Getting Started: Bringing Home New Puppies

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Making the decision to bring home not one, but two cocker spaniel puppies was no easy decision. The days, weeks, and months that followed the initial decision to welcome these two additions to our family were filled with sweet, adorable, exhausting and frustrating moments. Prepare the best you can to have more sweet, adorable times with your puppies and less of the frustrating ones.

We adore our Goose and Maverick, but it took tremendous planning and preparation. I was determined to make sure our days went as smoothly as possible from the beginning. Now, I’m not going to lie, raising puppies is not an easy task. It takes a lot of patience and commitment!

We were lucky enough to find a breeder only 45 minutes from our home so we were able to meet and view the breeder’s home and meet the puppy parents. We were able to go and pick out our puppies from the six week old litter, visit at seven weeks, and go back to take them home when they reached 8 weeks old. Elite Canine Kennels in Rineyville, KY sent us home with a sweet care package, adoption papers, AKC registration, and microchipped pups. Thanks Vanessa!

First, puppy proof the house & yard.

Puppy proofing the puppies’ new home was essential before bringing them home. I called Burnie from Pet Stop to schedule an appointment to make sure our underground fence was up and running. I would also need new fence collars when they are old enough. Our underground fence keeps them safely in our yard, out of our pond, and away from landscaping that I don’t want disturbed. These fences are very low voltage and puppies are quick to learn where their space is. Otherwise, check your existing fence for gaps and holes that could be squirmed through.

Puppy proofing the house keeps puppies away from hidden dangers that could get puppies into trouble. Puppies love to chew so it is important to find out of reach homes for the TV remote, sunglasses, and anything low that sharp teeth could sink into if unsupervised. Puppy teeth will shred books and magazines so put those away. Get down on your knees to discover and remove all the cords and wires that are at puppy level. Make sure lamp cords are tied up or fastened in a way that puppy cannot get tangled and end up pulling that lamp off the table. (Yep, that happened playing chase behind the couch. Luckily the lamp didn’t break.) Air freshener plugins need to be removed as well.

Don’t forget to check cabinets to make sure they are not easily opened. You don’t want your puppy making a meal out of pantry items or worse, household chemicals. Plastic containers, plants, and even candles should be put out of reach. They can all be toxic. Remove and hide trash cans, too. Some puppies love a good scavenger hunt in the trash.

More puppy proofing ideas…

Keep other small puts safe, including fish tanks, by making sure these animals are out of reach or you might find your new pup has a remarkable instinct for catching prey. Practice keeping toilets closed, especially if you use cleaning supplies in the bowl, and declutter everything from the floor. Shoes & socks could quickly become a favorite chew toy. It’s not puppy’s fault if you leave them out!

Furniture, rugs, and carpets need to be considered. Use Bitter Apple on table legs if your puppy ends up liking furniture or baseboard chewing. Remove special rugs until after house training is complete. I only left out smaller rugs I could throw into the washer while house training was underway. I also used an enzymatic cleaner especially designed for hardwood floors to reduce accidents in the house. Be prepared to clean up accidents completely so as not to leave behind a spot the pup wants to return to to do his business.

Next, prepare your puppy supplies

I planned and researched for weeks for the homecoming of our puppies. Keep your puppy on the same food as the breeder and vet recommend and purchase that ahead of time. I searched for great deals from this list of essential supplies.

The Most Essential Supplies When Bringing Home a New Puppy

It’s best to collect all the puppy supplies you will need to make sure the welcome home is comfortable for your new family member. See my supplies I ordered here for successful first days. See exactly what I purchased for my puppies in this post.

Happily, Purina offers a program called Purina Perks that helps save you money on their products. Submit your receipts and earn points toward a purchase. Login, create an account and see how you can save with Purina Perks. If you already are buying dog food from Purina, this was a bonus and it doesn’t matter where you purchase the food! Just submit your receipt. I don’t earn anything by sharing this … it’s just a good tip!

Create a schedule and stick to it as closely as possible.

When bringing home a new puppy (or two puppies in my case), begin a puppy schedule of routines right away – even their first day home. They will adjust and feel comfortable more quickly with their new home and family! Like young children, when a puppy starts to understand what is coming next, she will trust you and behave better more quickly. Here’s the the puppy schedule I used. You’ll quickly see that it’s potty, eat, potty, play, potty, sleep, repeat!

Heads up! House training puppies is not the easiest thing. It takes lots of patience and repetition. I found that if I logged their pees & poos, it helped me learn the routine and realize what to expect. Here’s a FREE Puppy Training Log Sheet for you to keep track of your puppy’s potty schedule.

When I finally started really tracking their potty breaks and using the 10-10-10 rule, I figured out their pattern. Puppies, like newborns are so much easier when you can predict what their behavior might be!

More details coming about our puppy adventures! Check back soon for the importance of crate training and training for good manners.

Also Coming Soon … how the schedule has changed as my pups are growing! It does get easier!