Your Puppy's First Week Home: A Day-by-Day Plan

Before day 1

Set up a crate in your bedroom, a playpen or gated area in the living space, food and water bowls, small-breed puppy food (the same food the puppy has been eating) and an enzyme cleaner for accidents. Our new puppy checklist has the full list. Book a vet appointment for days 3–5, and make sure your pet insurance starts on collection day.

Day 1: Calm and quiet

• Toilet first. Carry the puppy straight to the toilet spot when you get home, wait, and praise quietly when it goes.
• Let it explore one room. A whole house is too much. Keep visitors away for the first day, however excited the family is.
• Feed at the times your breeder used. Small breeds usually eat 3–4 meals a day at this age.
• The first night: put the crate beside your bed, add the blanket that smells of the litter, and take the puppy out just before bed. Expect one night-time toilet trip. If the puppy cries, a hand near the crate and a calm voice usually works better than taking it out to play.

Day 2: Start the toilet rhythm

Take the puppy out after every meal, every nap, every play session and every two hours in between. A rough guide is that a puppy can hold its bladder for about its age in months plus one, in hours, so about three hours at two months. Toy breeds often need more frequent trips. Reward outside, straight away, every time. Accidents indoors aren't a training failure. Clean them up with enzyme cleaner and take the puppy out more often.

Day 3: Crate as a happy place

Feed meals in the crate with the door open. Toss treats in. Let the puppy nap in it during the day while you're nearby. You're teaching that the crate means food, rest and safety, never punishment.

Day 4: Vet visit and gentle handling

Take your paperwork to the first vet check: the vaccination record, deworming record and microchip details. At home, start handling practice: touch the paws, look in the ears, lift the lip, a few seconds at a time with a treat. For Cavapoos and Poodles, add a few strokes of a soft brush. You're building the calm that makes grooming and vet visits easy for life.

Day 5: First short alone-time

Leave the puppy in its pen with a chew while you're in another room for two to five minutes, then come back calmly. Repeat a few times. Building time alone gradually from the first week is the single best protection against separation anxiety, which Cavapoos and Poodles are prone to.

Day 6: The world, carefully

Until about 1–2 weeks after the final puppy vaccine (usually around 16–18 weeks), avoid dog parks, pet-store floors and anywhere lots of unknown dogs go. Parvovirus survives in soil for months. But don't hide the puppy away either. Carry it to see traffic, people, children and other sounds. Let it meet a healthy, vaccinated dog you know in a clean garden. This socialisation window, roughly 3 to 14 weeks, matters enormously.

Day 7: Review the week

By now most puppies sleep longer at night, know where the toilet spot is and settle in the crate. If something isn't working, whether that's persistent crying, diarrhoea, not eating or a lot of accidents, call your vet or your breeder. A good breeder wants to hear from you. We certainly do.

A few breed notes

• French Bulldogs: keep play short and cool, and wipe the facial folds daily. See French Bulldogs in hot states for summer care.
• Cavapoos: the coat starts to mat around the ears quickly, so brush little and often from week one.
• Toy Poodles and Toy Cavapoos: tiny puppies can get low blood sugar if they miss meals. Feed on schedule, and call the vet if a toy puppy is lethargic or wobbly.

Still choosing? Start with the side-by-side breed comparison or buying a puppy from another state.

Sources: AAHA canine vaccination guidelines; American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior position statement on puppy socialization.