Your new puppy will usually be ready to go to his new home between 8 – 10 weeks. Any earlier is too soon, as he isn’t physically or emotionally ready to leave his litter mates.

An ethical breeder will send your new puppy home with a ‘puppy pack’ including some instructions and food to make the transition to his new home as easy as possible.

Two Months – Establishing a Routine

You can start housebreaking your puppy now by taking him outside every time he wakes up, after food and every 2-3 hours in between. He will need to eat 3-4 small meals every day. Consider adding a probiotic to help with any digestive issues he may be having while adjusting to his new environment.

You can also start crate training now by making it his ‘happy place.’  Be prepared for him to be sad to have left his litter mates and give him lots of attention. 

Three Months – Off to Puppy School

Your puppy’s meals can now be reduced to three meals a day. You can consider changing his food slowly at this time, taking into account his nutritional requirements. We have a Complete Guide to Feeding Your Puppy available here. Just make sure to avoid any grain free formulas, as they have been linked to the development of Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) and are currently being investigated by the FDA.

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 Keep up with his potty training and don’t be mad if he still has accidents sometimes. This is also the timing of the puppy’s second vaccination, so you can start taking your puppy to public areas to meet other dogs and start puppy school which important for his socialization.

Four Months – Socialisation 101

Weeks 4-12 are the most important for a puppy’s early socialization, so make sure you are taking him to lots of different places and introducing him to many new dogs and people. Make every interaction positive for him as this is also the puppy’s fear period, where is he is more likely to be impacted by negative experiences.

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Five Months – Teething + Chewing

Your puppy will start getting his adult teeth between 3-6 months, so make sure you have a lot of safe toys for him to chew on. It is very important to continue his socialisation and obedience training, especially as he enters the adolescent stage. Depending on your vet and breeder recommendations you may consider spaying or neutering during this time.

Six Months – You Have A Teenager!

Just when you thought you were through the worst of it and had a well-socialised, well-mannered and potty trained pup – here come the teenage years! Chewing, nipping and generally testing the boundaries are to be expected during this time but don’t give up! Your naughty puppy will be back to his lovely self in a year or two 😉