New Puppy Checklist: Essentials Every Pet Parent Needs
Bringing home a new puppy? This checklist will help make sure you are fully prepared.
When my kids were four and six, our old dog died. So we decided to get a puppy — one puppy. However, the rescue shelter in Missouri sent us our male puppy with his female littermate. She climbed out of the crate, into my husband’s lap, and into our family. Twelve years later, Lilac is still by Willy’s side.
Puppies are irresistible. Still, those first few weeks are a blur of stolen socks, wakeful nights, little accidents on the rug, and the kind of chaotic joy that makes you wonder how something so small can completely rearrange your life.
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What to keep in mind with a new puppy
Bringing home a new puppy is a joyful experience. But it’s also a crash course in planning, preparation, and yes, poop analysis. The following list of essentials can ease some of the chaos, so you can focus on the cuddles.
Choose a vet
Dr. Julie Hunt, a veterinarian at Embrace Pet Insuranceopens in new tab, suggests asking friends, colleagues, and pet parents you know to recommend a vet. Additionally, Kinship has a vet locator and provides advice on how to research a vet, not to mention red flags to watch out for. Choose a vet in your neighborhood or a local area, if possible.
Health checkups
Dr. Hunt recommends taking your puppy to a veterinarian as soon as possible. A puppy’s vaccination schedule starts as young as six to eight weeks of age. The vet will check for parasites, so prepare for your puppy’s first vet visit by getting a fecal sample. (Becoming a poop expert is one of the many hats a new puppy parent wears.)
At your first vet visit, ask questions and take notes — or ask your vet to summarize the information in your discharge instructions. If you’re a first-time puppy parent, it can be hard to remember everything. Start a file to keep all of your puppy’s health records in one place.
Speaking of trips to the vet, Dr. Hunt says this is the time to research pet insurance or pet wellness plans. Dr. Hunt says the cost of veterinary care for your puppy will increase with their age and as they develop pre-existing conditions, which aren’t covered by pet health insurance. (You can’t get insurance for a pre-diagnosed condition). “The best time to ensure your new pet is before these conditions develop, and that means when they are young,” Dr. Hunt says. If you decide not to purchase health insurance, consider starting an emergency veterinary care fund for your puppy.
Puppy proofing your home
Puppies explore with their mouths, so puppy-proofing means hiding electrical cords, chargers, wires, and anything else that may be harmful if chewed, Dr. Hunt says. Visit the pet poison helplineopens in new tab for common plant toxins in your state, as well as foods and medications that can make your puppy sick.
Dr. Antje Joslin, the resident veterinarian at Dogtopiaopens in new tab, recommends removing small objects from the floor (like children’s toys) and using gates to block off unsafe or unsupervised areas.
New puppy checklist of essentials
There’s no shortage of online advice from well-meaning people about welcoming a new pup into your home. There are things you must have (see below) and things that might be nice to have, but aren’t really necessary or worth the money. (Think designer clothing and high-tech toys).
Food and water bowls
Experts agree that you should buy bowls made of metal or ceramic instead of plastic, because plastic can degrade. Puppies may also chew on plastic bowls and ingest plastic fragments.
Puppy food
This may sound obvious, but you want to buy puppy food that’s marked “complete and balanced” by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). If you have a large-breed puppy, the label on the bag should include a statement about the food being appropriate for large dogs (those more than 70 pounds). Common AAFCO-compliant foods include Iams, Eukanuba, Hills, Purina, and Royal Canin.
Your vet can recommend puppy food and advise you how much to feed them. You should also keep in mind that puppies very frequently get a lot of treats throughout the day. “At each veterinary visit, the owner can ask their veterinarian whether their puppy is at a healthy weight and can ask for more specific dietary recommendations,” Dr. Hunt says.
Training treats fall into this category. They’re essential for reinforcing all the things your new puppy will learn. Choose bite-sized treats so your puppy is not ingesting too many extra calories outside mealtimes. And consider a chewy treat to help with teething.
Leash and collar
These items are nonnegotiable for your erratic little bundle of joy to be safe in public. Most pet supply stores stock a dizzying array of colorful, stylish collars. Make sure to buy a collar, leash, and harness that will grow with your puppy — or expect to size up. “Owners should be diligent about checking to see that the collar is adjusted as the puppy grows,” Dr. Hunt says, adding that if your puppy tugs on the leash, you may wish to try a harness or a gentle leader. Prong or choke collars are not recommended.
Identification tags
Identification tags and microchipping are essential if your puppy wanders off and gets lost. Microchipping lasts for life and helps locate your dog if they lose their tags. It can be done at any puppy health check-up — just ask your veterinarian. Make sure to list your phone number on the ID tag. Your future self will thank you if you find yourself in a panic over a lost dog.
Crate and bedding
A sturdy crate is an important investment. It should be just large enough for your puppy to stand up, turn around, and lie down again. Study effective crate trainingopens in new tab, and make the crate your puppy’s safe space for resting, sleeping, and times when you’re away. “A crate is an excellent tool for house-training and safety,” Dr. Joslin says.
