How do you welcome a dog properly?

Aim for calm, not an event. Let them come out of their crate on their own and explore at their own pace, with no crowd and no rules on the first day. Set up a gentle routine quickly (meals, toilet trips, rest), sleep in the same room as them for the first nights, and reward every success. They've just left everything behind: your calm reassures them more than anything.

How do you get a dog used to being left alone?

In tiny steps, never all at once. Start with micro-absences from day one (having a shower, taking the bins out), then departures of 3 to 5 minutes once they've been out, fed and settled. Leave them a toy kept just for these moments, and keep your goodbyes and homecomings neutral . For a puppy, no real time alone before three and a half months, and no more than 2 to 3 hours.

How do you take good care of a dog?

Cover their core needs: walks where they sniff and explore, real rest (a puppy sleeps up to 18 hours a day), a predictable routine and connection through play. For training, a "yes!" marker followed by a reward, never punishment or shouting. And a first vet visit to start off on the right foot.

Getting the first days at home right

Choosing and welcoming my dogPart of · Choosing and welcoming my dog

Getting the first days at home right

Q: How long can a dog be left alone?

It's something you build up, not an endurance target. A three-and-a-half-month-old puppy shouldn't be left more than 2 to 3 hours, and you extend it very gradually. An adult who's used to being alone can manage half a day, but regular walks are still a need: never use "they can hold it" as an excuse.

Q: Should you let a puppy cry on the first night?

No. If they cry, it's because they've just been separated from their mother and littermates, not because they're testing you. Put their bed in your bedroom, door closed: your presence soothes them and you can hear when they need to go out for a wee. Letting them "cry it out" plunges them into distress for nothing.

Q: How long does it take for a puppy to be house-trained?

Longer than you're promised, and that's normal: reliable house-training only comes at the end of a physical maturing process that takes the first 4 to 6 months, sometimes up to a year (Merck Veterinary Manual 2024). No puppy is house-trained "in 10 days". You increase the trips outside, reward outdoors, and never tell them off for an accident.

11 min read

Your dog has just left everything behind: his mother, his littermates, his bearings. In the first few days, aim for calm, not obedience. Let him explore at his own pace, set up a routine and reward every success.

A puppy who has just arrived is discovering everything: a new place, new smells, new faces. You will only get to know his true character once he has found his bearings, over the first few weeks. That is why you should not draw conclusions too quickly: toilet accidents, crying at night, needing to follow you everywhere are all normal at the start, not character flaws. At this stage, your job is mainly to be his anchor while he discovers your home and your way of living.

Day one, no pressure

Keep the first few days simple: no packed schedule, no training session, no parade of visitors. Just gentleness and a few steady landmarks.

Let him discover the house

Stay in the house or the garden, without carrying him or forcing him. Sit down on the floor and let him come to you when he decides to. At first he will probably go and explore before taking any interest in you, and that is normal.

Skip the welcoming committee

Avoid the commotion and do not gather ten people around him all at once. Let him go from one person to another at his own pace.

Take a mini-walk on a long line

Choose a long line rather than a lead: he naturally stays close to you, because he needs your presence. Keep it short and close to home on day one: the point is to discover, not to burn energy.

Show him his own corner

Set up a bed with raised sides in a quiet spot. If he would rather sleep on your feet, let him: you are not imposing anything on day one.

Spend the first nights close to him

Put his bed in your bedroom for the first few nights. He has just lost all his bearings in one go: your presence reassures him and settles his anxiety, and you can hear him if he wakes up needing to go out, which helps with toilet training. It is not permanent, you can move his bed later, once he has gained confidence.

Reward that very first wee outside

It is the only treat of the first two or three days: going to the toilet outside becomes the jackpot.

Setting up a reassuring routine

Dogs love what is predictable: a gentle routine soothes them and speeds up his settling in. “No rules” on day one does not mean “no rhythm”.

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Your first-days routine

The first nights

The first night is the hardest: he has just been separated from his family. You reassure, you do not isolate.

Put his bed in your bedroom

Close the door and keep him near you. Not in the bed, but in the room: your presence soothes him and you can hear his signals.

A last wee late in the evening

Take him out around midnight for the very first nights, with no play and no excitement: just the wee, then back to calm.

Set an alarm every 2 hours

Take him out for a quiet wee, then back to bed. No nighttime party: keep your tone low-key.

If you get up in the night, take him out

Even if you are the one waking up to go to the loo: the noise and the movement will wake him too, and once he is up, his bladder wakes up with him. You may as well take him out straight away rather than find an accident in the morning.

Stretch the intervals bit by bit

Move to 2h, then 3h, then 4h, at his pace. If he holds on nicely until the 3h alarm, push it a little later the following night.

Think days, not weeks

It can feel intense, but it is short: generally, within ten days or so the puppy works out the rhythm and strings together longer and longer nights. You will not be getting up every 2h for months, just for as long as he needs to learn.

Getting used to being alone, in very small steps

This is what prevents separation anxiety: you do not teach being alone by leaving for a whole day, you build it minute by minute. Never five hours straight off.

