DogLens - New Dog Guide

🤔 Before You Commit

Getting a dog is a 10–15 year commitment. Before the excitement takes over, honestly consider:

Can you afford it? Food, insurance, vet bills, grooming, boarding, toys, and equipment add up quickly. Budget £50–£200+ per month depending on size and breed
Do you have time? Puppies need toilet breaks every 2–4 hours, daily training, socialisation, exercise, and companionship. They can't be left alone for long periods
Does everyone agree? All household members must be on board. Dogs are a family commitment
What about work? Can someone be home during the day, especially for the first few weeks? Can you arrange dog care for when you're out?
Have you researched breeds? Different breeds have vastly different needs. A Border Collie and a Bulldog require completely different lifestyles
Your living situation — Do you have a secure garden? Are dogs allowed in your rental? Is your home large enough?
Holidays and travel — Who looks after the dog when you're away? Kennels, pet sitters, and dog-friendly holidays all need planning

🔒 Puppy-Proofing Your Home

Think of it like child-proofing for a toddler that can run faster, jump higher, and has sharper teeth. Get down on your hands and knees and look at your home from a puppy's perspective.

⚡ Electrical Cables

Chewing live cables can cause shocks, burns, or death. Hide cables behind furniture, use cable tidies, or cover with sturdy conduit. Never leave a puppy unsupervised near exposed cables.

🗑️ Bins & Rubbish

Dogs love raiding bins. Cooked bones, food wrappers, nappies, and cleaning product packaging are all dangerous. Use lidded bins or keep bins in cupboards.

💊 Medicines & Chemicals

Store all human medications, cleaning products, and chemicals in high or locked cupboards. Dispense pills over a sink — a dropped paracetamol can kill a small dog.

🌺 Toxic Plants

Many common houseplants and garden plants are poisonous to dogs. Move them out of reach or replace with dog-safe alternatives. Check your garden too.

👓 Small Objects

Anything that fits in a puppy's mouth will go in a puppy's mouth. Hair ties, rubber bands, coins, pen lids, children's toys, socks — all choking and blockage hazards.

🚪 Stairs & Heights

Use baby gates to block stairs until your puppy is old enough to navigate them safely. Block access to balconies. Prevent jumping from furniture (especially for small breeds).

🌱 Toxic Plants to Remove

Daffodils

Lilies

Azalea

Rhododendron

Foxglove

Holly

Mistletoe

Ivy

Oleander

Poinsettia

Cyclamen

Sweet Pea

Yew

Conkers

Acorns

Laburnum

🏡 Garden Safety

Secure all fencing — check for gaps, loose panels, and spaces a puppy could squeeze through or dig under
Lock gates — including side gates that delivery drivers might leave open
Remove toxic plants and avoid using chemical fertilisers, herbicides, or slug pellets (use pet-safe alternatives)
Store tools safely — sharp garden tools, screws, and nails all pose risks
Check for standing water — paddling pools, ponds, and water features can be drowning hazards for small puppies

🛒 The Essential Shopping List

Have these ready before your puppy comes home:

📦 The Basics

Food and water bowls (sturdy, easy to clean)
Puppy food (same brand the breeder/rescue was using)
Collar with ID tag (legal requirement in UK)
Lead (standard length, not extendable for a puppy)
Harness (especially for breeds prone to throat issues)
Poo bags (lots of them!)

🛌 Sleeping & Comfort

Washable bed(s) — not too expensive initially as they may chew it
Crate (appropriately sized — big enough to stand, turn, and lie flat)
Blankets or old towels for the crate
Hot water bottle or snuggle toy for first nights

🎲 Toys & Enrichment

Chew toys (Kong, rubber teething toys)
Soft toy for comfort
Tug toy
Balls (appropriately sized — not too small)
Puzzle feeder or slow-feed bowl

🚬 Training & Hygiene

Training treats (small, soft, high-value)
Puppy pads
Enzymatic cleaner (for accidents — removes scent completely)
Dog-specific toothbrush and toothpaste
Brush or comb (appropriate for coat type)
Baby gates (at least 2)

✅ Before They Arrive

Register with a vet — find a local practice and book a health check for the first few days. Ask about out-of-hours cover
Arrange pet insurance — many policies must start before or on the day you collect your puppy. Vet bills can be enormous without insurance
Set up a safe space — a quiet area with their crate, bed, water bowl, and toys. This becomes their retreat when they need calm
Agree house rules — Is the dog allowed on furniture? Upstairs? In the kitchen? Everyone must be consistent from day one
Research puppy classes — book early as good classes fill up fast. Start from 8 weeks (see our Socialisation Guide)
Plan time off — if possible, take a few days off work when your puppy arrives to help them settle
Get your microchip details ready — in the UK, all dogs must be microchipped by law. Update the chip to your details immediately

📅 The First Days & Weeks

🕐 Day 1: Arrival

Keep everything calm and quiet — resist the urge to invite everyone over to meet the puppy
Take them straight to the garden for a toilet break when you arrive
Show them their safe space, water bowl, and bed
Let them explore at their own pace — don't overwhelm them
Stick to the food they've been eating (sudden changes cause upset stomachs)
Expect crying at night — they've just left their mum and siblings. A warm hot water bottle and a ticking clock wrapped in a blanket can help

