe on their first night in their new home. This so-called ‘safe space’ should have “a crate for sleeping in, access to water, and access to an area for toileting”.

To make the space as welcoming as possible, pop some cuddly blankets, soft bedding, and stuffed toys for them to snuggle up to. Many resources suggest requesting some of the puppy’s bedding from the breeder as the familiar scents left on it can be comforting to pup when they’re feeling a little out of sorts with all the change.

“Anxiety is the cause of the majority of behavioural issues we see in dogs, and it’s important to create a space that they are comfortable in for them to eat in peace and even get away from family members to help them adjust and settle in.”

Be prepared for some whimpering from puppy on the first night — while it’s heartbreaking to hear, it’s completely normal. As tempting as it is to tend to them and give them cuddles, getting them to associate night with sleep time (and not playing or cuddle time) is imperative. It is, however, permissible to pop them on the lead and take them out for a quick toilet break before putting them back in the crate for sleep.

Visiting the vet for the first time

“Many breeders will encourage a health check within 24/48 hours of getting your puppy,” explains Dr Hodgen. “This visit will involve a thorough physical examination to rule out congenital abnormalities such as a heart murmur or malocclusion of teeth.”

Not only is an early vet visit the best way to ensure your puppy’s health, but it’s also a great way to get them familiar with their vet and the vet centre.

“During this visit, the entire vet team will help make your new puppy feel happy and excited to be in the hospital,” says Dr Hodgen. “This is a great opportunity for puppy to get used to examination and for owners to discuss puppy care, vaccination protocols, preventative parasite control, and the best time to consider desexing according to the size and breed of your pup.”

All the essentials

Vaccinations

Just like humans, dogs need protection against infectious diseases.

Vaccinations for your pup are split between core and non-core vaccines. All puppies should receive core vaccines, while non-core vaccines are recommended by your vet based on where you live, your local environment, and your lifestyle.

Canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus, and canine parvovirus are the three core vaccines your pup will need. In Australia, these are typically rolled into a single vaccine known as the C3 vaccine.

Your puppy should receive core vaccines between six to eight weeks of age, then every two to four weeks. It’s advised the final vaccine happens no earlier than 16 weeks of age.

Avoid taking your puppy to public parks and places before they’ve received all their vaccines to reduce potential disease exposure. Your vet can advise when the vaccinations will finish and you can safely take your fluffy friend out and about.

For more information on puppy vaccines, visit the Australian Veterinary Association’s website.

Setting up a routine

Just like babies, puppies thrive on routine. Dedicated feeding times, bathroom times, and crate times hardwires habit into them and makes the learning process a whole lot easier.

Puppies need multiple meals per day, so structuring your schedule around feeding time is one of the easiest ways to enforce routine. It’s recommended that pup be taken outside—or to their toilet area—every two to four hours to encourage them to relieve themselves there.

Regular play and enrichment sessions should be scheduled, too, along with a few short training sessions (remember, they’re only little and will tire quickly).

Training

There is no time better than now to start with puppy training. It instils good habits in your dog from the get-go, making teaching more difficult commands easier when the time comes. Dr Hodgen recommends starting light, utilising your puppy’s daily diet for small training/play sessions. “This could be as simple as rewarding your puppy for settling on a mat or doing a food scatter for enrichment.”

“Remember, ‘training’ doesn’t have to be strict sessions; training can simply be building a relationship and bond with your pup through play. And, always with fear-free reinforcement techniques.”

The essential skills and habits to teach your puppy right away are name recognition and recall (commands that prompt them to come to you). When training begins, use bright and bubbly tones and easy-to-recognise command words like ‘come’ to get the most positive reactions. Remember a positive marker word and treat as rewards when they give you the correct response.

“Co-operative handling is also super important to teach our puppies,” says Dr Hodgen. “This involves gently playing with the puppy's paws and ears and examining their mouth. It’s important for us to get this one right so that we can trim nails, brush teeth, and medicate ears without creating fear or distress in the future.”

Toilet training

One of the biggest hurdles in puppy training is toilet training. Give your pup the best chance at grasping the idea of ‘toilet’ by providing plenty of opportunities to go where we want them to go.

“Take them to [the] spot [you want them to go to the toilet] before and after eating; before, after, and during play and training sessions; and as soon as puppy wakes up from a nap,” says Dr Hodgen. “Give them praise—verbal and yummy treats—when they toilet in the correct place and simply ignore accidents in the wrong place. Just clean it up straight away.”

Socialisation

Socialisation is critical if you want your dog to be a well-rounded and well-behaved pet. While you should never stop bringing your dog out to have them meet other animals and people, there is a sweet spot in age where they get the most benefit from it.

“Socialisation for puppy is crucial between the ages of seven weeks and 14 weeks,” explains Dr Hodgen. This is when their curiosity and sociability are stronger than their fears, so it’s much easier for them to form positive associations at this age. After around 16 weeks, a dog that hasn’t yet been socialised may have trouble with external stimuli, making it more challenging to take them out without fear or reactive behaviour.

Dr Hodgen is quick to point out that socialisation isn’t just having your pup play with other dogs. “Socialisation is taking your puppy on cafe trips or to the pet store,” she says. “It’s all about exposure to new things—sights, sounds, and smells—so that your pup becomes desensitised by new stimuli.”

You can find plenty of socialisation ‘checklists’ online to help with this very important developmental stage.