New Puppy Checklist: What You Need Before Bringing Your Puppy Home

Bringing a puppy home is exciting, but having the right equipment ready beforehand makes those first few days much easier. You don't need to buy everything marketed for puppies — a relatively small number of well-chosen essentials will cover most of what you need.

After years of raising and training puppies in our own homes, these are the things we recommend having ready before your puppy arrives.

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A Safe Place to Sleep

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Your puppy needs a safe, comfortable place where they can sleep and settle without being disturbed. We recommend using a crate from the beginning, both for overnight sleeping and for helping your puppy learn to settle independently.

Crate: Choose a crate large enough for your puppy to stand up, turn around and lie comfortably. For larger breeds, a full-size crate with a divider can be adjusted as your puppy grows.

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Bedding: Keep bedding simple and washable. We often use blankets with young puppies rather than expensive padded beds, particularly while they're still learning where to toilet.

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Food & Water

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Your puppy should initially stay on the same food they have been eating before coming home. Sudden changes in diet can cause an upset stomach, so if you do want to change their food, introduce the new food gradually.

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Puppy food: Choose a complete, nutritionally balanced puppy food appropriate for your puppy's age and expected adult size. Your breeder or Puppy Steps should tell you exactly what your puppy is currently eating and how much to feed.

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Food and water bowls: Simple, sturdy bowls that are easy to clean are all you need. Stainless steel or ceramic bowls are generally easier to keep clean than plastic.

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Grooming & Coat Care

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Getting your puppy used to being handled and groomed from an early age is more important than buying lots of grooming products. Regular, short grooming sessions help make brushing, bathing, nail care and future visits to a groomer much easier.

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Brush or comb: Choose one suitable for your puppy's coat type. Breeds with longer, curly or fleece coats will need considerably more regular brushing than short-coated breeds.

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Puppy shampoo: You don't need to bathe your puppy frequently. When they do need a bath, use a mild shampoo designed for dogs rather than human shampoo.

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Toys & Chews

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Puppies need opportunities to play, chew and explore. A small selection of suitable toys is far more useful than buying a large toy box before you know what your puppy actually enjoys.

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Toys: Have a mixture of toys for interactive play and independent play. Different textures and shapes help keep things interesting, and rotating toys can help maintain your puppy's interest.

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Chews: Chewing is completely normal, particularly while puppies are teething. Providing suitable chews gives them an appropriate outlet and can help prevent furniture, shoes and other household items becoming the alternative.

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Always choose toys and chews appropriate for your puppy's size and supervise them, particularly with anything that could break apart or be swallowed.

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Collar, Lead & ID Tag

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Getting your puppy comfortable wearing a collar and walking on a lead can begin before they're ready for walks outside. Short, positive sessions at home help make both feel completely normal by the time they're able to explore properly.

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Collar: Choose a lightweight, adjustable collar that fits comfortably and can be adjusted as your puppy grows. Check the fit regularly — puppies grow surprisingly quickly.

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Lead: A simple, lightweight fixed-length lead is ideal for starting out. You don't need anything complicated while your puppy is learning the basics.

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ID tag: Once your puppy is out in public, their collar should carry an identification tag containing the legally required details. We'll cover exactly what needs to be on the tag further down the page.

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Cleaning & Toilet Training

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Accidents are a normal part of bringing a young puppy home, even if they've already made a good start with toilet training. Having the right cleaning products ready makes dealing with them much easier.

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Enzyme cleaner: Use a pet-safe enzymatic cleaner for indoor accidents. These break down the odour rather than simply masking it, reducing the likelihood of your puppy returning to the same spot.

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Poo bags: Keep plenty at home and with your walking equipment so they're always available when you need them.

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Puppy pads: We generally prefer teaching puppies to toilet outside rather than relying on puppy pads, as pads can introduce an extra step that later needs to be removed. They can still be useful in particular circumstances, but they aren't something every puppy owner needs.

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Products We Recommend

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These are products we use or recommend when raising and training puppies. Some links on this page are affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through them, at no additional cost to you.