Puppy tips

How can I make my puppy's adoption a success?

Welcoming a new puppy!

This is such an exciting time!

You've made the big decision to welcome a new member of the family and the big day is approaching; you will soon be able to pick your cute fluffy puppy and bring them back home.

Make sure your first days go smoothly with our tips!

Checklist of items to have ready for your pup:

  • For sweet dreams: a comfortable bed and blanket
  • For nice walks: lead, collar and an identification tag
  • For delicious meals and drinking: a food bowl, water bowl and puppy food
  • For hours of fun: toys (e.g. balls or rope toys), puzzle feeders or chews. Check out these 7 best puppy toys.
  • Also consider a crate or puppy pen, to create a safe place for your puppy inside your home
  • And of course ADAPTIL Junior to provide “appeasing messages” at all times!

Safety checklist

Check that you have puppy-proofed your home to keep your pup safe:

  • Remove anything that your puppy could get to chew, such as your favourite shoes, and protect objects that would be dangerous for your puppy to chew, such as electrical cables.
  • If you have a garden, make sure the fencing and gates are secure.
  • Make sure your puppy has an ID tag with your name and phone number and they have a microchip, in case they escape or get lost.
  • Other tips to help your puppy settle into their new home safely.

Prepare yourself to become a patient teacher!

Your puppy has many things to learn… from you! To see success when training your pup read these 4 tips and techniques for positive puppy training to get off to a good start! Your puppy will be learning:

  • To sleep through the night
  • House training
  • Your house rules: where to sleep and where to eat, where they can go...
  • To recognise and respond to their name
  • To walk on a loose lead

Experiences during a pup's first year can have a big influence on how they feel about other dogs, people and different situations. A puppy that doesn't have the chance to experience the world, will often find things worrying and less able to cope with new situations.

A pup's socialisation period is from around 3 weeks of age to 12 weeks, depending on their breed. Check what experiences your puppy already has had with the breeder and work on developing this. Consider what you and your dog will be doing in the future, for example, will you be traveling on trains, or maybe you will be spending time outside coffee shops, or you need to go into an elevator to get to your home, and make sure to do these with your pup.

Before exploring beyond your home, make sure your puppy is fully protected by their vaccinations. In the meantime you can help your pup get used to visitors (and their dog if their dog is fully vaccinated), different sounds, different textures under their paws and different smells. Going out and about is possible too - just keep your pup in your arms and not on the floor. Have treats with you, so you can help your pup to associate good thing with the new experiences.

We recommend joining puppy classes run by your local accredited dog trainer or behaviourist. You and your puppy will learn some basic training together as well as meeting other puppies and their parents! Read the Benefits of Puppy Classes for your puppy.

Find the right product

TRY OUR QUIZ !

DOG'S TOP CHOICES

VIEW ALL PRODUCTS