Bringing a puppy home is one of the most exciting things you'll ever do. It's also one of the most overwhelming. There's so much to think about — vaccinations, feeding, socialisation, training, vet appointments, sleep schedules — and no one hands you a manual.
This guide is that manual. We've broken your puppy's first year down week by week and stage by stage, so you always know what you should be doing right now and what's coming up next.
My Dog Journal 365 includes a Puppy Milestones checklist that guides you through every stage — from first vaccination to first lead walk. Join the waitlist to be first to access it.
Weeks 1–2: The first days home
The first 48 hours are about settling in, not training. Your puppy has just been separated from their mum and littermates for the first time. Everything is new, strange and a little frightening. Your job right now is to make them feel safe.
Set up a quiet, comfortable space — a crate with soft bedding works well. Keep visitors to a minimum. Let your puppy explore at their own pace. Don't force interactions.
- Book a vet appointment within the first week — even just a check-up
- Start establishing a feeding routine — same times, same place, same bowl
- Begin crate training from night one — it's much harder to introduce later
- Expect disturbed sleep for the first week or two
Your puppy may have come with a health certificate but a fresh vet assessment in the first week is still important. It establishes a baseline and builds a relationship with your vet from the start.
Weeks 8–12: The vaccination window
Most puppies come home at 8 weeks. At this point they'll need their first vaccination, typically covering distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis and leptospirosis. A second vaccination follows at around 10–12 weeks.
Until your puppy is fully vaccinated — usually considered 1–2 weeks after their second jab — they shouldn't walk on public ground where unvaccinated dogs may have been. This doesn't mean keeping them inside completely though.
- Carry your puppy in public to expose them to sounds, sights and people safely
- Invite vaccinated dogs you know to your home for early socialisation
- Begin basic training immediately — sit, name recognition, no biting
Weeks 3–16: The socialisation window — the most critical period
Between roughly 3 and 16 weeks, your puppy's brain is in a unique developmental phase where new experiences are absorbed and normalised incredibly quickly. What they encounter positively during this period, they'll be comfortable with for life. What they miss — or encounter negatively — can create lasting fears and anxieties.
This is why the socialisation window matters more than almost anything else in your puppy's early life.
Children, men with beards, people in hats, umbrellas, bicycles, traffic, other dogs, cats, loud noises, different floor surfaces, car journeys, being handled — the more variety the better.
Months 4–6: Adolescence begins
Around 4 months, your puppy's baby teeth start falling out and their adult teeth come through. They'll chew everything. This is normal — provide appropriate chew toys and redirect rather than punish.
Adolescence in dogs works similarly to humans. Hormones change, previously learned behaviours can regress, and your once-biddable puppy may seem to have forgotten everything they knew. Stay consistent. It passes.
Months 6–12: Neutering, adolescence and settling in
The timing of neutering is a topic your vet will guide you on — it varies significantly by breed, size and individual dog. Larger breeds are typically neutered later than smaller ones. Have the conversation at your 6-month check-up.
By 12 months, small breeds are often considered adults. Medium breeds are getting there. Large and giant breeds can take up to 18–24 months to fully mature. Wherever your dog is at their first birthday, they've come an enormous way from the nervous puppy who first came home.
Your puppy's first year goes faster than you think. A daily journal — even just a sentence or two — gives you something to look back on that you'll treasure forever. My Dog Journal 365 makes it simple.
Your first year checklist
- ✓ Vet check within first week
- ✓ First vaccination at 8 weeks
- ✓ Second vaccination at 10–12 weeks
- ✓ Socialise daily during weeks 3–16
- ✓ Begin basic training from week 8
- ✓ Microchip if not already done (legally required in the UK)
- ✓ Set up pet insurance before first claim
- ✓ Discuss neutering timeline with vet at 6 months
- ✓ 12-month health check