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New Puppy Advice

Welcoming your new puppy

We've got everything covered, from vaccinations to prevent potentially serious canine diseases, to neutering, microchipping and specific puppy care advice.

Bringing a new puppy into your home can be an exciting and nerve-wracking time. Our team have years of experience with puppies and can offer you practical advice on how to give your new best friend the best start in life. Read on to find out what should be happening in your puppy’s first few months and the important things you need to remember as a new puppy owner, such as preparing your home and garden for their arrival, getting your puppy’s health checked by a vet and more.

Check out our article on how to socialise your new puppy post-lockdown – includes a link to a ‘FREE Settle your puppy in 24 hours’ tutorial.

The best start for your puppy

Register your Puppy

Register your Puppy

Give your puppy the best start by registering with one of our practices

Your puppy is growing rapidly in its first few months and is eager to explore and make friends. Giving your puppy the best start in life will make all the difference to its development.

It’s important to consider the right nutrition, preventative healthcare, environment, playmates and socialisation. Register your new puppy with us and book them in for their vaccination, and they’ll also receive a top-to-tail vet health check and weigh-in.

Your Puppy’s First Consult includes:

  • Vet health check
  • Weigh-in
  • Healthcare advice
  • Puppy ownership booklet

You will also have access to Nurse appointments to check your puppy’s weight and apply flea & worming treatments (treatments not included).

Enrol your new puppy in our Pet Health Club from just £17.99 per month*

 

Benefits include monthly flea & worm treatments, 6-month health & dental nurse check-ups, annual vaccinations & vet check, plus a range of extra benefits and discounts. Easy monthly payments save you money and give you peace of mind that your new best friend is getting the care and attention they deserve.

Join our Pet Health Club

Your Puppy's First Few Months

  • 0 - 2 weeks

    Puppies are born with their sense of taste and touch immediately present. During this neonatal stage their mother has the most influence over them.

  • 2 - 4 weeks

    This is known as the transitional stage and is when a puppy’s behaviour is still being influenced by its mother and littermates. By now, a puppy’s eyes will open, hearing and smell senses start to develop, and their first baby teeth should start to appear.  Puppies will also wag their tail, stand up, take a few steps and try out the odd bark!

  • 4 - 8 weeks

    At around 4 weeks old, puppies are most influenced by their littermates, they are helping each other to learn how to play, develop social skills, learn the inhibited bite, improve their physical coordination and discover their social boundaries and hierarchy. By week 4 or 5, a puppy’s eyesight will be well-developed.

  • 8 weeks

    Your puppy may be ready to leave its mother at 8 weeks old. Discuss this with your breeder to ensure the time is right for the puppy. Your puppy should be microchipped at 8 weeks, this will mostly likely be done by the breeder who will then change the owner details to yours on the microchip database.

  • 8 - 16 weeks

    This is puppy’s key socialisation period outside of their littermates when they need to meet other puppies and pets, a variety of people, noises, sounds, environments and situations to make sure they grow and develop into well socialised, friendly, confident young dogs.

  • 12 weeks

    Puppies should have had 2 rounds of vaccinations by the time they are 12 weeks old. Whenever you bring your puppy in for a vaccination with one of our vets they will receive a full health check. Apart from trips to the vets, a puppy should be kept indoors until it has received its full course of vaccinations to ensure optimum protection.

  • 3 - 6 months

    During this period your puppy will be learning who’s boss and where they rank within the household ‘pack’ (dominance and submission), against people and other pets. A puppy’s playgroup may have extended to other species and this becomes highly influential in their life. This is also when teething and chewing begins, so be prepared with some size-appropriate chewable toys.

  • 6 months

    It’s time to think about neutering your puppy. Talk to a member of our team about the many benefits of neutering.

Important things to remember...

Collecting your Puppy

When you pick up your new puppy and bring it home, we recommend you register them with a veterinary practice and book a full health check to ensure they are growing and developing correctly.

Pet Insurance

It’s a very good idea to insure your pet to help you cover any vet fees if they become ill or injured. Pet insurance will help ensure that if your puppy becomes ill or injured then you can afford the best treatment available not the best treatment you can afford at the time.*

Preparation is key

Make sure you have a suitable bed, food and water bowl, puppy food, puppy training pads, a collar, tag and lead. Puppy-proof your home by moving any harmful plants, substances and objects out of their reach, including any objects you don’t wish your new puppy to chew! Cover any holes or gaps your puppy could squeeze into such as behind cupboards and appliances, and consider getting a stair gate if you do not wish your puppy to venture into certain rooms or upstairs – this is for the protection of your puppy and your home.

Going outside

Your puppy should not be allowed outside (apart from trips to the vets) until a week after their final puppy vaccine to ensure they have adequate immunity. Before any trips outside it is vital to make sure your garden is safe for your puppy – cover any ponds, fill in any holes, remove any hazardous substances.

Dog collars and tags

Having a dog collar and tag with your name and contact details on is a legal requirement. You should never put your dog’s name on the collar as a this makes it easier for thieves to take them.

Microchipping

Microchipping is also a legal requirement in dogs and could make all the difference in reuniting you with your pet should they go missing. Microchipping should be taken care of by the breeder, who will then change the name in the microchip database to yours. We can microchip your puppy in minutes if this has not been done.

Flea & worming treatments

If the breeder has not given your puppy its first set of flea and worming treatments, book into your vets straight away. We recommend Advocate, which protects against Roundworm, Whipworm, Hookworm, Lungworm, Heartworm, Ear Mites, Lice, Sarcoptic and Demodectic Mange, some of which can be fatal. Drontal or Droncit will protect your dog against tapeworm and is a tablet that needs to be given every six months, from six months of age. We recommend our gold standard products to best protect your puppy.

Vaccinations

Vaccinations can be done from as early as 6 weeks and may be arranged by the breeder, otherwise, you can bring them to us and receive a full health check with a vet. Our vaccinations protect your puppy against canine distemper, canine parvovirus, infectious canine hepatitis, leptospirosis and kennel cough. Once your puppy has received an initial vaccination course they will then only require yearly boosters. It’s important that your puppy does not come into contact with other dogs outside of its home before their first course of vaccinations has been started.

Socialisation

During your puppy’s first few months, they should be getting used to different people, pets in the home, pets and animals outside of the home, sounds and experiences to help socialise them. We recommend introducing new experiences gradually so as not to overwhelm them.

Another socialisation experience you may want to consider is swimming, as it can help to build confidence and is a great idea if you live near water or plan to take your puppy to the seaside, as it doesn’t always come naturally. Find out more about our puppy swim sessions at our Pet Fitness & Rehab Centre.

Request our FREE Puppy Booklet

Send us a message and we’ll send you our FREE puppy advice booklet, featuring a list of essential things your new puppy needs such as the best type of bedding, nutrition and more.

Request a Puppy Booklet