First Day: Bringing Your Puppy Home

Finally, the day you have been waiting for has arrived! Your puppy is now 8 weeks old, and ready for you to take him home! By now, your home should be puppy-proofed, with any dangerous items safely removed or stowed away. Ideally, you’ve picked a peaceful morning over the weekend, so you can have time to settle your pup into his new surroundings. That way, by the time evening rolls around, the little guy will be wiped out from his day of exploring the new territory, taking in all the smells, and adjusting this new environment. Puppies are known for crying through the night, one of the ways to curb a puppy’s crying is to tire him out during the daylight hours.

Bringing the Puppy Home

From the first moment, when introducing your furry pal to his new house, it is best to start incrementally. Cat behaviorists believe it is helpful to keep a kitty in one small room for the first few days to help him have a sense of belonging and familiarity. Though this can be rather restrictive for a small dog just separated from his mother, the same concept applies. Bring his bedding, his toys and food bowls into one room, or rather inside his crate. This will be the new “safe space” that the pup can identify as his own.

Use this day to play with your puppy, holding him gently, and acquainting him on how to accept handling. By playing with the toys and occasionally giving him puppy chews, you are helping the dog learn that you are a comforting presence, and a person with whom positive things are associated.
When it comes to choosing the right materials for your pup, here are some important tips to consider:

Food bowls: Sleek tin or thick porcelain are good options for a puppy. Though plastic might seem a safer choice, this kind of bowl tips over easily, and might tempt your dog as a chew toy rather than a water bowl. Tin is also difficult to grasp and porcelain is usually too heavy to tip over.
Bedding: Hopefully you were advised to take a piece of cloth, a rag or a bit of carpet from the place your puppy spent his first few weeks of life. When the blues set in, this will help the little munchkin feel comforted by having the familiar scent nearby. Line his bed with a thick blanket or a washable puppy bed with “walls” so the pup can snuggle against it, and feel as if he is surrounded by his brothers and sisters. This will ease the feelings of initial loneliness.
Toys: There are countless dog toys on the market, but the best match for young puppies are the fleece, plush, fabric toys referred to as “comfort toys.” These are soft and gentle on their growing teeth, and they are a good option to keep for playtime and for teething later on.
Other essentials: Healthy natural puppy food, vitamins, a brush, leach, collar, (you may now want to consider getting your puppy microchipped), shampoo, poop-scoop shovel and bags, an indoor potty-patch (for apartment dwellers) and nail clippers, etc. For more tips: Refer to our article on taking care of puppies.