Your puppies first day in your home is one of its most important! Remember: Be prepared!
Before your puppy gets home it's time to puppy proof your house!
- Make sure all electrical cords are stored away from the puppy
- Make sure you have trash cans with lids or your garbages are out of site and out of mind. Hidding them in cupboards or on counter tops is a good way to store them away from your puppy
- Make sure all dangeous liquids are in a safe place. Tollers are extremely smart so if your puppy learns to open cupboards I'd encourage baby proofing the cupboards so they can't be opened
- Clear of any tables that the puppy can reach on 2 or 4 feet!
- Make sure all chewable objects are stored away (including socks and underwear!) Make sure you have a plethora of toys to give your puppy to occupy his/her time
Toys to get your retriever include squeeky rubber balls, rubber tennis balls, teddy bears, kong which you can fill with peanut butter, frisbee etc.. Remember your puppy maybe too nervous the first day to play so give him/her time to warm up to your family and their new home.
Puppies can be nervous their first day in their new home and environment. To ensure your puppy doesn't get lost make sure you have an ID tag prepared for your puppy with his/her name on it along with your phone number. Your puppy will previously be microchipped with a CKC identification which will initially direct the puppy back to your breeder. However, there's never any harm having too much identification for your puppy!
Make sure you have a place for your puppy to sleep. Crates are a great option for a puppy because it creates a den like environment for them. Crate training is a wonderful tool for car travel, air travel as it provides a comfortable, quiet, safe environment for your puppy. I highly recommend crate training and when crate training always keep it simple and FUN! Check out our crate training page for more information on how to successfully crate train your puppy. If you don't have a crate a dog bed in a quiet environment in the home is another option. Some puppies are used to sleeping in a pack with their sibblings so having something cozzy to snuggle up with is always a good option - a large blanky or teddy bear.
Your puppy may need to go to the bathroom when you arrive home. Make sure you take him/her out to the area you wish for them to use. When they potty in the area give them lots of praise prior to bringing them indoors. Typically our puppies will be litter box trainned with shavings prior to going to their new home. If you provide them with a shavings box make sure you place it in a area where you can see them going into the box. When the puppy approaches the box pick them up and take them outside. More on potty training can be found on the potty training page.
Your natural instinct is going to make want every family member to hold the puppy 24/7. The first day is important for your puppy to learn about his new environment so make sure there is a good balance between snuggles and time for your puppy to investigate your home. Snuggling creates a great bond between you and your puppy so they are important. However, investigating makes the puppy comfortable in a new environment and opens them up to their surroundings. Balance is the key to success!
When your puppy is exploring your home and property remember not to leave them unattended. You can follow them around or encourage them to different areas of the home by calling them. The key the first day is to make sure the environment your puppy is introduced to is quiet and calming. Loud noises may frighten your puppy so introducing them slowly is the best option.
The best place for your new dog to meet other dogs is within your yard. Once they are comfortable with the environment that place makes for a great environment to learn and interact.
Once your puppy has finished exploring, cuddlying and interacting with your family it's time to introduce meal time. Make sure the puppy is relaxed and calm when dinner time approaches. Don't forget! Let your puppy outside each time they eat, drink or sleep to ensure potty training success!
KEY! Don't start training the first day. It's always very tempting to take your puppy out once you get home to introduce them to everyone and everything but please wait a day. This day will already be overwhelming for your puppy and it's important for them to focus on their new environment and the people within it.
