Puppy's First Week Home: The Complete Guide
Your puppy is coming home! What to prepare, how to feed, when house training starts, and when to see the vet — the full first-week checklist.
Bulut Veterinary Clinic Medical Team
Reviewed by Mücahid Çiftçioğlu, DVM
A new puppy is the sweetest kind of chaos a home can have. The first week is when trust is built, routines take root and the foundations of lifelong health are laid. Get this week right and everything after gets easier.
Here's the vet's-eye, step-by-step guide.
Prepare before arrival
- Food and water bowls (stainless steel is ideal) and a quality puppy food
- A comfortable bed and a blanket for warmth
- Collar, harness and leash
- Chew toys (a lifesaver during teething)
- Training pads and an enzymatic odor-removing cleaner
- Puppy-proof the house: cables, toxic plants, small swallowable objects and medications out of reach
The first days: calm and routine
Your puppy is stepping into a world of new smells, sounds and faces — give them a calm corner and keep visitor traffic low for the first few days. Sleep matters enormously: puppies sleep up to 18 hours a day, and a sleeping puppy should never be woken.
Fix mealtimes, toilet breaks and bedtime from day one. Routine is the fastest route to a puppy who feels safe.
Feeding
Start with the food they were already eating; if you're switching, transition gradually over 7–10 days — abrupt food changes are the number-one cause of puppy diarrhea. Feed 3–4 small meals a day depending on age, and keep table scraps — especially toxic foods like chocolate, grapes and onion — completely off the menu.
See the vet within the first week
A wellness exam in the first days takes a full snapshot of your puppy's health: parasite screening, development check, and a written vaccination schedule. Until the vaccine series is complete, keep your puppy away from parks and unknown dogs — socialize safely with carried neighborhood tours and play dates with vaccinated dogs you know.
That first visit is also the perfect moment for your questions: house training, nipping, night crying... we'll cover it all together.
Start house training immediately
- After sleep, after meals and after play — take them to the pad/toilet spot every single time
- Reward INSTANTLY when they go in the right place (treat + enthusiastic praise)
- Never punish accidents; clean up (with an enzymatic cleaner) and stick to the routine
- Patience: most puppies get the idea in a few weeks; full reliability takes months
Frequently asked questions
My puppy cries at night — what should I do?
The first nights are normal — they've just left mom and littermates. Place the bed near your room, tuck in a warm (not hot) water bottle and a soft blanket. Soothe with a calm voice rather than picking them up at every cry; most settle within a few nights.
When can the first bath happen?
Unless truly necessary, wait until the vaccines are done and your puppy has fully settled in. Spot-clean with warm water if needed. The first proper groom can happen at our clinic's salon, under veterinary supervision.
The biting won't stop — is that normal?
Yes — it's teething and play behavior. When teeth meet skin, stop the game and redirect to a chew toy; with consistency it fades within weeks.
Related services
Puppy just arrived? Book the first exam and vaccine plan this week — we'd love to meet them.
This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for a veterinary examination. Always consult your veterinarian about decisions concerning your pet's health.