# New Puppy Checklist: The First Week

Gepubliceerd op 31 oktober 2026. Bijgewerkt op 31 oktober 2026. Door Kallos Labs LLC. Canonieke URL: https://pawcrew.app/nl/guides/new-pets/new-puppy-checklist-first-week

> For the first week, keep things calm and repeatable: a quiet space, frequent toilet trips, set meals, plenty of naps, a steady bedtime, and a list of questions for your vet.

A new puppy needs a first week that is calm and easy to repeat. Give them a quiet space of their own, frequent toilet trips, set meals, lots of naps and a steady bedtime, and write down what you do so everyone at home does the same. This new puppy checklist walks through each piece. You'll find more in our [new pet guides](https://pawcrew.app/nl/guides/new-pets).

Nothing here replaces your vet. Where a question is about health, food amounts or vaccines, the checklist tells you what to ask and what to write down, not what the answer is.

## What should I do in the first hour and first day?

The first day is mostly about letting the puppy learn where things are and feel safe with you. Plan to spend plenty of time together.

Start with the toilet spot, then show the puppy the bed and bowls. [PDSA](https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/first-day-and-night-with-puppy) suggests taking the puppy to its toilet area first, especially after a long journey, and praising it when it goes in the right place.

Then go slowly. Introduce the home room by room rather than giving full access on day one, and use baby gates to close off rooms and stairs. PDSA also suggests avoiding visitors for a few days so the puppy can settle.

Before the puppy arrives, run through this list:

- Pick a quiet bed area that is the puppy's own space, with food and water nearby.
- Introduce a crate gradually if you plan to use one.
- Put hazards out of reach: cleaning products, cables and anything else a puppy could chew.
- Agree house rules, such as which furniture and rooms are off limits, so everyone follows the same ones.
- Ask the breeder or rehoming centre about feeding times, food type and amounts, and write the answers down.

## What does a first-week routine look like?

A simple, repeating rhythm of toilet, meal, play and nap. The [AKC](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/setting-schedules-and-developing-a-routine-for-your-new-puppy/) says the sooner you set a schedule, the sooner your puppy adjusts to the family and you adjust to them.

Here's what to put on the list, with what the sources say about each:

| Part of the day | What to do | What to write down |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Toilet trips | Go out at least every 2 to 4 hours and after each change of activity ([AKC](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/setting-schedules-and-developing-a-routine-for-your-new-puppy/)). Praise them when they go in the right place. | Time, and whether it worked |
| Meals | Puppies generally eat 3 times a day ([AKC](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/setting-schedules-and-developing-a-routine-for-your-new-puppy/)). Leave food down for no longer than 15 minutes, then take the bowl up. Follow what the breeder or your vet told you for food and amounts. | Time and who fed them |
| Naps | Young puppies sleep a great deal. Plan quiet naps and ask children not to disturb a sleeping puppy. | Start and end time |
| Play | Keep sessions short, because puppies tire quickly (PDSA). | Roughly when |
| Crate or pen | Gives a safe place when you cannot supervise (AKC). | Time in and out |

Write the times down for the whole household. When two people each think the other fed the puppy, the log settles it. It also gives you a clear picture to share with your vet later, instead of trying to remember how the week went.

## How do I handle the first nights?

Keep bedtime the same every night, and stay close. PDSA suggests sleeping in the same room for the first few nights, and says comforting a puppy that cries is fine and helps it build confidence.

A few things help:

- Take the puppy to the toilet right before settling it for the night (AKC).
- Keep the evening calm and the sleeping spot the same each night.
- Ask the breeder for a blanket that smells of the puppy's mother and place it in the bed.
- Expect night toilet breaks for the first few weeks (PDSA).

A set bedtime also makes house training easier for everyone, according to the [AKC](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/setting-schedules-and-developing-a-routine-for-your-new-puppy/). The exact hour matters less than keeping it consistent.

## When can my puppy go for walks?

Your vet decides, based on the vaccination schedule. [PDSA](https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/first-day-and-night-with-puppy) says to avoid walks until about 1 to 2 weeks after the full primary vaccination course, and to keep the puppy away from places unvaccinated dogs have visited and from water sources.

That doesn't mean no learning in the meantime. The [RSPCA](https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/health/puppycare) says the weeks after coming home shape a puppy's future behaviour, and suggests getting them used to the car, handling, grooming, and having their ears and eyes checked. It also suggests carrying the puppy outside to meet people. Puppy classes can get booked up, so look for one early. For the vaccination dates themselves, see our guide to [keeping track of vaccinations](https://pawcrew.app/nl/guides/preventives/track-pet-vaccinations).

## What should I ask the vet and keep on record?

Find a vet before the puppy comes home, and bring whatever the breeder or rehoming centre gave you. The RSPCA suggests finding a vet and getting pet insurance and puppy classes lined up early.

Keep these in one place:

- Paperwork and any vaccination details from the breeder or rehoming centre.
- The food and feeding times they told you about.
- Your list of questions: vaccination timing, worming, flea treatment and neutering are the ones the RSPCA mentions.
- Anything you noticed that you want the vet to look at. Write it down as you saw it, with the date, and let the vet judge it.

Our guide to [what to bring to the first vet visit](https://pawcrew.app/nl/guides/vet-visits/first-vet-visit-checklist) goes through the full list.

## Keep track of it

The first week works best when the whole household sees the same log. Paw Crew, coming soon to iPhone, keeps a Day Ledger of toilet trips, meals and naps with a quick log, and reminders that mark done when someone has done a task. With [household sharing](https://pawcrew.app/nl/household-sharing), everyone in the home sees what has already been done, so nobody feeds the puppy twice. The Observations log keeps your notes for the vet, and the vet-ready report puts them in one place. Paw Crew logs and reminds. It doesn't give care advice.

## Bottom line

Keep the space quiet, the routine repeatable, the house rules shared and the records in one place. Let your vet decide anything about health, food amounts and vaccines, and use the first week to learn your puppy's rhythm.

## Vragen

### How often should a new puppy go outside?

The AKC suggests at least every two to four hours and after each change of activity, such as after meals, naps and play. Your vet can tell you what suits your puppy.

### Should I sleep near my new puppy the first night?

PDSA suggests sleeping in the same room for the first few nights while the puppy settles, and expecting night toilet breaks for the first few weeks.

### How much do puppies sleep?

A lot. The AKC says young puppies may sleep as much as 16 to 18 hours a day, and PDSA says up to 18 to 20. Plan quiet naps and ask visitors and children to let a sleeping puppy rest.

### When can a new puppy go for walks?

PDSA says to avoid walks until about 1 to 2 weeks after the full primary vaccination course. Ask your vet about the schedule for your puppy.


## Bronnen

- [PDSA: Your first day (and night) with a new puppy](https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/first-day-and-night-with-puppy)
- [AKC: Setting Schedules and Developing a Routine for Your New Puppy](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/setting-schedules-and-developing-a-routine-for-your-new-puppy/)
- [RSPCA: Caring for your puppy, 6 weeks to 12 months](https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/health/puppycare)

Paw Crew geeft geen diergeneeskundig advies. Raadpleeg altijd je dierenarts.