Caring for a dog

Before your puppy comes home

Choose a vet and book a visit for the first week. Bring the vaccination, deworming and vet check records the breeder gives you.

Puppy-proof the rooms your puppy will use: put away electrical cords, cleaning products, medications, shoes and anything small enough to swallow. Have a crate or pen, a bed, food and water bowls, a collar or harness with an ID tag, a leash, and safe chew toys ready.

Ask the breeder what the puppy eats now and keep feeding the same food at first. Change food gradually over a week or more if you need to.

Vaccines, parasites and check-ups

Puppies need a series of vaccines, usually given a few weeks apart until about 16 weeks old, then boosters through life. Your vet will advise on rabies (required by law in many provinces and states) and other vaccines that suit where you live.

Ask your vet about deworming and about preventing fleas, ticks and heartworm. Have your dog checked by a vet at least once a year, and more often as they get older.

Spaying or neutering is a decision to make with your vet. If your puppy came with a spay/neuter agreement, keep to it.

Food and weight

Feed a complete and balanced food made for your dog's life stage (puppy, adult or senior). Large and giant breed puppies do best on food made for them, which helps their joints grow at the right pace.

Keep your dog lean: you should be able to feel their ribs easily. Extra weight shortens a dog's life and strains their joints.

Never feed chocolate, grapes or raisins, onions or garlic, xylitol (found in some gum, candy and peanut butter), macadamia nuts, cooked bones or alcohol.

Training and socialisation

The weeks after your puppy comes home are when they learn most about the world. Calmly introduce them to people, other vaccinated dogs, sounds and places, at their own pace.

Use reward-based training: treats, praise and play for what you want, and redirect what you don't. A puppy class is a good start for both of you.

Most puppies can't hold their bladder for long. Take them outside after sleeping, eating and playing, and praise them when they go.

Exercise and enrichment

How much exercise a dog needs depends on their breed, age and health. Puppies need short, frequent play rather than long runs while they're growing.

Dogs also need things to do with their minds: puzzle feeders, sniffing games, training sessions and new places to explore. A bored dog often finds its own jobs, like chewing or barking.

Grooming and everyday care

Brush your dog as often as their coat needs, trim their nails regularly and check their ears. Brushing their teeth, or using dental chews your vet suggests, helps prevent dental disease.

Handle your puppy's paws, ears and mouth gently from the start so grooming and vet visits are easier for them later.

What to ask the breeder

Ask to meet the mother, and the father if he's there, and to see where the puppies are raised. Ask what health tests the parents have had for their breed, and to see the results.

A careful breeder will ask you questions too, give you records and a written contract, and want to hear from you if you ever can't keep the dog.