New puppy checklist: what you need before they come home
A bit of preparation makes the first weeks with a new puppy much easier. This checklist follows Dogs Trust's advice and also works for an adult dog you're bringing home.
Before you bring your puppy home
Register with a vet
Choose a practice nearby, and ask whether it offers out-of-hours care or which clinic covers it.
Check the microchip
Dogs over 8 weeks must be microchipped by law. The breeder should chip your puppy and give you the database details. Register your own details as soon as your puppy arrives: see how to update microchip details.
Get pet insurance
Policies differ in what they cover, so compare them carefully.
Plan the training
Plan to teach basic skills at home, and look for puppy training classes nearby.
Puppy-proof your home
Move anything chewable out of reach, secure electrical leads, and remove or lock away toxic plants and substances. Set up a few resting places, one near an outside door to help with toilet training. Baby gates help block off rooms, and the garden needs to be dog-safe too.
Plan for time apart
Arrange who'll look after your puppy when you're out, away or at work, and start teaching them to spend short spells alone early.
Shopping list: for the house
- Washable beds and bedding, big enough to stretch out in
- A crate, if you plan to crate train
- Food and water bowls, plus spares
- The food your puppy already eats, and any new food to introduce gradually
- Training treats suited to their size and age
- Food puzzles and slow feeders
- Safe toys sized for your puppy, for play and teething
- Puppy-safe cleaning products for accidents, ideally enzymatic cleaners
Shopping list: for walks
- A plain buckled collar with a tag showing your name and address. This is required by law, and adding a phone number is recommended
- A fabric or double-ended training lead
- A fully adjustable, comfortable harness that lets them move freely
- A puppy car restraint or car crate
- Poo bags, and a coat if your dog needs one
When can your puppy go out?
Your puppy shouldn't go beyond your garden until they've had all their first vaccinations. Ask your vet when it's safe for the first walk.
Once you're out and about, start on recall training, and if your puppy is nipping, see how to stop a puppy biting.
Their first collar
Your puppy needs a collar and tag with your name and address in public. A PawTrak QR plate on the collar gives whoever finds them a quick way to reach you, and you can update the profile as they grow.
- Any phone camera reads it. No app needed.
- Add vet details and notes for a finder.
- Check the size guide on each collar before you order.
Shop collars · See what a finder sees