Getting started
New puppy checklist: what to get before day one
Before your puppy comes home, prepare familiar puppy food, food and water bowls, comfortable bedding, suitable walking equipment, identification and safe toys. Make a quiet rest area, remove hazards and choose a vet. A useful checklist also covers who will provide care and how children will meet the puppy.
What should be ready before day one?
Start with the things your puppy will use immediately. Ask the breeder or shelter which food and routine are familiar, rather than guessing at a new feeding plan. RSPCA UK recommends keeping the same puppy food and routine at first.
Keep the previous care records with your vet's contact details. Ask what health care the puppy has already received and bring the available records to the first visit.
- Food and water
Have the familiar puppy food and suitable bowls ready, with clean drinking water available.
- A place to rest
Prepare comfortable bedding in a quiet, safe area where the puppy can retreat.
- Walking equipment and ID
Choose a suitable collar or harness, a lead and an identification tag. Check local identification requirements.
- Safe play
Choose toys suited to the puppy and watch how they use them, especially if they chew pieces off.
Sources: RSPCA UK: Puppy care (opens in a new tab)RSPCA Australia: Bringing home a puppy (opens in a new tab)Humane World for Animals: Bringing a new dog home (opens in a new tab)
How do you make the home safe?
Look at the space your puppy will be able to reach. Remove poisonous or easily chewed items and prevent access to unsafe rooms. Set up the rest area before arrival so there is somewhere familiar to return to as the puppy explores.
A quiet corner needs to stay quiet in practice. Let the puppy rest without being followed or repeatedly picked up. Keep the first arrival calm and give them time to adjust instead of planning a busy round of visitors.
Sources: RSPCA UK: Puppy care (opens in a new tab)Humane World for Animals: Bringing a new dog home (opens in a new tab)
What changes if you have no outdoor space?
The checklist adds a task to pick a safe toilet spot close to your door when you choose No for outdoor space. That placement is a practical planning suggestion, not a prescribed distance or permission to use a shared area before it is safe.
Choose a consistent place and plan how to reach it. RSPCA UK advises giving regular toilet opportunities and rewarding the puppy after they finish. Ask your vet which areas are appropriate while vaccination protection is still developing.
If you choose Yes, the tool replaces that task with checking outdoor safety and choosing an outdoor toilet spot. Check fences and gates for escape routes, remove hazards and provide protection from the weather. Having a garden does not replace company or daily care.
Sources: RSPCA UK: Toilet training (opens in a new tab)RSPCA Australia: Housing and dog care (opens in a new tab)
What should children know before the puppy arrives?
Agree simple rules before homecoming: give the puppy space around food and rest, stay calm and let them move away. An adult must directly supervise interactions. If that is not possible, use a secure barrier to keep children and the puppy apart.
Do not force greetings or let children chase, hug or grab the puppy. Keep a retreat area that children leave alone. Choosing Children at home: Yes adds both the house-rules task before arrival and supervised introductions on the first day.
Sources: RSPCA Australia: Introducing a puppy to children (opens in a new tab)
What needs arranging for the first week?
Find a vet before homecoming and arrange the actual first health check promptly. Humane World for Animals advises a check within a week. The tool's Book first vet visit date is a planning reminder, not advice to wait until that day and not a booked appointment. Contact your vet sooner if you have concerns.
Check the identification and microchip records available to you, including the contact details. Requirements differ by location; this worldwide checklist does not calculate a legal registration deadline.
Agree who will handle food, toilet trips, company and rest. Keep the arrival quiet, start gentle reward-based learning and adjust to the puppy's comfort. The checklist groups these jobs for planning; care continues after a box is ticked.
Sources: Humane World for Animals: Bringing a new dog home (opens in a new tab)RSPCA Australia: Bringing home a puppy (opens in a new tab)
What does a dated checklist look like?
For a puppy coming home on 22 November 2026, choose No for outdoor space and Yes for children. The planner produces these three dated sections. Each date is a shared reminder for that section, rather than an individual treatment deadline.
Homecoming:
- Before day one
- 8 tasks
- First day
- 6 tasks
- First week
- 4 tasks
18 tasks in total. Dates checked against the New Puppy Checklist.
Before day one includes Pick a toilet spot close to your door and Agree house rules with children. First day includes supervised introductions. Book first vet visit appears in First week, with the prompt to arrange the health check earlier rather than waiting for the reminder.
Changing the answers to outdoor space Yes and children No gives 17 tasks: eight before arrival, five on the first day and four in the first-week section. Outdoor checks replace the close-to-door task, and the two child-specific tasks disappear. The dates stay the same.
The date rules are homecoming minus one calendar day, homecoming itself and homecoming plus seven calendar days. Tick tasks as you finish them, then choose Save on this device to keep a copy. Share link includes your answers and ticks; anyone with it can read them. Print includes all three sections. There is no calendar download for this checklist.
Make room for day one
Turn your homecoming date into a checklist that fits your home.
For general information only, not professional advice. Check the official sources below. Use your own judgement and speak to a qualified professional before you act.
Common questions before day one
More answers on this topic.
What do I need before bringing a puppy home?
Have familiar puppy food, bowls, bedding, suitable walking equipment, identification and safe toys ready. Prepare a quiet space, remove hazards, choose a vet and ask about the puppy's previous routine and care.
When should the first vet visit be?
Arrange it promptly within the first week, following Humane World's guidance. The checklist reminder is a planning date, not a reason to delay care. Contact your vet sooner if you have concerns.
How do I puppy-proof my home?
Move harmful and easily chewed things out of reach, block unsafe rooms and set up an undisturbed rest area. If the puppy will use outdoor space, check gates, fencing and hazards before access.
What should I ask the breeder or shelter?
Ask which food and routine are familiar, what health care has been given and which records are available. Keep those details for your vet and use them when planning the transition home.
Sources and checked dates
Each note explains what its source supports. Open the link to read the guidance yourself.
Supports preparing a safe home and quiet rest area, finding a vet before arrival, familiar food and routines, and positive learning. Checklist dates are planning reminders.
Supports a chosen toilet area, regular opportunities and rewards. The close-to-door placement is the checklist specification's practical suggestion, not a prescribed distance.
Supports a safe living space, comfortable bedding, fresh water, suitable food, identification, gentle play and reward-based training. No numerical exercise or feeding targets are taken from it.
Supports discussing safe interactions before arrival, calm introductions and direct adult supervision. Children should respect the puppy's space and quiet rest.
Supports checking that an outdoor area is secure and protected from weather. Country-specific registration requirements and adult feeding advice are not used in this checklist.
The former Humane Society of the United States supports supplies, quiet arrival, household routines and a health check within a week. The booking reminder does not mean waiting until its deadline.