New Puppy Checklist: Your Small Puppy's First Week at Home

Bringing a small puppy home is exciting—and a little chaotic. Between the tiny paws and the unexpected puddles, it can feel as though you need to buy the entire pet store before your puppy arrives.

You don't. A good first week is about safety, routine, rest, and getting to know your puppy. Start with a few dependable essentials, create a manageable space, and build from there.

This new puppy checklist is designed especially for small breeds and mixes, including Maltipoos, Shih Tzus, Chihuahuas, Bichons, and toy-size puppies. The basics apply to puppies of every size, but small puppies need extra attention around stairs, furniture, doorways, and anything they can squeeze beneath.

New puppy essentials: what you actually need

Here is a practical shopping list for the first week. You can upgrade things later once you understand your puppy's habits and size.

Useful later, not necessarily on day one: expensive beds, multiple harnesses, elaborate outfits, automatic feeders, a complete grooming salon, and a mountain of toys.

Choose products based on your puppy's current size. Tiny puppies grow, so avoid buying a year's worth of poorly fitting gear in advance.

Puppy-proof your home before arrival

A small puppy explores at floor level. Look around from that perspective before giving them access to a room.

• Move electrical cords, batteries, medications, household cleaners, and small objects out of reach.
• Check for gaps under furniture, behind appliances, and around railings where a little puppy could become trapped.
• Put away shoes, hair ties, rubber bands, children's toys, and anything easily swallowed.
• Check houseplants and garden products for pet safety; ask your veterinarian if you are unsure about a specific item.
• Block access to stairs, pools, open doors, and high furniture until you have a safe supervision plan.
• Agree on household rules so everyone responds consistently.

The ASPCA's puppy-proofing guidance recommends inspecting your home from a pet's low vantage point—a particularly good idea for a very small dog.

Set up one calm home base

Your puppy does not need to explore the entire house on the first afternoon.

Start with one easy-to-clean, puppy-proofed area containing fresh water, a comfortable sleeping spot, and a small number of safe toys. Keep a toilet-break route easy to access. If you use a crate or pen, introduce it gradually with treats and relaxed, positive experiences. A crate should never be used as punishment.

Remember: a carrier used for travel and a crate or pen used for spending time at home are not automatically interchangeable. Choose each for its purpose and your puppy's comfort.

A washable bed is a sensible first purchase. Our small-dog bed buying guide explains what to consider when choosing shape, support, and cleaning features.

Your puppy's first week: a simple day-by-day plan

This is a flexible outline, not a strict training timetable. Some puppies arrive confident; others need more quiet time.

Don't try to accomplish everything in seven days. The aim is to establish trust and notice what your puppy needs—not to produce a perfectly trained dog by Sunday.

Feeding a small puppy: keep it consistent

Ask the breeder, rescue, or previous caregiver what food the puppy has been eating, in what amount, and how often. Bring that information to your veterinarian.

Avoid abruptly switching diets just because a new package looks appealing. If a change is appropriate, your veterinarian can help you plan it. Small or young puppies may need more frequent meals than adult dogs, but the right schedule depends on age, size, health, and the specific diet.

Keep fresh water available and pay attention to appetite, energy, vomiting, and diarrhea. A very small puppy that refuses food, seems weak, trembles, or becomes unusually lethargic needs prompt veterinary guidance. Don't assume a tiny puppy can safely skip meals the way an adult dog sometimes might.

Treats are useful for training, but keep them small and appropriate for the puppy. You don't need a separate cupboard full of training snacks.

Potty training: frequent opportunities beat punishment

House-training begins with supervision and a predictable routine—not with expecting a puppy to understand the rules immediately.

• Offer a toilet break after waking, eating, playing, and before bedtime.
• Watch for sniffing, circling, or suddenly wandering away.
• Reward successful toileting promptly and calmly.
• Clean indoor accidents with an appropriate enzymatic cleaner.
• Never yell at or punish a puppy for an accident.

Very young puppies have limited bladder control. The amount of time an individual puppy can wait varies, especially overnight. If you live in an apartment or do not have private outdoor space, discuss a practical toilet plan and disease-risk precautions with your veterinarian.

Accidents are information: they usually mean the schedule or supervision needs adjusting.

The first nights: sleep and reassurance

A puppy has just left a familiar environment. Restlessness or crying during the first nights does not mean the puppy is being stubborn.

Place the sleeping area where you can hear signs of distress or a need to toilet. Keep bedtime calm, avoid overwhelming play right before sleep, and maintain a gentle routine. Young puppies need substantial rest between short periods of activity.

If your puppy becomes very distressed when confined, don't simply leave them to panic. Reassess the setup and work gradually on comfort with the space. The ASPCA discusses how confinement can help some dogs but increase distress in others.

Book the first veterinary visit

Arrange a veterinary appointment promptly after bringing your puppy home. Bring any vaccination, deworming, microchip, and medical records you received.

Your veterinarian can assess growth and general health and advise on:

• A vaccination schedule based on age, history, and local disease risks.
• Parasite prevention and screening.
• Feeding frequency and growth, particularly for very small puppies.
• Microchipping, identification, and local licensing requirements.
• Safe activity, puppy classes, socialization, and grooming.
• An appropriate plan for spaying or neutering when relevant.

