Preparing For Your Puppy

To Do List: Before You Bring Your Puppy Home

Owning a puppy comes with a number of responsibilities.

Bringing a new puppy home is always exciting, but it’s not all fun and games. – you’ll need to understand new puppy training, research the best foods to feed your pup, and make a few changes around your home to keep things safe for your little one.

This may sound a little overwhelming, and there’s no denying that caring for a new puppy is hard work, but this puppy training guide will share everything you need to know to give your pup the best start in life!
We offer the below guide in a print out form below + additional printable resources.

Puppy Proof Your Home

Puppy-proofing your home is one of those new puppy essentials that every owner needs to do. Puppies love to play with (and chew) just about everything.
First set up a puppy playpen area with a kennel attached this will allow you and the puppy a safe place for them to play while your attention needs to be elsewhere.

Start by making sure that any electric cords are well hidden. Medications should be kept secure, and any other toxic substances that you have lying around, from glue to cleaning supplies. Keep these well out of puppy's reach.

Trash cans also commonly pose a problem. While you can teach your dog to leave these alone as part of your new puppy training, you don’t want to tempt them with something so irresistible either.

Stock Up On Puppy Toys

Toys may not seem like new puppy essentials, but they really are. Puppies learn through playing.

Toys also provide much-needed mental stimulation and can be used in new puppy training too.

Invest in a variety of toys for your new family member. A mix of chew toys, soft toys, treat toys, and interactive toys should cover all the bases!

Establish Routine

Just about every puppy training guide out there will tell you that a routine is important.

Even if you don’t currently have one, develop one that you can follow for the first few months of your pup’s life.

Dogs thrive when they have structure and routine – they’ll know what to expect each day and will adapt their behavior accordingly.

Crate Training

Even if crate training doesn’t seem very important at the moment, it’s still a key part of new puppy training.

Granted, you may not use a crate in the house, but what happens if your dog needs to stay overnight at the vet for an emergency?

Chances are that they’ll be kept in a crate, and if they haven’t been crate trained, this makes the experience all the more traumatic.

You never know when you’ll need the help of a crate, so make crate training a priority in your new puppy training. There are many videos and guides to help with this process. It can be frustrating initially, but don't give in to the whining and don't give up. It will be worth it!

Create Housebreaking Plan

Housebreaking is what new puppy owners struggle the most with.

Here’s the good news – We at Foothill have already started it for you and if you follow the breeders recommendation it can be done in just a few days, so long as you stay consistent.

If you don’t yet have a housebreaking plan, don’t worry – we can help.

Research Puppy Foods

One of the new puppy essentials that you’ll need to buy is a good puppy food.

We do not recommend reaching for the cheapest option on store shelves, though. Most of the commercial dog foods available are of very poor quality.

You’ll need to do some research to ensure that you’re feeding your puppy the best that you can afford.

Meat (not meat meal) should be at the top of the ingredient list, and whatever you feed shouldn’t contain any unnecessary fillers.

Foothill will give you a starter bag of food when you take your puppy home to get you started. Be sure to change the food over slowly if you choose to use a different product. If you made a sudden switch, this could upset your pups stomach.

Decide on House Rules

Every puppy training guide will stress the importance of consistency. This applies to all aspects of new puppy training, including house rules.

Will your pup be allowed on the furniture, even when fully grown?Will they be allowed in the kitchen, or to sleep on your bed?

Decide this in advance and then stick to it.
This will make life much less confusing for your pup. As a result, they’ll learn so much faster.

Don't Let Bad Behaviors Slide

Biting, jumping, excessive barking, begging for food – these are all very common new puppy training problems.

The issue is that many owners let it slide when a puppy first displays unwanted behavior.

In some cases, they may even accidentally reinforce it by laughing at how cute a puppy looks when doing something they shouldn’t.

However, it’s much easier to train the right behavior from the start, rather than try to train away a bad behavior as an adult.

If your puppy does something that you don’t want them to be doing in the future, put a stop to it now, before that behavior turns into a habit.

Socialization is Important

So many puppies miss out on socialization at this key time in their lives for a variety of reasons (vaccine schedule, COVID restrictions, life gets busy etc). If puppies are not socialized properly and early on, this can cause behavior issues in the future.

Prior to having their full set of vaccines, there are ways to get creative to ensure you are continuing their socialization and giving them exposure to as much as possible. Of course we want to keep their health and safety in mind, so until fully vaccinated, do not let them touch dirt, grass, or areas heavily populated by dogs you don't know.

Socialization Ideas

Take your pup on car drives around town. Or, go on walks that expose them to different sights, sounds, smells, and experiences.
Enroll your pup in puppy preschool with other puppies the same age (once they graduate, take the next level class they offer: beginner, intermediate, advanced, off leash, nose work, agility, CGC etc.)
Print out a "puppy scavenger hunt" and check off a few new boxes each day. Make these experiences positive with lots of delicious rewards
Purchase a doggy stroller and take your puppy everywhere you can while safely keeping them off the ground. (They will likely grow out of the stroller just in time to get their last set of vaccines.)

Take Time Off Work

As you can see, there are so many new puppy essentials to keep in mind when bringing a puppy home. If you’re working long hours, this makes life even harder.

Ideally, try to book a week or two off when your new puppy arrives.

This will give you that much-needed time to bond with your pup. You’ll also be able to set basic rules and make a start on new puppy training.
While our puppy training guide in our new puppy packages covers the basics, there’s always more to learn.

Ideally, try to soak up as much new puppy training knowledge as possible before bringing your puppy home (podcasts are a great option). Once they move in, life is going to become a little more hectic for a while.

Fortunately, you’re in the right place – We will stay as a lifelong support to you and your puppy.

We recommend you check out online training and research local puppy classes with trainers.