📅 Week 1: Settling In

Establish a routine — regular feeding times, toilet breaks, play, sleep. Puppies thrive on predictability
Take them out for a toilet break every 1–2 hours, after meals, after play, and after naps
Start gentle handling — touch paws, ears, mouth daily with treats
Begin introducing household sounds gradually (washing machine, TV, vacuum at a distance)
Keep visitors to a minimum initially — one or two calm visitors is fine
Start crate training with positive associations (treats inside, door open, never forced)
First vet visit for a health check

📅 Weeks 2–4: Building Foundations

Begin socialisation — carry them outside to experience the world (before full vaccination). See our Socialisation Guide
Start basic training: "sit", "come", their name. Keep sessions under 5 minutes
Introduce the collar and lead indoors before venturing outside
Continue toilet training with lots of praise for going in the right place
Begin alone-time training — leave the room for a few seconds, then return. Gradually increase duration
Start puppy classes (from 8 weeks, or as soon as your vet advises)

💡 The 3-3-3 Rule (for rescue dogs): Adopted dogs often need: 3 days to decompress from the stress of rehoming, 3 weeks to learn your routine and start showing their true personality, and 3 months to feel fully settled. Don't judge your rescue dog by the first week — they're still finding their feet.

🚽 Toilet Training Basics

Take them out frequently — every 1–2 hours, after meals, after play, after naps, and first thing in the morning
Always go with them — you need to be there to praise them the instant they go in the right spot
Praise massively when they go outside — treats, excited voice, the works. Make it the best thing that happened today
Never punish accidents — shouting, rubbing their nose in it, or any punishment creates fear and confusion, not learning. It teaches them to hide from you to toilet, not to go outside
Clean accidents thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner — regular cleaners leave scent traces that draw the dog back to the same spot
Watch for signs — sniffing the floor, circling, heading to the door, squatting. Immediately take them outside
Be patient — most puppies aren't reliably house-trained until 4–6 months old. Some take longer

⚠️ Night Time: Young puppies can't hold their bladder overnight. Expect to get up once or twice in the night for the first few weeks. Set an alarm rather than waiting for crying, so they learn that being quiet gets results. This phase passes — by 16–20 weeks most puppies can make it through the night.

📦 Crate Training

A crate isn't a cage — used correctly, it becomes your dog's safe den. Dogs are naturally den animals and many grow to love their crate.

✅ The Right Way

Introduce gradually with treats and meals inside, door open. Let them explore voluntarily. Close the door briefly while they eat, then open it. Slowly increase time with door closed. Never use the crate as punishment. Always make it a positive experience.

❌ The Wrong Way

Forcing your puppy in and shutting the door. Leaving them crated for hours on end. Using it as punishment ("Go to your crate!"). Crating for more than 2 hours at a time for a young puppy (4 hours max for an adult, with a break).

💡 Sizing: The crate should be big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around, and lie flat comfortably. Too big and they may toilet in one end and sleep in the other. Many crates come with a divider you can adjust as your puppy grows.

🐱 Introducing to Existing Pets

Other Dogs

Introduce on neutral ground (not your home or garden)
Keep both dogs on leads initially, with plenty of space
Let them sniff and investigate at their own pace
Watch body language carefully — stiff posture, raised hackles, or intense staring are warning signs
Keep first meetings short and positive
At home, separate food bowls and beds to avoid resource guarding
Supervise all interactions until you're confident they're comfortable together

Cats

Choose a room where the cat has an escape route (high shelves, cat flap)
Keep the puppy on a lead for initial meetings
Let the cat approach in their own time — never force contact
Reward calm behaviour from the puppy around the cat
Keep introductions short (5 minutes), then separate
Make sure the cat always has safe spaces the puppy can't access
Never leave them unsupervised until you're completely confident

⚖️ UK Legal Requirements

In the UK, dog owners must comply with these legal requirements:

Microchipping — All dogs must be microchipped by 8 weeks old (law since 2016). Keep your contact details up to date on the microchip database
ID tag — Dogs must wear a collar with an ID tag showing the owner's name and address when in a public place. A phone number is recommended but not legally required
Dog licence — Not required in England, Scotland, or Wales (abolished in 1987). Northern Ireland still requires one
Control in public — Your dog must be under control at all times. The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 makes it an offence for any dog to be dangerously out of control
Poop scooping — You must clean up after your dog in public places. Fines can be up to £1,000
Livestock — Keep your dog on a lead around livestock. Farmers have the right to shoot a dog worrying their livestock

For more detail, see our UK Dog Law page.

🚫 Common New Owner Mistakes

❌ Too much freedom too soon

Giving a new puppy access to the whole house invites accidents and destruction. Restrict to one or two rooms initially and expand gradually as they earn trust.

❌ Inconsistent rules

If mum says no to the sofa but dad allows it, the puppy learns that rules are negotiable. Agree house rules before the puppy arrives and stick to them.

❌ Skipping socialisation

Waiting until vaccinations are complete to start socialisation means missing the critical window. Carry your puppy out to experience the world safely.

❌ Over-exercising puppies

The general rule is 5 minutes of exercise per month of age, twice daily. A 3-month-old puppy needs about 15 minutes, not a 2-hour hike. Too much exercise damages growing joints.

❌ Punishing accidents

Shouting at a puppy for a toilet accident teaches them to be afraid of you, not to go outside. Always redirect, never punish.

❌ Not starting training early

Puppies can learn from 8 weeks. "I'll start training when they're older" means you'll spend months undoing bad habits. Start immediately with short, positive sessions.

🏠 New Dog Guide