Puppy Care Guide — Puppy (0–12 months)

The first year of a dog's life is the most demanding and the most consequential. Decisions made in the first six months — what you expose your puppy to, how you feed them, the people and places and dogs they meet, what you tolerate behaviourally — set the temperament and health trajectory for the next 10–15 years.

The most-missed thing in first-year ownership: the **socialisation window closes at around 16 weeks**. The dog you bring home from a puppy class at 12 weeks is the most plastic you will ever have, and what they meet before that age — in calm, positive, safe encounters — shapes whether they grow up calm or reactive. Owners often wait until "all vaccinations are done" at 16 weeks to start exposing the puppy to the world, by which point the window has closed and they end up with a fearful adolescent.

The good news: every breed-specific quirk, every training challenge, every health risk has a known, well-worn path. Walk the path slowly, with vet support, and you have set up a healthy first decade.

The first 48 hours at home

Bring the puppy home in the morning so there is daylight to adjust. Keep the first day quiet — no parties, minimal visitors. Show them where the toilet area is and stay there until they go, then praise. Show them the crate or bed, and keep it as a positive space, never a punishment.

Sleep is more important than exploration in the first week. Puppies need 16–20 hours a day. Over-stimulation leads to crying, biting, and digestive upset. Limit play to 5–10 minute windows interspersed with naps in a quiet area.

By day three the puppy should be settled enough for a vet wellness exam — bring a stool sample, vaccination history, and any breeder paperwork.

Vaccinations and worming

Core puppy vaccinations (parvovirus, distemper, hepatitis, sometimes leptospirosis) are typically given at 6–8, 10–12, and 14–16 weeks of age, with kennel cough added before any boarding or daycare.

Worming is monthly until 6 months, then on a schedule the vet recommends. Heartworm prevention starts before mosquito season; flea and tick prevention is year-round in most climates.

Until two weeks after the final puppy vaccination, the puppy should avoid public dog spaces (dog parks, beaches, walking tracks) — they are not yet fully protected. They can and should socialise in controlled spaces: friends' fully-vaccinated dogs, the vet's waiting room, structured puppy class, your home.

Feeding the first year

Feed a complete-and-balanced puppy food labelled for "growth" or "all life stages" — large-breed puppies need a specific large-breed puppy food to avoid skeletal disease from too-rapid growth.

Frequency: 4 meals a day from 8–12 weeks, 3 meals a day from 3–6 months, then 2 meals a day from 6 months onwards. Never free-feed — meal-feeding lets you spot appetite changes and supports house-training.

Avoid sudden food changes — transition over 7 days. Avoid table scraps, especially fatty leftovers, and learn the toxic foods list (chocolate, grapes, onion, garlic, xylitol, macadamia nuts, cooked bones).

Socialisation — the closing window

Before 16 weeks, every safe positive exposure builds resilience. The list to work through: men in hats, men with beards, children of various ages, prams, wheelchairs, bicycles, motorbikes, vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, washing machines, traffic noise, slippery floors, stairs, vet handling, paw handling, mouth handling, ear cleaning, nail trims, gentle restraint, calm dogs of varied breeds and sizes.

Expose, don't overwhelm. Each new thing at the puppy's pace, with food rewards. A puppy who shrinks away has had too much; a puppy who eats treats while observing is learning. Quality of exposure beats quantity — one positive encounter with a calm dog is worth ten frantic ones at a dog park.

Toilet training

Take the puppy out every 1–2 hours, after every meal, after every nap, and after every play session. Praise and treat immediately on the right surface. Accidents inside are management failures, not the puppy's fault — clean with enzymatic cleaner so they don't mark the same spot.

Most puppies are reliably toilet-trained by 4–6 months. Crate training accelerates this — puppies don't soil their sleeping space — but the crate must be just large enough to turn around in, not roomy.

Basic training and the first vet visits

Sit, down, recall, loose-lead walking, and "leave it" are the high-value early skills. 5-minute training sessions, 3–4 times a day, food rewards, no aversive corrections.

A wellness vet visit in the first week is a relationship-builder. Annual wellness from 12 months. Microchip, council registration, and de-sexing on a timeline your vet recommends (most countries: 6 months, large breeds sometimes later).

Care checklists

Before they come home

Vet wellness appointment booked for week one
Puppy food, bowls, collar with ID tag, lead, crate, bed, age-appropriate toys
Enzymatic cleaner for accidents
Toxic-food list printed and stuck to the fridge
Emergency vet number saved in phone
Pet insurance researched and ready to activate

In the first 6 months

Three rounds of puppy vaccinations
Monthly worming, monthly heartworm, year-round flea & tick prevention
Microchip registered
Council/local registration
At least one structured puppy socialisation class
De-sexing scheduled (timing per vet)
Insurance policy active before 6 months (pre-existing exclusions later)

Red flags — see a vet today

Vomiting + diarrhoea in any unvaccinated puppy — parvovirus is fatal without treatment
Refusing food for more than 8 hours — hypoglycaemia risk in toy breeds
Severe lethargy, pale gums, weakness
Persistent coughing
Limping or refusal to bear weight
Seizures
Suspected toxin ingestion (any amount of chocolate, xylitol, grape)

Frequently asked questions

When can I take my puppy outside in public?

Two weeks after the final puppy vaccination (usually around 18 weeks). Before that, socialise in controlled settings — friends' vaccinated dogs, indoor puppy class, vet visits, your garden. The socialisation window closes at 16 weeks, so don't wait to start social exposure entirely.

How much sleep does a puppy need?

16–20 hours per day. Overtired puppies bite, cry, and have toilet accidents. If your puppy seems "naughty," they are usually exhausted — set the crate up for naps and force quiet periods.

When should I start training?

Immediately. Sit, recall, loose lead, paw handling — all in 3–5 minute sessions with food rewards. Puppies learn from week 8 onwards; the earlier the foundation, the easier adolescence.

When should I de-sex my puppy?

Conventional advice was 6 months, but recent research suggests delaying de-sexing in large and giant breeds until growth plates close (12–18 months) reduces joint disease later. Discuss with your vet — the answer depends on breed and lifestyle.

Is pet insurance worth it for a puppy?

Yes — and it must be purchased before signs of any condition appear, because pre-existing conditions are excluded forever. Comprehensive cover (illness + accident) on a young puppy is meaningfully cheaper than buying it later, and the difference between treating and choosing not to treat in an emergency is often the policy.

Puppy care: the complete guide