Bringing home a new puppy:
What you
need to know and buy
Bringing home a new puppy? Congratulations! It's a fun and exciting
time - but you
need to have everything ready for your new friend.
There's a number of things you should know and others you need to buy before collecting your pup.
On this page:
How old should your new puppy be?
What
do I need before bringing home a puppy?
What
should you get from your breeder?
How
do I carry my puppy home?
How old
should your new puppy be?
Puppies should not leave their mothers before they are 8
weeks old.
Some people, especially backyard breeders and some pet stores, will
sell puppies at the age of 5 weeks.
Why 8 weeks?
There are two main reasons you should avoid bringing
home a new
puppy until it's 8 weeks or older.
First of
all, the puppies' mother will wean
them at about 6 weeks of age. But the next few weeks are very important
for the puppies' development. During this time, puppies soak up
learning like sponges.
Between the ages of 6 weeks and 8 weeks, puppies learn about dog behaviour - how to relate to other dogs, their littermates
and humans. They play more with their littermates and learn about
social interaction and limits - how much they can play fight with
another dog, for example.
Puppies at 6 weeks can be cute, quiet, timid little
things - 2 weeks later, they develop into more confident,
outgoing dogs, happy to meet new people and take on new experiences.
Some breeders won't let their puppies go to the
new owner until they're 9 weeks old or more. This is often done if they
feel the breed is a little slower to develop.
Secondly,
a puppy will have its first
vaccinations against dog illnesses at
around 6-8 weeks. It will not develop good immunity from this
vaccination for at least a few days and possibly a couple of weeks.
Puppies should not be exposed to new dogs and new places during this
time.
Most national kennel clubs will not allow their
members to sell puppies at less than 8 weeks.
Bring your puppy home when it's 8
weeks old or older.
Top 
What do I
need
before bringing home a new puppy?
You'll need to dig a little into your wallet before
puppy comes home!
Essentials to have ready for your new puppy:
- Dog bed and/or kennel, plus
blankets
- Secure fencing
- Dinner bowl and water dish
- Newspapers or pet potty for
toileting
- Puppy shampoo
- Collar and lead
- Toys
- Name tag
- Worming tablets or syrup for puppy worms
- Puppy food (at first, the same
the puppy had at its
breeder) and information about what you should be feeding your puppy
Optional items (or things you can get later):
- Car harness
- Brush and comb
- Dog carrier
- Crate
Top What
should
you get from your breeder?
Your
breeder should give you a number of things when you pick up your puppy.
Ask
your breeder for the following:
A
good breeder will also offer to keep in contact with you, or will
welcome contact from you, during the first few weeks or months. They should be
happy to give you plenty of advice about
new puppy care.
A pet shelter or
council pound will also give you things like vaccination certificates,
worming information and a certificate to prove the dog has been
spayed or neutered (desexed).
Top How do I carry
my puppy home?
How you carry your puppy home will depend on the size
of
the puppy.
8-week-old puppies will generally be too small for a
car
harness so a small dog
carrier, or even just a sturdy cardboard
box, will be ideal.
More puppy info at
PuppyPrimer.com
Put some soft blankets - baby blankets will do - or
some
towels in the carrier or box. You could even add a soft toy.
If you use a carrier, these can often be secured by
the
car's seatbelt so the carrier won't move about. This is particularly
useful if you go on your own when bringing home a new puppy.
Return to the top of Bringing
Home a New Puppy
Go back to Where to Buy
Puppies
