Build your puppy’s first 30 days

What a first-30-days plan actually needs to cover

Most new-puppy checklists are a shopping list with a vaccination reminder stapled to it. The part that decides how the first month goes is the order: which things have to be in place before the puppy arrives, which can wait a fortnight, and what each step should look like when it is working. A crate bought on day three is a different experience to a crate that was already there.

Breed changes the plan more than most guides admit. A breed documented for separation anxiety needs alone-time practice from the first week, not the third. A high-grooming coat needs handling drills before the first groomer visit. A giant breed needs equipment bought two sizes ahead. That is why this planner reads your breed’s own profile rather than printing the same list for every dog.

What it will not do is tell you when to vaccinate, deworm or neuter. Those depend on what the puppy has already had and where you live, and they belong to the vet who examines it.

Common questions

What do I need for a new puppy?

A crate sized to the adult dog with a divider, a bed, two bowls, a flat collar with an ID tag, a harness, a six-foot leash, the food the breeder or shelter was using, training treats, two or three chew toys, a brush suited to the coat, and an enzymatic cleaner. The planner above turns that into a list sized for your breed.

What should I do the first week with a puppy?

Keep the world small. One room, one routine, the same food, and short frequent trips outside rather than long outings. Most first-week problems come from too much freedom and too many introductions at once. The day 0 to 7 section of your plan sets the order and tells you what each step should look like when it is working.

How much does a puppy cost in the first month?

It splits into one-off setup and the first month of running costs, and both move with the breed and the city. Rather than quote an average that fits nobody, the plan pulls the ranges for your breed, and the cost calculator will build the full first-year and five-year figures from sourced national baselines.

When should a puppy see the vet first?

Book the first appointment before the puppy arrives, and take whatever vaccination record came with it to that visit. Your vet sets the schedule from there based on what the puppy has already had, its age and where you live. We do not publish a vaccination timetable, because that is a decision for the vet who examines the dog.