Age-based care: positive introductions and handling at 8 to 12 weeks, short enjoyable learning and rest from 12 weeks, and further reward-based learning from 6 months when ready. Supports the adapted task topics, not the exact day order or a guarantee of readiness.
Getting started
First Week With a New Puppy
Turn your puppy's homecoming date into a gentle, dated plan for the first seven days.
Puppy homecoming
Enter when your puppy comes home and their age on that date.
FIRST-WEEK PLAN
Puppy first-week plan
Ready when you are.
Enter a homecoming date and age, then create your seven-day plan.
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.
Based on official guidance
Calculated on your device
A starting point, not advice
HOW TO USE IT
Start with your details
Enter the homecoming date
Choose the day your puppy arrives or arrived. Past and future dates are accepted, so the plan also works after homecoming.
Enter age at homecoming
Use 8 to 52 whole weeks. This is the age on arrival, not the age when you reopen an older plan. RSPCA recommends at least 8 weeks and full weaning before adoption or purchase. Younger puppies need individual early-care support rather than this homecoming plan.
Read your seven-day plan
Create the plan to see all seven dated days together. Learning, handling, experiences and the next steps adapt to your puppy's age stage. Start essential care on Day 1, follow their comfort and repeat easier experiences whenever needed.
Save or print
Save on this device keeps a separate copy of the date and age. Open or delete copies from Saved. Print plan includes the whole week in a dated table and can save a PDF through your browser.
HOW IT WORKS
What shapes your result
Day N = homecoming date + (N - 1) calendar days. Day 1 is the homecoming date; Day 7 is six days later. Date arithmetic uses the shared UTC calendar engine, so changing time zone or crossing a daylight-saving boundary does not shift a plan date.
The seven daily focuses and age guidance come from this tool's own data file. The day order is a PupCalendar planning sequence assembled from the official sources, not a timetable prescribed by the source bodies. It introduces no daily minute targets or seven-day readiness guarantee.
Food, fresh water, toilet opportunities, safe rest and company begin on Day 1 and continue every day. Arrange the first health check promptly within the first week.
The entered age remains the age at homecoming. It selects both guidance and daily tasks for 8 to under 12 weeks, 12 weeks to under 6 approximate months, or 6 approximate months and older. Younger puppies get gentle introductions and first rewards; the middle stage adds brief basic learning and rest; older puppies review familiar skills and progress only when ready. Handling, new experiences and the Day 7 review also adapt. Calm arrival and essential care stay common to every stage.
Approximate months = floor(age in weeks / 4.33), so the six-month stage starts at 26 whole weeks. The stages adapt suggestions, not readiness requirements: an older puppy may still need introductory steps. Age alone does not establish vaccination protection. The date formula and suggested focus order remain the same.
The plan does not advance or move to a new week when reopened. Country switching retains your inputs and any generated result on the matching URL; date formatting follows the selected country while the calculation and sources remain common.
Every Save creates a separate device copy. Reloading fills the form from the latest valid saved copy; choose Create puppy first-week plan to display it. Opening a copy from Saved shows it immediately. Editing a field keeps the previous result visible until you create an updated plan, while clearing its linked reference.
Print includes the complete dated plan and the tasks for your puppy's age stage.
Read about our methodologyFAQ
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask most.
Why does this homecoming planner start at eight weeks?
RSPCA recommends at least 8 weeks and full weaning before adoption or purchase. Younger puppies need individual early-care support rather than this homecoming plan. Age alone does not show that a puppy is fully weaned or ready to leave their mother.
Does a puppy have to follow this exact daily order?
No. The day order is a suggested planning sequence, not an official seven-day timetable. Repeat or simplify activities according to your puppy's comfort. Settling can take longer than a week, and a date does not prove readiness for a new experience.
How does the puppy's age change the plan?
The actual learning, handling, new-experience and review tasks change by stage. At 8 to under 12 weeks, the emphasis is gentle introductions and first rewards. From 12 weeks to under 6 approximate months, it is short, fun basic learning with regular rest. Older puppies review skills and consider further learning only when ready. Essential arrival care stays common. Age remains fixed when saved or reopened and does not establish vaccination status, portion sizes or safe exercise duration.
Can I use a date before today?
Yes. Enter the actual arrival date if your puppy is already home, or a future date to prepare. The original seven dates remain fixed. Reopening the plan does not shift it to the current week or assume older tasks were completed.
Why is Day 7 six days after homecoming?
Homecoming itself counts as Day 1. The next date is Day 2, so Day 7 is homecoming plus six calendar days. A 1 November arrival ends this seven-day plan on 7 November, including month-end, leap-year and daylight-saving transitions.
How can I save or print the plan?
Save on this device keeps a separate copy of the date and age. Open or delete it in Saved, or use Delete saved data to remove device copies. Print plan includes all seven days in a table and lets your browser save a PDF.
Sources and checked dates
Each note explains what its source supports. Open the link to read the guidance yourself.
Calm consistent first week, familiar food and routine, household responsibilities, toilet training and health check within a week. Settling may take longer than seven days.
Safe home, comfortable bedding, clean water, reward-based training and gentle play. No seven-day timetable or exact activity durations.
Recommends at least 8 weeks and full weaning before a puppy is removed from their mother for adoption or purchase. Supports this homecoming planner's retained minimum, not an early-care plan or a country-specific legal claim.
