The Puppy Starter Guide

Growth formulas differ from adult food in calories, calcium and phosphorus. For a large-breed puppy the calcium ceiling is the part that matters most.

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A crate should be big enough to stand, turn and lie flat — and no bigger. Too much room and a puppy will use one end as a toilet. A divider is what makes one crate last.

Buy washable before you buy beautiful. A first bed will be chewed, and it will be slept on by a puppy who is not yet reliably house-trained.

Stainless steel is the default: it does not scratch the way plastic does, and scratches are where bacteria sit. A slow feeder is worth it only if your puppy eats fast enough to need one.

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A flat collar carrying ID is the one thing a puppy should wear from day one. Two fingers should slide under it — check that weekly, because it stops being true quickly.

A puppy outgrows a harness in weeks. Adjustability matters more than anything else, and a harness is for walking — not for leaving on around the house.

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A fixed four-to-six-foot leash teaches a puppy where you are. Retractable leashes teach the opposite, and are worth avoiding until loose-leash walking is solid.

Training treats should be tiny, soft and quick to eat — you will give dozens in a session. Treats count toward daily calories.

Teething runs roughly from three to six months. A chew should flex under a thumbnail — anything harder than that risks a tooth.

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Enzymatic cleaners break down the proteins in urine. Ordinary household cleaners mask the smell to you and leave it detectable to a puppy, which is an invitation to use the same spot again. Avoid anything ammonia-based.

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Start grooming before it is needed. A puppy who is used to having paws held and a brush run over them is a different animal at the groomer.

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A puppy that has used its nose is tired in a way a walk does not achieve. Enrichment is also what makes crate time and alone time bearable.

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The first car journey is usually the ride home. A restrained puppy is safer and, in most places, a legal requirement.

Settling, not training. Keep the world small and the routine boring.

• Keep visitors to a minimum

  The house is enough novelty.

• Out to the same spot after waking, eating, play and before bed

• Crate beside your bed for the first nights

  Move it gradually once nights are settled.

• Use their name only for good things

• Transfer the microchip registration into your name

• Note appetite, energy and stools

  Not to diagnose — so you can describe a change accurately if you need to.

A routine emerges, and the gaps in your kit become obvious.

• Attend the first veterinary visit

• Confirm the vaccination and parasite-prevention plan with your vet

• Handle paws, ears and mouth daily

  Seconds at a time, paired with a treat.

• Practice very short periods alone

  Start with seconds, not minutes.

• Add a stuffable or puzzle toy for crate time

• Add airtight food storage if you have not already

Training, grooming and the habits that make the next year easier.

• Book a puppy class

  Ask your vet which local classes they recommend.

• Start recall in the house and yard, on a long line outdoors

• Begin loose-leash walking somewhere with no distractions

• Book a short introductory groomer visit

• Brush daily, however short the coat

• Introduce a dog toothbrush and dog toothpaste

• Re-check collar and harness fit

  Two fingers under the collar. Check weekly.

• Decide on pet insurance

Most of what goes wrong in the first week is a supply problem, not a training problem. Buy the essentials before pickup, and decide where the crate lives before the puppy arrives rather than during.

Keep feeding whatever the breeder or shelter was feeding for the first week, then change over across five to seven days if you are changing at all. Two changes at once — new home and new food — is how the first week becomes a digestive problem.

Products: Puppy Food · Food & Water Bowls

Short and frequent beats long and occasional — two minutes, several times a day. Reward what you want before correcting what you do not.

Products: Training Treats

The goal in the first months is tolerance, not tidiness. Handle paws, ears and mouth daily so none of it is new when it matters.

Products: Grooming Essentials

Accidents are part of the first months, not evidence of failure. What matters is removing the scent entirely, because a spot that still smells is a spot that gets used again.

Products: Enzymatic Cleaners

This section is deliberately short. Almost every question in it has an answer specific to your puppy, and the person who can give it is your veterinarian.