Bringing Your Puppy Home: What to Do in the First 24 Hours
Updated: 3 days ago
The day your puppy comes home is one of the most exciting days you'll have together, and one of the biggest days of your puppy's life. They've left their mum, their littermates and everything they know. What you do in those first 24 hours helps them feel safe, settle faster and start learning the routines that make the weeks ahead so much easier.
THE SHORT ANSWER
In the first 24 hours, keep things calm and simple. Have their space ready before they arrive, bring something that smells of their mum and littermates, and keep visitors away for the first few days. Take your puppy to their toilet spot as soon as you get home and every hour or so after that. Stick to the food they've been eating, let them sleep as much as they need, and keep them close to you at night. Expect some crying and accidents. That's normal.
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Before your puppy comes home
1. Set up their space
Choose a quiet corner for a crate or puppy pen with a soft bed, away from the busiest part of the house but not shut away on their own. This is where your puppy can rest and feel safe, and when you get home it's where I go first, straight after a wee in the garden. You're not an estate agent, so there's no need to show them every room on day one.
2. Get the essentials ready
Food and water bowls
The same food your puppy has been eating
Soft bedding and a few safe chew toys
A collar with an ID tag, and a light lead
Puppy-safe cleaner for accidents
A carrier or crate for the car
3. Puppy-proof the house
Tidy away cables, shoes, small objects and anything toxic. Put a gate on the stairs and block off any gaps your puppy could squeeze into.
Picking your puppy up
Ask for a blanket or toy that smells of their mum and littermates. It's a real comfort in the first few nights. Collect your puppy in the morning if you can, so they have the whole day to get used to their new home before bedtime.
Keep the car ride calm, with your puppy in a secure carrier or on someone's lap, and bring towels in case of travel sickness.
The first few hours at home
1. Go straight to the toilet spot
Carry your puppy to the spot in your garden where you'd like them to toilet. Wait quietly, and praise them gently when they go.
2. Let them explore slowly
Start with one room. Let your puppy sniff and investigate at their own pace, then open up more of the house over the next few days.
3. Keep it quiet
It's very tempting to invite friends and family round, but the first few days are best kept to the people who live with you. Your puppy has a lot to take in already.
4. Introduce other pets carefully
Keep first meetings with your other dogs or cats short, calm and supervised, and give everyone their own space to retreat to.
Feeding in the first 24 hours
Stick to the food your puppy has been eating, at the same times if you can. A sudden change can upset their tummy. Don't worry if they eat less than usual at first; nerves can take away their appetite for a day or so. Fresh water should be available all the time.
Toilet training from day one
Take your puppy to their toilet spot:
As soon as they wake up
After eating and drinking
After play
Every hour or so while they're awake
Last thing at night
Praise and reward every success outside. Accidents will happen, so clean them up calmly with an enzyme cleaner and don't tell your puppy off.
Sleep and the first night
Young puppies need a lot of sleep, around 18 to 20 hours a day. Let them nap whenever they're tired, and help them settle in their bed or crate for regular naps through the day.
For the first night, keep your puppy close to you, either in your bedroom or with you sleeping nearby. Being alone for the first time is a big change, and having you close helps them feel safe. Expect to take them out for a toilet trip during the night. You can move their bed gradually once they're settled. When you're ready to start teaching short spells on their own, read how long you can leave your puppy alone.
Should my puppy go outside on the first day?
Your own garden is fine for toileting and short explorations, as long as it's secure. Until your vet says your puppy's vaccinations are complete, keep them off the ground in public places. You can still carry them out to see the world from your arms.
What to expect in the first 24 hours
Some crying, especially at night
A few accidents
Lots of sleep
Moments of wobbly confidence followed by bursts of play
Possibly a smaller appetite than usual
All of this is normal. Most puppies settle a little more each day.
RENEE'S TIP
Put your puppy's crate or bed next to your own bed for the first few nights. When they wake and cry, you can rest your hand by them and help them settle, and you'll hear when they need the toilet.
FIRST 24 HOURS CHECKLIST
ā Space set up before they arrive
ā Something that smells of mum and littermates
ā Straight to the toilet spot when you get home
ā Same food as before
ā Visitors kept for later
ā Puppy close to you at night
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FAQs
What's the first thing I should do when I bring my puppy home?
Take them straight to their toilet spot in the garden, then let them explore one quiet room at their own pace.
What should I do in the first 24 hours with a new puppy?
Keep things calm, stick to their usual food, take them to the toilet often, let them sleep, and keep them close to you at night.
What is the best time of day to pick up a new puppy?
Morning is best, so your puppy has the whole day to get used to their new home before bedtime.
Where should my puppy sleep the first night?
Close to you, in your bedroom or with you nearby. Being near you helps them feel safe, and you'll know when they need the toilet.
Is it normal for a puppy to cry on the first night?
Yes. They've left everything they know. Comfort them calmly, keep them close, and they'll settle a little more each night.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Renee Patience Ā· National Dog Trainer of the Year 2025
Founder and head trainer of Paws Academy, with more than 30 years training dogs and a Level 6 Diploma in Applied Canine Behaviour. Renee has competed in agility, obedience and heelwork to music across the UK, including at Crufts and Olympia, has appeared on CBBC, and is the author of the Modern Training Guides and the Modern Breed Handbook series. Pictured with her boxer, Kookie.
