All printables
This page prints just the sheet below. Tick boxes work here too, and print as ticked. In the print box, "Save as PDF" keeps a copy on your phone.
Before Puppy Comes Home
newpuppy.vet
Tick it off the week before. Almost everything else can wait for a birthday.
The short shopping list
- The food he's eating now (ask exactly what it is, and get a small bag even if you'll switch later)
- Two bowls, stainless steel or ceramic
- A crate or pen sized for the grown dog, with a divider for now
- Bedding you won't mind seeing chewed
- Flat collar with an ID tag (your phone number on it)
- A snug harness and a plain 6-foot leash
- Two baby gates (kitchen and stairs is a good start)
- Enzyme cleaner for accidents
- A few safe chews and toys, nothing harder than his teeth
- Brush, nail trimmer, dog toothbrush and dog toothpaste (never human toothpaste)
- Poop bags. More than you think
- A crate that's strapped down in the car, or a crash-tested harness
Before pickup day
- Book the first vet visit for the first few days home
- Ask the breeder, shelter or rescue for every record: shots, deworming dates, anything with a date on it
- Find your nearest 24-hour emergency clinic and fill in the fridge card
- Puppy-proof at puppy height: cords, socks, shoes, kids' toys, medicines, trash and anything with a small battery
- Move the cat's litter box out of puppy reach
- Check that your other pets are up to date on shots and parasite prevention
- Pick the crate spot (next to your bed is best at first) and the potty spot outside
Can wait, or skip
- A retractable leash (a plain one teaches better manners)
- A fancy bed before the chewing phase ends
- Supplements and calming gadgets, unless your vet suggests one
- Raw or homemade puppy diets
- A mountain of toys (keep three or four out and rotate)
General education, not veterinary advice. Your vet's plan for your puppy comes first.
More printables
- First Two Weeks RoutineThe first-week plan: the daily loop, potty times, bedtime and a 14-day health log.
- Questions for Visit OneWhat to bring and what to ask at the first vet visit.
- Puppy Rules for KidsTen fridge rules for kids, plus Be a Tree.
- After the VisitWhat's normal and what's a call after shots, deworming, a microchip and surgery.
- Weekly Home-Care RoutineTeeth, nails, ears, coat and a one-minute check, on one card with tick boxes.
- First Birthday ChecklistThe 12-month visit and the grown-up jobs, ticked off in one go.
- First-Year Cost WorksheetThe Two-Bucket plan with blanks for your own local prices.