Step 1 / 3

Show him that you leave and that you always come back.
- Go and have a shower, take the bins out, pop down for the post without taking him along
- Leave without ceremony, come back without a big fuss
- Leave him on the other side of the door, not with you in the bathroom
Move on when: He watches you leave for a few minutes without panicking.
Show him he can stay alone for a few minutes, relaxed, while he rests.
- Take him out, play with him and feed him so he drifts off peacefully
- Give him a busy toy he only gets while you are away
- Leave for 3 minutes, then 5, with no drama on leaving or on coming back
Move on when: He stays calm during short absences, without destroying anything or toileting indoors.
Show him that longer absences are a time to rest, not to panic.
- Increase in small steps, never jumping by several hours
- Put the special toy away when you get back, in front of him, so it stays precious
- Keep your returns calm even if there has been some mischief

Towards a dog who is at ease when you leave

The basics of positive training

Your first training tool is your voice. Pick a short word, a cheerful “yes!” for example, and say it exactly as he gets it right, just before you reward him. That word marks the good behaviour, like a photo taken at just the right moment: he quickly works out that what he was doing at that precise instant is what earns him the reward. Always available, always free.

That is normal, you are on the right track

He cries on the first night
He does not finish his meal on day one (stress kills the appetite)
He has accidents for weeks
He follows you everywhere and sleeps a huge amount
You feel overwhelmed or full of doubt: the “puppy blues” affects nearly one owner in two

Here, a helping hand really does make a difference

You are on your own with no time off: lean on someone close to you and spread the learning out
One specific behaviour worries you (panic as soon as you leave, growling over the bowl): a positive-methods trainer will support you
Your puppy skips several meals in a row, is being sick, has diarrhoea, or has no energy: off to the vet

AVSAB — Position Statement on Humane Dog Training (2021)
Ståhl et al. — Validation of the “puppy blues” scale (npj Mental Health Research) (2024)
Horwitz & Landsberg — House Soiling, Merck Veterinary Manual (2024)

To carry on with the pathway

guideGetting your home and the essential kit readyThe guide just before this one: making the house safe and gathering the right kit so the big day goes smoothly.Read the guide guideA dog in my life: time, work, housingTo check that your daily life, time, work, housing, really is ready for this new rhythm.Read the guide guideThe 3-3-3 rule3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months: the landmark that keeps you from panicking if settling in takes time.Read the guide guideWhen the first days are roughIf the start is rougher than you expected, this guide helps you understand why and stay the course.Read the guide guideYour puppy's first nightsFor a puppy, nights are often the real challenge of the first days: what is normal, and how to help him through.Read the guide guideTeaching your dog to be left alone without anxietyOnce calm has settled in, the next gentle step: getting him used to staying alone without anxiety.Read the guide

Frequently asked questions

How do I welcome a dog properly?

Aim for calm, not obedience. Let him come out at his own pace and explore, with no crowd and no rules on day one. Quickly set up a gentle routine (meals, toilet trips, rest), sleep in the same room as him for the first nights, and reward every success. He has just left everything behind: your quiet steadiness reassures him more than anything else.

How do I get a dog used to staying alone?

Go in tiny steps, never all at once. Start with micro-absences from day one (having a shower, taking the bins out), then departures of 3 to 5 minutes once he has been out, is well fed and is calm. Leave him a toy reserved for those moments, and keep departures and returns neutral. For a puppy, no real time alone before three and a half months, and no more than 2 to 3 hours.

How do I look after a dog properly?

Cover his underlying needs: outings where he sniffs and explores, real rest (he sleeps far more than you think, so do not wake him up to play), a predictable routine and a bond built through play. For training, rely on a marker word (“yes!”) followed by a reward, never punishment or shouting. And plan a first vet visit to start off on the right foot.

How long can a dog be left alone?

It builds up, it is not a feat of endurance to aim for. A three-and-a-half-month-old puppy does not stay alone for more than 2 to 3 hours, and you stretch it very gradually. An adult who knows how to be alone can manage 6 to 8 hours, but regular outings are still a need: you never use “he can hold it” as an excuse.

Is it normal to feel overwhelmed in the first few days?

Yes, completely. The “puppy blues” (anxiety, tiredness, doubt) affects nearly one owner in two and fades quickly. Get some rest, ask the people around you for help, and never decide your dog's future at 3 in the morning, exhausted.

Should you let a puppy cry on the first night?

No. If he cries, it is because he has just been separated from his mother and his littermates, not because he is testing you. Put his bed in your bedroom, door closed: your presence soothes him and you can hear when he needs to go out for a wee. Leaving him to “cry it out” plunges him into distress for nothing.

How long does it take for a puppy to be house-trained?

Longer than you are promised, and that is normal: reliable toilet training only comes after a physical maturing process that takes the first 4 to 6 months, sometimes up to a year. No puppy is house-trained “in 10 days”. Take him out often, reward him outside, and never tell him off for an accident.

Updated on July 11, 2026Sources

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