Congratulations! You’ve made the decision to get a new puppy, so before you bring him home, here are some tips for you to follow which will help your new puppy settle quickly into his new environment.

Items you will need:

• Have a comfortable basket ready
• Food and water bowls
• Puppy food – wet or dry
• Puppy pads
• Suitable toys

Put the bed and toys in a quiet corner so he is not disturbed – he has just left his mum and litter mates so his new home will be quite daunting to him at first. A teddy will give him something to cuddle up to as if he had a litter mate next to him – just make sure that there are no small or dangerous pieces on the toy that he could choke on if chewed. An alarm clock wrapped in a blanket will simulate his mother’s heartbeat and will also help him settle.

Ask the breeder what he has been fed on so far and if you want to change his diet, do it gradually over a few days or he will get an upset stomach. At eight weeks old he will be on four small meals a day. When you feed him, leave it down for no longer than 15 minutes then take it away (whether he has eaten it or not). This will stop him being a fussy eater. Make sure that he always has access to fresh drinking water.

When he wakes up, take him out to the toilet straight away and praise him for doing his business in the right place. The more time that you spend in the early days toilet training him, the quicker he will learn.

Finally, there is a product called DAP which releases a pheromone which is similar to a lactating bitch and will help to calm and reassure your puppy while he learns about the world around him.

Don’t forget that you must not let your puppy outside until he/she is fully vaccinated, so within the next few days arrange an appointment at the surgery for a health examination and to arrange vaccination, worming and flea control, diet, neutering and microchipping.