New puppy · UK guide

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New puppy checklist (UK)

Checked against Dogs Trust and GOV.UK advice on 24 October 2026.

Bringing a puppy home is exciting, and a bit overwhelming. This page puts the sensible things in order: what to sort before pick-up day, what to expect in the first week, and what to buy. Print it, stick it on the fridge and tick things off.

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Four fill-in PDFs from The Dog Geezer. Type into them on screen, or print them and stick them on the fridge. Tick the ones you want, add your email address, and James will send you the download links.

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New Puppy Checklist

6 pages · tick on screen or print

This page as a printable, with room to write the date you did each thing.

Before pick-up: paperwork, planning and puppy-proofing
What to buy for the first month
Your first-week plan, day by day
Before the first walk, key dates and a shopping budget page

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Puppy Socialisation Checklist

7 pages · 72 experiences

72 everyday things for your puppy to meet, hear and try, at their own pace.

People, from children and joggers to delivery drivers
Other animals, places and everyday sounds
Surfaces, objects, handling and care
Mark each one went well, unsure or try again

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Puppy Potty and Crate Log

21 pages · 14 daily charts

Hour-by-hour charts that help you spot your puppy’s toilet pattern.

14 daily charts, 6am to 11pm
Wees, poos, accidents, meals and crate time
Weekly summaries and a pattern review
A crate time log, only if you use a crate

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New Puppy First-Year Planner

32 pages · fill in on screen or print

A year of health records, routines, firsts and memories in one place.

Vaccination, worming and flea records
Weight log with a growth chart
Puppy firsts and 12 monthly pages
Expense log and a yearly cost summary

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Stage 1 of 6

Before pick-up day.

It’s built from the published advice of Dogs Trust and GOV.UK (listed at the bottom), plus the kit James would point a puppy owner towards. Every puppy is different, so use it as a plan to adapt, not a rulebook.

This isn’t vet advice. Your vet knows your puppy’s health, so talk to your vet about anything health-related, including vaccinations, flea and worming treatment, food and how much exercise is right.

Tick off before pick-up

Register with a vet practice. Dogs Trust suggests a practice near you, so you don’t have far to travel in an emergency. Ask whether they provide out-of-hours care or whether another clinic covers it.
Check the microchip. By law, every dog in the UK must be microchipped and registered on a database by the time they’re 8 weeks old. You can be fined up to £500 if not. Ask to see the microchip certificate or vet records before you take the puppy, and make sure the database has your details as soon as they’re yours (GOV.UK).
Get the vaccination paperwork from the breeder or rescue, and book the next vaccination with your vet. Dogs Trust says most puppies have their first core vaccination from six weeks, and the second two to four weeks later, depending on age and vaccine brand. Your vet will confirm the timings.
Sort pet insurance before something goes wrong, not after the first vet bill. Dogs Trust says insurance policies differ in what they cover, so check what’s included. James’s note on the recommended page is to look at three things: lifetime or time-limited cover, the yearly vet-fee limit and the excess.
Find out what they’re eating and when. Dogs Trust says to ask the breeder or rescue, and to stick with the same food and meal times for the first few days.
Plan who’s with the puppy. Dogs Trust suggests taking time off work if you can, so you’re there while they settle. Decide who looks after them when you go out, and plan how you’ll build up time apart.
Look for puppy training classes and book early if you can.

Stage 2 of 6

Puppy-proof the house.

From your puppy’s point of view, anything they can reach is theirs.

Around the house

Move anything you don’t want chewed out of reach: shoes, remote controls, kids’ toys.
Cover or move plugs, wires and anything sharp.
Lock away, or get rid of, toxic plants and substances.
Put up a baby gate if there are rooms you want to keep off limits.
Set up a quiet den away from the hustle and bustle, with a bed and blanket. Dogs Trust suggests keeping food and water in a separate part of the house from where your puppy rests.
If you have a garden, make it safe too: no toxic plants, and sharp tools and harmful substances locked away.

Stage 3 of 6

What to buy.

James’s picks. These are the three things from his recommended list that suit a new puppy. They’re affiliate links (see the note below).

01 /

A proper bed.

Washable, which matters with a puppy.

Bedsure bed on Amazon

02 /

A lick mat.

Good for settling after a walk and for slowing down fast eaters.

LickiMat on Amazon

03 /

A treat pouch.

Rewards on your hip, not buried in a pocket.

Treat pouch and clicker on Amazon

For puppy insurance, James lists PDSA Pet Insurance and Everypaw as two to compare. Food and more kit are on James’s recommended page.

Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through one, The Dog Geezer may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, The Dog Geezer earns from qualifying purchases. Insurance information is general, not financial advice.

Stage 4 of 6

Your first-week plan.

Dogs Trust’s advice is to go slowly and keep the first days quiet. Here is one way to lay that out. Adjust it to fit your puppy.

Week one, day by day

Day 1: home, and quiet

Let your puppy explore one room at a time, at their own pace. Don’t plan too much for the first few days.
Keep to the food and meal times they’re used to.
Start toilet training from the first day (see below).
Set the bed in a cosy, quiet spot. If they go to their bed, leave them alone. It’s where they recharge.
Have some toys ready to play with, so they chew those and not your shoes.
Keep visitors away to begin with. Dogs Trust says you don’t want to overwhelm your pup in the first few days.

