Your Puppy's First Week Home: A Simple Daily Plan

By Goody DoggyBased on AKC guidance

This guide gives you a simple plan for your puppy’s first week home, from the first potty trip of the morning to bedtime. It follows guidance from the American Kennel Club (AKC).

The AKC says structure helps a new puppy feel secure and understand what’s expected of them. A routine also makes life easier for the people in the house.

You don’t have to follow the plan to the minute. The AKC’s own sample schedule says you may need to tailor it to suit your puppy.

Before you start

• Start with one areaToo many new places and people at once may confuse your puppy. Let them explore one area where you are, then add the rest of the house one room at a time.
• Choose a potty spotPick the outside area where you want your puppy to go. Choose a phrase like “go potty” and stick to it.
• Set the house rulesDecide ahead of time where your puppy sleeps, whether they can be on the furniture, and whether they get food scraps from the table.
• Set up the cratePut a crate in a quiet part of the house so naps are not disturbed. For night, the AKC suggests the crate in your bedroom, with a blanket or stuffed toy that smells like your puppy’s mother.

If you can, stay home on the first day so your puppy feels secure. Hold off on inviting friends and neighbors over to meet your puppy.

Let your family meet your puppy one person at a time if possible. Supervise young children and discourage them from picking your puppy up.

If you have an adult dog, the AKC says a little growling is okay when the adult dog corrects a puppy in an appropriate way. If the older dog becomes agitated, separate or redirect your puppy.

Your puppy’s first week, step by step

1. Start the day with a potty trip

   First thing in the morning, carry your puppy to the potty spot you picked. Reward them right away when they go outside, then make time to play.

   Keep the trips coming all day. Your puppy needs one every time they eat, drink, wake up, or play. Our potty training guide covers the full method.

2. Feed three meals at set times

   Young puppies eat three times a day. The AKC says to plan mealtimes around your own, and to wash the water bowl and keep it full of clean water.

   Leave the food down for no longer than 15 minutes, then pick up the bowl. Give no more food until the next meal, except small treats for training. Many puppies need to go again within a few minutes of eating.

3. Plan naps in a crate or pen

   Young puppies sleep a great deal. Some sleep as much as 16 to 18 hours a day, so plan several quiet nap times and teach family members, especially young children, not to disturb a sleeping puppy.

   Even if you’re home all day, time in a crate or pen helps your puppy learn to be alone. See our crate training guide for how to make the crate a happy place.

4. Play in short sessions

   Your puppy needs exercise and time with you. Toy games and puzzles are good choices, and so is running in the yard. Long runs and jumping aren’t good for puppies.

   Several shorter sessions are better for a puppy than one long one. If your puppy bites during play, see our puppy biting guide.

5. Book the vet and add safe trips out

   Your vet should give your puppy a check-up in the next few days. The AKC says your puppy probably hasn’t had all their shots yet, so they shouldn’t meet strange dogs or walk where other dogs do.

   The AKC also says new owners shouldn’t be afraid to take puppies out, as long as they use common sense about where they go. Skip dog parks and pet supply stores, along with other places where unknown dogs go. A car ride to somewhere other than the vet is a good idea, and a crate is the safest way to ride.

6. Wind down the evening and set a bedtime

   For many puppies, evening is the “witching hour.” Starting a game before it hits can help your puppy use up energy and settle down. An evening stroll gives them exercise and a potty break.

   Make sure your puppy goes to the bathroom right before bed. It doesn’t matter if bedtime is 8 p.m. or midnight, as long as it becomes a routine. Take your puppy to the crate and give a small treat when they go in willingly.

7. Keep night trips quiet

   Some puppies sleep through the night right from the start, and others may cry for a few nights. If your puppy can’t make it through the night yet, set an alarm and take them out for a quick, boring potty break.

   The AKC says it’s better to wake up a little before you think your puppy will, so you aren’t responding to whining. Then put your puppy back in the crate.

Common first week mistakes

• Inviting visitors over on day oneThe AKC says to keep stress and excitement low at first, so hold off on visits from friends and neighbors. Too many new people at once may confuse your puppy.
• Leaving the food bowl downLeave food down for no longer than 15 minutes, then pick up the bowl. A regular feeding schedule helps with potty timing, because what goes in on a schedule comes out on a schedule.
• Making a fuss over accidentsPuppies learn faster when you reward correct behavior. If an accident happens, just clean it up, and reward your puppy right away when they go outside.
• Too much hard exerciseLong runs and jumping aren’t good for puppies. Toy play and puzzles are better choices, and so is running in the yard.
• Moving a crying puppy into your bedThe AKC says not to put a crying puppy in your bed unless that’s where you want them to sleep. Instead, put the crate next to your bed and rest your hand inside to let them know you’re there.

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When to get help

If your puppy’s stools are routinely loose or unusually foul-smelling, talk to your veterinarian. The AKC also says a dog who stays hard to house train despite consistent training should get a veterinary evaluation.

If your vet rules out health concerns, an experienced trainer or behaviorist may be the next step. Not sure what to look for in a trainer? See what dog trainer certifications mean.

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