Puppy Care
The first 24 hours.
The First 24 Hours/days/weeks


The first 24 hours is a very stressful time for your little puppy. Please be sure to do the following as soon as you get home:

  • Show the puppy where his/her food and water area is first thing! Be sure both bowls are clean and full! 
  • Leave food and Water out in an easy reach area 24/7 at ALL times.
  • Be sure to monitor your puppy and be sure he/she eats and drinks during the day/eve. If they are not eating or drinking, call me.
  • Watch for signs of Hypoglycemia. If the puppy is slow to respond, listless or doesn’t wake up or rouse easy they could be hypoglycemic. Give honey, Nutra cal, or Karo Syrup immediately! And call me! If this doesn't get puppy back to normal, get to a vet!
  • Show the puppy where his “POTTY” area is. This is VERY important! 
  • Do not put the puppy down on the ground outside, in a store, vet, petsmart ect. The puppy has had one or two shots at the most. They need up to FOUR sets of shots to be fully protected against many things like parvo. If taking the puppy out to the store, DO NOT PUT THEM DOWN! If going to the vet, bring a blanket or puppy pads to put them on. Do not let the puppy touch any surfaces at the vet. Also disinfect your shoes before going back into your home. 
  • Be sure your house is puppy proofed. At the very least check for choking hazards and poisons. Watch your puppy carefully if they are left loose to run around the house.
  • Put a bell collar on your puppy to keep track of them. They are tiny and can get lost in your home easy!
  • WATCH YOUR STEP!!!! They are so easy to step on they are so tiny and LOVE your feet!
  • Have a bed or crate/exorcise pen ready for your puppy for sleeping and as a safe secure place for them.
  • The puppy will most likely cry for up to three nights when put in a crate/exercise pen. This is normal. 

The first few days your puppy will be getting used to you and your family. Some puppies THRIVE as the new center of attention. Some can be shy and take a bit longer to adjust to a new environment. Some my cry, some might not. Crying is normal and usually is worse at night or when the puppy is confined for long periods of time, it usually only lasts about 3 days. Be sure to watch for loose stools during this time as that can occur due to high stress. If the puppy gets this call me. It is important to spend a lot of time with the puppy the first few days. Play with them, soothe them, and care for them. Remember all you do in the first few days will establish a rutine for your puppy. Be sure what you do is helping them learn the RIGHT way to do things to meet your long term goals. Things you should NOT do:

  • Do not Hit, Strike or Spank your puppy. Doing so can start behavior problems and make the puppy afraid of you.
  • Do not YELL at your puppy.  Using a deep FIRM voice is all that is needed. Clapping your hands and saying NO, is a great way to correct your puppy. Yelling will only teach them NOT to trust you and will make them very insecure and scared of you.
  • NEVER leave your puppy unsupervised while roaming your entire house.
  • NEVER leave your puppy in a crate for longer then 2 hours.
  • Do not feed table scraps. This can make them very ill. Even many dog treats can make them ill.
  • NEVER leave your puppy in the car alone. 10 minutes in a hot car can be fatal.
  • Be careful when taking a puppy in a doggy purse/carrier. Be sure the weather is not to hot, and be sure the carrier is well vented. Dogs can get heat stroke if they get to hot in the carrier/purse.



During the first few weeks it is important to establish a routine with your puppy.  Be sure to set limits on things your puppy is or is NOT allowed to do. Such as be on furniture, sleep in bed with you, try to beg for table scraps (which you will not give because it is dangerous to young puppies.:D)


Puppy Care
The first 24 hours.