The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends a veterinary exam as soon as possible after obtaining a new dog and bringing existing health records to that visit.

Contact a veterinarian promptly if your puppy has repeated vomiting or diarrhea, refuses food, seems markedly weak or lethargic, has difficulty breathing, or shows other concerning symptoms. Very young and very small puppies can deteriorate quickly.

Socialization before all vaccinations: safe, not isolated

You may hear that puppies should meet nobody and go nowhere until every vaccination is complete. That is too simplistic.

Early, positive experiences are important for normal behavioral development. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior supports appropriate puppy socialization before the full vaccination series is finished, while emphasizing sensible infection-risk precautions.

That doesn't mean taking an incompletely vaccinated puppy to a crowded dog park.

Instead, ask your veterinarian which experiences are appropriate locally. Possibilities may include calmly observing traffic while being carried, hearing household sounds at a comfortable volume, meeting trusted healthy people, and attending a well-managed puppy class with suitable health safeguards.

Watch your puppy, not the checklist. If they freeze, hide, or pull away, reduce the intensity. Good socialization builds positive associations; it isn't a contest to meet the greatest number of strangers.

Start gentle grooming and harness practice

Even if your puppy doesn't need a full grooming session yet, you can introduce grooming equipment in tiny, positive steps.

Show the brush, offer a treat, make one gentle stroke, and stop. Repeat with the comb or carefully touching a paw. Coat needs vary enormously: a curly-coated Maltipoo and a short-coated Chihuahua won't necessarily need the same tools or frequency.

Our small-dog grooming kit guide covers brushes, combs, and the supplies worth buying first.

For outings, measure your puppy before buying a harness. Check the manufacturer's sizing chart and watch for rubbing or easy backward escape. Use our small-dog harness fitting guide for the step-by-step fit check.

Introducing your puppy to a resident dog

If you already have another dog, give both animals room to adjust. Their first introduction doesn't need to be a long play session.

Provide separate food, resting areas, and valued toys at first. Supervise interactions, protect the older dog's opportunities to rest, and interrupt play if either dog seems overwhelmed. Size differences matter, even when everyone is friendly.

If either dog is showing persistent fear, guarding, or aggression, ask a qualified reward-based trainer or veterinary behavior professional for individualized guidance.

First-week puppy checklist: save this before pickup

Before bringing your puppy home

• Confirm the puppy's current food, feeding routine, and health records.
• Schedule a veterinary visit.
• Puppy-proof the main living space.
• Set up a calm sleeping area and safe confinement option.
• Prepare bowls, appropriate food, a harness or collar with ID, leash, carrier, and cleanup supplies.

During the first week

• Offer frequent toilet opportunities and reward success.
• Keep food and sleep routines predictable.
• Introduce handling, grooming tools, and gear slowly.
• Observe appetite, energy, stool, and general comfort.
• Start safe, positive socialization suited to the puppy's health status.
• Give the puppy time to rest and adjust.

Simple wins: A puppy that eats well, rests safely, begins trusting you, and has a veterinary plan is off to a good start. You do not need a perfect schedule or a house full of gadgets.

Frequently asked questions about bringing a small puppy home

What do I need for a new small puppy?

Start with suitable puppy food, bowls, washable bedding, a safe resting area, leash and well-fitted harness or collar with identification, secure transport, cleaning supplies, and a few safe toys. Arrange veterinary care as well. Buy additional gear once you know your puppy's habits.

How long does it take a puppy to settle into a new home?

There isn't a fixed timeline. Some puppies relax quickly; others need days or longer to grow comfortable with new people, sounds, and routines. Look for gradual progress rather than expecting a specific milestone on day seven.

Should a puppy sleep in a crate the first night?

A suitably sized crate can work if the puppy is introduced to it positively, but a safe pen or puppy-proofed sleeping area may be more appropriate for some dogs. The priority is safe, comfortable rest and the ability to respond to toileting needs or distress.

How often should a small puppy eat?

That depends on age, size, health, and diet. Very young or tiny puppies may need more frequent meals. Follow the veterinarian's feeding plan rather than applying an adult dog's schedule to a puppy.

Can I socialize my puppy before all vaccinations are complete?

Often yes, with appropriate precautions. The goal is safe, positive experiences—not uncontrolled exposure to unfamiliar dogs or high-risk environments. Ask your veterinarian about local risks and suitable puppy classes.

When should I start grooming my puppy?

Begin gentle, reward-based introductions to brushes, combs, paw handling, and other routine care early. Actual grooming frequency and products depend on coat type and the puppy's comfort.

The small dog standard: start with what matters

A puppy doesn't care whether the bed matches the sofa or the food bowls are designer ceramics. They need a secure environment, appropriate nutrition, patient teaching, and people who pay attention.

We value simplicity, elegance, and functionality in the things we choose for dogs—but functionality comes first. In the first week, the best purchases are the ones that make everyday care easier and your puppy more comfortable.

Start with the essentials. Learn your puppy's personality. Then buy the things you actually need.

Related guides: Choosing a dog bed · A simple grooming kit · How to fit a small-dog harness

Sources and further reading

• American Veterinary Medical Association: Selecting a pet dog
• ASPCA: Preparing your home for a puppy or kitten
• American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior: Position statements
• ASPCA: General dog care

This guide offers general information and is not a substitute for veterinary advice tailored to your puppy.