How to settle puppy into new home-first day:-)

Wondering if any of you guys can please help me- how do you settle in a new puppy into their new home? Also, what is the best way to make your new puppy feel secure/relaxed/calm. Many thanks in advance!

Looking forward to hearing your suggestions/advice.

Sebastian, our new Dal puppy is coming from a breeder's home with many other Dal's plus a big family of people to just the two of us- hubby Chris and the bat girl , in a quiet home in a quiet close- so it will be a big change for him. Want to make his first day as easy as possible for him.

Has been a long long time since have had a puppy.

Once again, many thanks

Warmest wishes and gentle hugs, Clarita and Chris(hubby)

Hi Clarita

The best thing to do is have a quiet first day. Even if your pup comes from a busy family, the change of environment will be quite overwhelming for him at first. Perhaps just let him explore the garden, the kitchen and living room. No doubt he'll crash out fairly quickly.

Will you be using a crate for your puppy? if so, you want to introduce that from day one. One thing you can do is get an old blanket and rub it over your puppies dam and littermates before you take him home. That smell will be comforting to him and you can then pop that in his crate. I also used a Snugglesafe Heat Pad when mine were pups as again, the warmth is comforting to them (littermates are used to snuggling together ).

Hi Clarita congratulations on new puppy. I like to let a new puppy just potter around the kitchen and garden sniffing and getting used to things.
It is good to sit on the floor and let the puppy come to you at will giving lots of praise when it does. This all helps to teach the puppy coming to you will always be a positive experience.

I guess you already know your puppy will need to be taken out to the garden at frequent intervels to learn house training, that is after sleep/play/excitement/food and about once an hour to begin with and given lots of praise when it 'goes'.

I always take a new puppy upstairs with me at night and have it next to my bed in a box on a nice warm blanket or piece of vetbed, this way it goes to sleep quite quickly in the dark with the comforting sound of human breathing and the touch of a reassuring hand if necessary.
The puppy will wake and cry if it needs to go out and can quickly be taken outside to the garden to relieve itself with the minimum of fuss and returned to the box to sleep.

Having the puppy with you helps with the bonding process and gives the puppy chance to gain a little confidence before being left alone for a long period like all night. I find puppies which are not forced to be alone straight after leaving the dam don't have problems with separation, this is probably because they haven't had the chance to become fearful of being left alone so don't associate being alone with the feeling of fear.

I gradually get the puppy used to being left alone for short periods during the day usually after a meal and a play when it is ready to sleep and is relaxed.
Once the puppy has gained a little confidence and has gradually got used to being left it can be moved to the kitchen when necessary.

I note that a number of well regarded dog people including Gwen Bailey writer and dog trainer are now saying having a puppy with you at night is the thing to do ..

Good luck with your puppy , I hope you have many happy years together

such good advice there already Clarita

there is not a lot I can add except... Congratulations and I hope the 3 of have many happy years together

At bed time, with a new puppy, I have found lying down in front of the crate like you were going to sleep and speaking softly to it, or singing, until it settles down and goes to sleep works very well. Follow the pattern, a period of active play, outside to eliminate, and then into the crate.

We prefer having the puppy downstairs and sleeping upstairs. The above has worked for at least our last dozen or more puppies plus some others spending their first night alone with us.

The first night we had Kali, we walked him down to the village pub, where he spent a while getting to know the locals (and bumming crisps). We walked him home again, which got him good and tired.

Bedtime was immediate - plastic box with an old blanket and a hot-water bottle wrapped in it. Also included was an old wind-up alarm clock (to simulate another puppy's heartbeat)... Kali was totally zonked in a couple of minutes!

Snorri

Likely not a bad idea. Getting fussed over can be exhausting. Our puppies always sleep well after a day of booth duty.

Just want to say a huge heartfelt thanks to each one of you fine individuals for all your good words of advice. Personally, not a fan of crates or intend to use them ever!! Not saying they do not work for other dog owners or saying anything other than it is not my personal choice so please do not preach at me to use them- mtia!
Never used them with my first dog so not about to start now. Yet, am disabled so will be with the dog all the time anyhow so it will not get anxious as will have more company than many other dogs. Intend to sleep downstairs with him for the first week too to help with his seperation anxiety. Am a very light sleeper so will hear him whine so can attend to his every need including letting him outside in the garden. Intend to stimulate him much, too. He has many different toys including chew toys. Like the hot water bottle idea! Could not put a clock near him as would never sleep- cannot sleep in a room with clocks ticking!! He has my scent on an old t-shirt with the breeder. Will have some old rags from the breeder from his litter to put with him, too!
We will get the puppy to sleep downstairs at all times- first with us then by itself.

We have a stair gate to stop him coming upstairs too.

I guess you already know your puppy will need to be taken out to the garden at frequent intervels to learn house training, that is after sleep/play/excitement/food and about once an hour to begin with and given lots of praise when it 'goes'.

Yes, will do the above Minihaha !

Having the puppy with you helps with the bonding process and gives the puppy chance to gain a little confidence before being left alone for a long period like all night. I find puppies which are not forced to be alone straight after leaving the dam don't have problems with separation, this is probably because they haven't had the chance to become fearful of being left alone so don't associate being alone with the feeling of fear.
Agree with the above, too!!

Really appreciate you all taking the time to answer my question here- hope you will all be massively blessed this Thursday, may it be so!

Gentle hugs, Clarita ( 3 days to collect Sebastian)

How exciting for you!!
I love crates but if you dont want to use one then fair enough - just get yourself down on your hands and knees and see what things the puppy could get into to make sure the area you are leaving him in is safe
i have heard people put the pups bed in a box at night so the puppy dosent go a wondering
Sleeping with them is a great idea

I know you are going to be getting conflicting advise here - this is just my 2p worth
I agree that just being in your home will be tyring enough for the first day or two. Get the pup used to your house and garden and the new people in its life
Spend lots of quiet time just being with the pup. A little play and you can even start some basic training - puppies have great minds and can pick up the basics well - teaching a sit before nice things happen is a great habit

Its a good time now to think of the rules you want your puppy to live with and (kindly) start putting them in place - if you dont want the dog to do something when they are fully grown then dont let the puppy do them
Have you got a training/puppy class lined up?? Some classes let you go along after the first jags with you carrying the pup - great socalisation

speaking of socalisation - after a couple of days you really want to start with that
meeting as many people, dogs, animals, smells whatever
With Ben I carried him zipped up in my jacket and we went places like the other side of the road from schools, outside supermarkets, on the bus
I always made sure not to surround him with too much - and he always had the option to hide his head in my jacket and go to sleep

Every pup is a little different, hard work but a lot of fun
Sounds like you have all the plans in place
I cant find it at the moment but Ian Dunbar has quite a lot of his puppy stuff on you tube at the moment - look for dogstardaily.

I know you will be excited and worried all at once at the moment
But you will be fine, sounds like you are ready (as ready as you will ever be)
Us dumb people have been bringing up puppies for thousands of years - they are pretty forgiving if we make any mistakes
and Dogsey is always here if you have any problems after