Getting ready for your puppy's arrival
What your puppy learns in the first three weeks
Your puppy has just left his mother and his littermates: what he needs most is to feel safe, not to be trained. These are the weeks when house-training, learning to be alone and socialisation all take root. American veterinary behaviourists were already saying it in 2008: the first three months are the most precious window, because that is when his urge to go and look still outweighs his fear. It does not stop dead after that, but every new thing then asks a little more courage of him.
The essential kit
The bare minimum for a good start comes down to a handful of items. The rest can wait until he grows.
0 / 7The paperwork to collect before you leave
Before you head home with your puppy, check that you are given these documents: in France the law requires them from whoever hands the puppy over, breeder, private seller or rescue.
0 / 4Puppy-proofing the house before the big day
A puppy explores everything with his mouth. Put away what is dangerous, and leave the rest where it is.
Put toxic products and foods out of reach
Medicines, household cleaners and antifreeze must be out of reach: many are dangerous even in tiny amounts. Some foods in your kitchen are just as bad: chocolate, grapes and raisins, onion, garlic, avocado and xylitol, a sweetener found in chewing gum and sugar-free baked goods.
Move toxic plants away
Sago palm, oleander, lily of the valley and dieffenbachia are toxic to a dog: put them out of reach, or swap them for safe plants wherever he can get to them.
Tidy away small objects he could swallow
Pick up anything lying around below a metre off the floor, and set aside any cushions he might mistake for his own.
Fit a gate at the top of the stairs
Going up and down over and over tires a skeleton that is still growing: carry him on the stairs for the first few weeks.
Leave part of the house as it is
Keep shoes and the bin within reach while you are there: that is how he learns what is off limits, without you sanitising the whole house. Make an exception for electrical cables, though, which should be hidden or protected at all times: chewed through, they can electrocute him.
The day he arrives
On day one, do as little as possible: safety in the car, then quiet presence.
Make the car journey safe
Use a travel crate strapped in with the seat belt, or a crash-tested harness clipped to the belt: never in the boot or on the parcel shelf. In France it is also a legal requirement: the highway code (art. R412-6) forbids anything you are carrying, dog included, from restricting your movements or your view.
Let him come out of the crate by himself
Open the door in the garden or the living room, and let him come to you without forcing it.
Get down to his level
Sit on the floor and let him go from person to person. Slip his collar on while you stroke him, without him even noticing.
Take a mini walk on the long line
On a long line he naturally stays close to you: what he needs is your presence, not a command.
Put down his first meal without asking anything of him
No “sit”, no “stay”: put the bowl down and stay beside him if he follows you.
Sleep in the same room as him
Put his bed in your room with the door closed: your presence reassures him, and you can hear him if he stirs and needs to go out that night.
The first appointment at the vet
Find your practice even before he arrives, then book an appointment in the very first few days, even if your puppy looks in perfect shape.
Line up a vet before the big day
Pick a practice close to home and ring them before he arrives: you will already have a contact if he worries you on the very first night, instead of hunting for one in a panic.
Book the visit within the week after he arrives
Your vet checks his general condition, his tummy, his eyes and his ears, and works out the next steps with you according to his age.
Carry on with his vaccinations according to his age
The primary course, meaning the first series of vaccinations, starts at 6 weeks at the earliest and carries on every 3 to 4 weeks until he is 16 weeks old, according to the 2024 international veterinary guidelines: your vet adjusts the exact schedule based on what the breeder has already done.
Check that his identification is registered in your name
The transfer in the I-CAD register is not always done before handover: your vet can take care of it during the consultation, or you can do it yourself online.
Give him his health record
Your vet will add the coming vaccinations and the rest of the parasite treatment to it.
The signs that should alert you
His reserves are slim: what you would watch for two days in an adult should alert you far sooner in a puppy. When in doubt, better to ring your vet than to wait.
Keep an eye on it
- He skips a meal or turns his nose up at his bowl
- He sleeps a lot but is lively when he wakes
Ring the vet
- Diarrhoea and vomiting one after the other
- Trembling, a wobbly or unsteady gait, especially in a very small puppy
- Refusing to eat for a sustained stretch
Emergency, do not wait
- Watery, bloody diarrhoea in an unvaccinated puppy
- Disorientation, loss of consciousness or seizures
If you suspect he has swallowed a household product, a medicine or a toxic plant, ring your vet straight away, or one of France's two animal poison control centres: the CNITV on 04 78 87 10 40, or the CAPAE-Ouest on 02 40 68 77 40. These are telephone helplines, reachable from anywhere in France. Never make him vomit yourself, and never give him human medicine.
- AVSAB — Position Statement on Puppy Socialization (2008)
- Vaccination Guidelines (puppy schedule and primary course), WSAVA (2024)
- Plants and products toxic to dogs, ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
- Article R412-6 (the driver must remain free to move; text invoked for an unrestrained animal), Code de la route
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Frequently asked questions
How do I adopt a dog?
Go through a serious route: a breeder who shows you the mother and where the puppies live, or a rescue. A puppy cannot legally be handed over before the age of 8 weeks, and must come with his identification and his paperwork in order. Steer clear of adverts offering a “puppy available right now” with no visit possible: it is often the sign of an illegal breeding operation.
How do I welcome a puppy when I already have a dog?
Leave them together from the start at home. For solo walks, take the puppy: the adult already knows how to be alone, and it is your puppy who needs to learn to detach from his four-legged mate. At around 3 to 4 months, start leaving him alone for a few minutes without the older dog too: while he is still learning the house rules, take cushions and bowls off the floor during those absences.
How do I choose a dog's name?
Choose a short name (one or two syllables), one that carries, and that does not sound like a command: “Rex” and “sit” blur together fast to a dog's ear. If he is registered with the LOF (the French official pedigree register), his official name has to begin with the letter of the year he was born, but you are still free to use whatever nickname you like day to day.
How much time off should I book for a puppy's arrival?
Three weeks of continuous presence is the realistic ideal: enough to lay down house-training, get socialisation going and start on being alone. If you cannot manage it, that is fine, but house-training will probably take longer: just avoid leaving him alone for more than 2 to 3 hours at the start.
Can a puppy go out before his vaccinations are complete?
Yes, and it is even recommended: American veterinary behaviourists were already saying it in 2008, a puppy gets the most out of his encounters before the age of three months. Take him out from the day he arrives, protected by his mother's immunity and his primary course, avoiding soiled areas until he has finished his vaccinations. Steer clear of dog parks too, and not just because of the germs: play never stops there, and your puppy learns neither to stop nor to come back to you.
Where should the puppy sleep on the first night?
In your bedroom, door closed, in his own bed, not in your bed. He has just left his mother and his littermates: your presence reassures him, and you can hear him when he stirs and needs a wee in the night. You can move him out of your room later, once he is happy being alone.
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