Days 2 and 3: routine

Start a routine: when they eat, when they sleep, when they go out.
Keep going with toilet training and rewarding every outdoor success.
Start short, calm moments apart: a few minutes with a chew or food puzzle in a different room, so being alone doesn’t become a shock later.
If you have children, make sure they leave your puppy alone when they move away or don’t seem interested, and that children and the puppy are always supervised.

Days 4 to 7: building up

Introduce the collar, harness and lead at home, in small steps, rewarding every step.
Start teaching your puppy to come when called at home, rewarding them every time.
Book their vet check, if you haven’t already, and ask about flea, tick and worming treatment.
Ask your vet when their first walk is safe, and what exercise suits them.
Keep introducing them to the world safely. See “Before the first walk” below.

Stage 5 of 6

Toilet training, from day one.

Dogs Trust’s advice, in short:

Take your puppy out after a sleep, after eating or drinking, after play, and whenever they get very excited.
Keep them on a lead at first, so you can stay close and reward them straight away.
Learn the signs: sniffing the ground, turning in a circle, starting to squat.
Reward every time they go outside, as soon as they’ve finished.
If they have an accident, don’t shout or punish. Clean it up with a biological cleaner and carry on rewarding the outdoor ones. Telling them off can make them anxious, and they may start toileting out of sight.
Be patient. Dogs Trust says puppies can take a few months to be completely house trained without the odd accident.

If you’re worried about your puppy’s toileting, talk to your vet, who can rule out a medical reason.

The first nights

Dogs Trust says to avoid shutting your puppy in a crate on their own at night. You can start by sleeping in the same room, then gradually move away. If they cry, go back to the same room and move more slowly next time. Make sure they’ve had the chance to toilet and have something safe to occupy them. If they still seem distressed, talk to your vet, who can refer you to an accredited behaviourist.

Stage 6 of 6

Before the first walk.

This is where new owners most often feel the pressure, so here’s what Dogs Trust says:

Your puppy shouldn’t be walked outside, beyond your own garden, until they’ve had all their initial vaccinations. Typically that’s one to two weeks after the primary course. Your vet will tell you when.
A puppy shouldn’t be walked after a single vaccination.
You can carry your puppy outside in a carrier or a secure pram to see the world in the meantime, as long as they don’t walk on the ground.
Your puppy can play with dogs they live with, or friends’ dogs who come to your house, as long as those dogs are up to date with their vaccinations.
After the first vaccination, they can go in an enclosed garden that isn’t used by dogs of unknown vaccination status. Keep them away from ponds and stagnant water, and be careful in gardens that foxes visit.
Before you go, check they’re microchipped with up-to-date details, and that they’re wearing a collar and tag.

On the first walk

On the first walk itself, Dogs Trust suggests a short, quiet, familiar route, plenty of treats, letting them stop and sniff, and keeping them on the lead.

When you’re ready for walkers and training locally, see dog walking in Heywood and dog walking in Bury.

How James can help

How James can help.

The Dog Geezer opens in January 2027, with dog walking and training for Heywood, Bury, Rochdale and Middleton. If your puppy is already pulling on the lead, jumping up or finding it hard to settle, tell James about it on the waiting list. He’ll talk through what he can help with and whether it’s a good fit.

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Questions

New puppy checklist: questions.

What do I need before my puppy comes home?

A vet registered, a microchip certificate and database details, vaccination paperwork, insurance, a puppy-proofed home, a bed and quiet den, bowls, the food they’re already eating, toys, a collar and tag, and a lead and harness.

When can a puppy go for their first walk?

Dogs Trust says typically one to two weeks after they’ve finished their primary vaccination course, but check with your vet, as it depends on the vaccine.

Can I take my puppy outside before they’re fully vaccinated?

You can carry them in a carrier or secure pram. Dogs Trust says they shouldn’t walk on the ground. In your own enclosed garden, after the first vaccination, they can walk, as long as no dogs of unknown vaccination status use it.

When should I start toilet training?

From day one. Take your puppy out after sleeping, eating, drinking and playing, and reward them every time they go outside.

Where should my puppy sleep?

Dogs Trust suggests starting in the same room as you and moving away gradually, rather than shutting your puppy in a crate on their own at night.

Is a microchip a legal requirement?

Yes. All dogs in the UK must be microchipped and registered by the time they’re 8 weeks old (GOV.UK).

Do I need pet insurance?

It isn’t a legal requirement. Dogs Trust says a good policy can help you get the right care for your dog, and that policies differ in what they cover, so read what’s included.

When do I change my puppy’s food?

Keep to the same food and mealtimes for the first few days, then change gradually. James’s recommended page says to mix the new food in over 7 to 10 days, and to ask your vet first if your dog has a health condition.

How long can I leave my puppy alone?

Dogs Trust says puppies shouldn’t be left on their own for very long at all, and recommends building up time apart gradually. If your puppy struggles, talk to your vet.

Sources

All read 24 October 2026:

New puppy checklist (UK)

Free puppy printables, sent to your inbox.

New Puppy Checklist

Puppy Socialisation Checklist

Puppy Potty and Crate Log

New Puppy First-Year Planner

Before pick-up day.

Tick off before pick-up

Puppy-proof the house.

Around the house

What to buy.

Dogs Trust’s shopping list for the first month

Your first-week plan.

Week one, day by day

Day 1: home, and quiet

Days 2 and 3: routine

Days 4 to 7: building up

Toilet training, from day one.

The first nights

Before the first walk.

On the first walk

How James can help.

New puppy checklist: questions.