First Week With a Puppy

The First 7 Days With Your Puppy: What to Do (and What to Avoid)

The first week with your puppy sets the foundation for everything that follows.

Get it right—and training becomes easier.
Get it wrong—and problems can develop quickly.

🗓️ Day 1–3: Settling In

Focus on:

• Creating a calm environment

• Building trust

• Establishing a toilet routine

Avoid overwhelming your puppy with visitors.

🗓️ Day 3–5: Start Gentle Structure

Introduce:

• Consistent feeding times

• Short training sessions (1–2 minutes)

• Crate or safe space training

🗓️ Day 5–7: Build Good Habits

Start:

• Name recognition

• Recall foundations

• Calm behaviour rewards

❌ Biggest Mistakes New Owners Make

• Doing too much too soon

• Not prioritising sleep

• Accidentally rewarding unwanted behaviours

🐶 Want to Get It Right From the Start?

Our puppy classes at College 4 Canines help you:

• Avoid common mistakes

• Build calm, confident behaviour

• Train your puppy the right way from day one

🎯 Are you based in Northumberland?

👉 Online tips are Online tips are a great start, but hands-on feedback stops puppy frustrations much faster. Join our Perfect Puppy Classes at Acklington Village Hall.

https://college4canines.co.uk/puppy-classes-northumberland

Author

Written by Denise Devereux Bsc (Hon) Canine Behaviour, FdSc Applied Canine Behaviour & Training. Denise is an accredited force-free behaviourist currently completing her MSc in Clinical Animal Behaviour at the University of Edinburgh.

https://college4canines.co.uk/about-us

©️College 4 Canines