10 Things You Need to Do Before Bringing Home Your New Puppy

Once upon a time, there was a girl and guy and they longed to have a little pup to call their own.  This past summer, this fairy tale came true for my boyfriend and I.  We were six weeks out when we got the news we would be bringing our little bundle of fur home on July 25th.

I will tell you, I was so excited to bring home Teddy I was obnoxious. At work. At home. All I could think about was Teddy. The only thing that spewed from my mouth for six weeks straight was about this little pup I had never even met before. 

That being said, I immediately began plotting for Teddy's homecoming, but if you are not the puppy obsessed monster I was, a good rule of thumb is to start preparing about two weeks in advance.  You will need time to  ready your home and family to welcome your new best friend home. 

1. Set up a Pick up Day with Shelter or Breeder and Plan Ahead
    Get on the same page with the shelter or breeder and set up a day and time that works best for both of you.  You will want to be able to spend the first two to three days with your new puppy uninterrupted, so plan ahead with work to take a day or two off.  My suggestion would be to pick up your new puppy on a Thursday or Friday so you will have those days plus the weekend off to spend time getting better acquainted.  I don't think a full week off from work is necessary- you will want to start getting basck into your regular routine as soon as possible.

2. Begin to Purchase Supplies
    It is really important that you are fully prepared when you bring puppy home.  You won't want to spend one minute of time away from your pup to go pick up an odd or an end.  Take your time when picking out items- I found it to be a very enjoyable and fun process.  Also, don't limit yourself to just buying from pet stores. You can find a lot of cute, unique and quality items at TJMaxx, Marshalls and Home Goods, which is where I bought a good portion of Teddy's things. Other great places to look are farm and outdoors stores. An ultimate list coming soon of all the items you will need to buy.

3. Talk to the Shelter or Breeder About Your Future Pup's Current Daily Routine
     Understanding what your future puppies daily routine is crucial to having a smooth transition home.  Things you should discuss in detail with the shelter or breeder are:

• What is a full day like for my puppy? Does he have a daily routine?
• How often is he currently being let outside to do his/her business?
• What is night time currently like? Is he being let out during the night to do his/her business?
• How often and how much is he being fed?
• What food is he being fed?
• How much and what type of exercise is he currently getting? 
• Is he at all crate trained? If so, to what extent?
• What commands or words are currently being used to train him?
• Does he know his own name?
• At what stage is he with his puppy shots and vaccines? 
• Are there any other heath concerns specific to this puppy?

 Knowing all of the answers to these questions will help you to to continue the pup's daily life in your own home and cause minimal disruption. Remember, you are essentially taking a baby away from the only thing they have ever known.  He is going to feel unsure in the new environment of your home with people he doesn't really know.  Continuing his daily routine and training will help him feel more at home and will make your life easier. 

4. Puppy Proof Your House
    You will want to create a safe environment for your new puppy when he comes home.  Some of my suggestions for puppy proofing are:

• Taping down or concealing wires and cords where puppies cannot reach them
• Research and remove any houseplants that are toxic to dogs, ex. palms and Cala Lilys
• Start getting into the habit of picking clothes and shoes up off the floor where your pup cannot reach or putting them in a room that will be off limits
• Getting into the habit of closing the toilet seat if you don't already 
• Rolling up and storing area rugs so your pup cannot chew the edges

Taking these precautions will keep your pet and your belongings safe.   

No rugs for this dude :)

5.  Discuss with your Household who will be Responsible for Puppy Chores
    If your puppy will be the family pet, I think this is one of the most important steps- discussing with you family who will be responsible for what when it comes to the new pup.  Outline with your household all of the chores associated with the dog- walking, feeding, training, letting him out to go potty, etc. and decide who will be responsible for these.  

In my home, we had to discuss who would be responsible for coming home during the day to let Teddy out and who would let him out in the middle of the night to do his business.  These are two things you will need to consider as your puppy may not be able to hold their pee all day or all night. 

6. Learn a Little About Dog Training
    If you are a first time puppy owner or you have not had a new puppy in a long time, it would be a great idea to brush up on training basic commands, crate training and potty training.  There are so many great videos on YouTube that teach you how to teach your pup all of these things.

Before bringing Teddy home my biggest training resource was Zak George on YouTube, he has so many great training videos that helped me quite a bit.  Link to his channel is below: https://www.youtube.com/user/zakgeorge21

If you want a more hands on training approach, I would research local humane societies and kennels that offer puppy obedience classes. 

7. Set-up Pet Insurance
    Something to consider when having a pup is to get pet insurance. This can be a helpful tool to use when you run into an unexpected illness or if an accident were to happen.  Vet bills can add up quickly and you can protect yourself from these unexpected costs.  Most employers offer pet insurance if you already have health insurance through them- it can be very cheap too, about five dollars a week.  This is just something to consider but is not required.  

8. Seek Out Local Vet and Make Appointment
    If you do not already have one, find a local vet and set up an initial appointment for a few days after you bring your puppy home.  They will do a check up and make sure he is in good health and administer any shots or vaccines that are due.  If you have any health concerns about your puppy this is a great time to ask your vet.

This is also a good time to do a Google search for your nearest animal hospital for your future reference. 

9.  Set-up Puppy Things
      About 24 hours before you bring home your new pup you should start to set up all of the supplies you have gathered. This would include setting up your crate if you are going to use one, taking the tags off everything and putting away all other supplies so everything will be readily available when you need it.

Teddy loving his bed once we got home, look at that tongue!

 10. Prepare your Vehicle for the Puppy Voyage
      Congratulations! You have managed to maintain your sanity awaiting the fateful day you would bring home your new best friend :) You will now need to prep your vehicle to bring home baby.

Prepare your vehicle, bring towels to clean up any messes, treats, the leash and collar in case you need to make a pit stop on the way home to go potty. If your car is large enough to fit a crate in the back, set it up and line with towels and throw in some plush toys.  This is a safe and easy way to transport the dog home.  If your car cannot fit a crate and your dog is small enough, bring a large laundry basket and line with a towel and plush toys. This is a really easy way to transport the pup- I would recommend someone sitting in the back with the basket just in case. 

Teddy in his laundry basket on our way home

Hope you found this helpful, please comment down below if you have anything else to add to the list-

Happy Wagging!

-Tori