The crate should not be large enough that your puppy can poop or pee on one side of it and lie down on the other, Dr. Hunt cautions. To invest in a single, large crate your puppy can grow into, buy an inexpensive crate divider panelopens in new tab, or make your own. Dr. Hunt also cautions against leaving your puppy with toys or bedding in the crate. “Some dogs will chew up and eat bedding or toys,” Dr. Hunt says.
Toys
Toys are the fun part, but they’re not frivolous. They help your puppy expend excess energy, relieve teething symptoms, and stay mentally engaged when you’re not feeding, training, exercising, playing with, and grooming them (more on those things later). Dr. Hunt recommends simple, sturdy toys made for chewing. “Make sure that your puppy won’t chew up and eat the toys that you purchase, as that can be dangerous to their gastrointestinal tract,” she says. Dr. Joslin recommends a mix of soft but durable toys for comfort, rubber toys for chewing, and interactive toys that encourage problem-solving.
Grooming supplies
Depending on your puppy’s breed or the type of hair coat they have (if they’re mixed-breed), you may need a lot of grooming supplies, or you may only need shampoo, Dr. Hunt says. Don’t use human shampoo on your puppy, because the pH may cause skin problems. Ask your vet or a groomer for advice about grooming supplies.
“Grooming supplies such as a gentle puppy shampoo, a brush appropriate for your puppy’s coat type, nail trimmers, and pet-safe wipes should be kept on hand,” Dr. Hunt says. “It’s also important to start handling your puppy’s paws, ears, and mouth early so grooming feels normal rather than stressful.”
Other routines to consider for your puppy
Often, it’s the things you can’t buy that make the most difference in your pup’s life. Puppies thrive on predictability, so establishing a routine should be a priority. Dr. Joslin says training should begin right away with short, upbeat sessions that teach simple cues like ”sit,” “come,” and “leave it.”
Puppies are enthusiastic learners. As always, keep a handful of training treats on hand to reinforce good behavior. Make mealtimes consistent to keep house-training, well, regular. Intersperse short bursts of exercise with plenty of socialization: This includes new people, new environments, and healthy, vaccinated dogs (don’t be afraid to ask).
Training routines
When it comes to those first moments at home, Elisha Stynchula, owner of I Said Sit School for Dogsopens in new tab, says she always stresses one thing to new puppy parents: have a bathroom plan before the pup even touches your floor. “A lot of excited pet parents bring their puppy home and plop it on the floor,” she says. In all that excitement, accidents happen fast.
Building good manners starts early, too. Dr. Hunt notes that puppies should get plenty of social experiences before 12 weeks, so don’t wait too long to enroll in puppy kindergarten if you’re not sure where to start. She also recommends short, consistent sessions of clicker training throughout the day. The secret, she adds, is getting everyone in the household on the same page so the puppy hears the same cues, the same way, every time.
Feeding schedules
Keeping track of your puppy’s meals (and subsequent potty breaks) is important. Stynchula suggests keeping a notebook on the kitchen counter so everyone in the family can easily log how much food the puppy is eating, and when and where they poop and pee. She says that data becomes incredibly useful when you’re trying to troubleshoot accidents or figure out if your pup is eating enough. The notebook doesn’t need to last forever — just long enough to give you clarity during those chaotic first weeks (though it makes a cute keepsake if you’re the scrapbooking type). As for frequency, Hunt reminds new puppy parents that puppies often thrive on several small meals a day.
Exercise and play routines
Daily movement isn’t just about burning off zoomies — it’s one of the simplest ways to set your puppy up for success. As Dr. Hunt puts it, the old veterinarian truism “a tired dog is a good dog” has endured for a reason. Regular play sessions, short walks, and age-appropriate enrichment help your puppy settle, focus, and learn more easily.
Exercise also overlaps with a critical piece of early development: socialization. Stynchula explains that this can start without even leaving the home, especially if you’re being cautious about vaccine timing. She notes that although many new puppy parents get spooked by vaccination warnings, safe socialization can include going out as long as you visit controlled, low-risk environments. “Meeting new people can involve inviting people over to your home,” she says, adding that exposure to humans is often far more important than meeting other dogs. In fact, Stynchula jokes that dog-to-dog interactions make up just one percent of her checklist and that it’s “a million times harder to live with a dog that is not socialized to people.”
Grooming routines
Depending on your puppy’s breed or coat type, grooming needs can range from multiple brushings a week to basically none at all, Dr. Hunt says. But one habit applies across the board: A gentle bath every week or two, starting at about eight weeks, keeps your pup smelling fresh and helps them learn that grooming time is no big deal. Cleaning your puppy’s ears and trimming their nails should also be part of a puppy’s regular grooming routine.
Bottom line
Bringing home a new puppy is equal parts delight and disorder, but the experts make one thing clear: Preparation goes a long way towards making the process easier on everyone. Choosing a good vet, puppy-proofing your home, buying the right essentials, and understanding your pup’s health and developmental needs sets the foundation for a fun-filled journey. Early routines and informed choices can prevent many of the hiccups that overwhelm new pet parents (including the actual hiccups).
At the end of the day, the things that matter most aren’t the boutique toys or the color-coordinated leash and collar — it’s the consistency, patience, and small daily habits that help your puppy feel secure. Be intentional, stay observant, and enjoy the chaos. Puppies grow quickly, and the time you invest now will pay off in a confident, well-adjusted dog who feels at home with you.
