You found the perfect puppy! She's coming home tomorrow, but wait! What will you need to make sure she is safe and comfortable?

The very first thing you will need is a sense of humor. A puppy is a baby and they take time and effort. A sense of humor will help you get through the first demanding weeks and enjoy them. The relationship you develop now with your puppy will pay off throughout her life.

If you can, schedule to bring home your puppy at the start of a vacation period, the beginning of a three day weekend or at least at the beginning of a weekend you are not scheduled to work. Holiday times such as Christmas are generally not the best because of the distractions and demands a major holiday tends to place on a family. The idea here is to allow yourself as much time as possible to help the puppy settle in and create a routine for you and your new friend. Be careful not to spend too much time that first weekend holding the puppy. Get the puppy used to her crate and spending short amounts of time alone. This will help ease the shock of being alone when you go back to work, or have to be gone for a while running errands.

Puppies should not be allowed the freedom of the whole house. Housebreaking will be much easier, bonding with the family members will happen quicker, and destructive chewing can be avoided if the puppy is 1) in her crate, 2) in a securely fenced yard, or 3) tied to the waist of a responsible family member. No loose time running around the house unsupervised. Puppies get into trouble or have potty accidents in a split second when we have our backs turned or are on the phone...just taking our eyes off for a second will result in a problem. If you spend the first few months following this routine it will make the rest of puppyhood much easier. Don't forget to look at your yard. Is it fenced? If so, make sure there are no openings that a small puppy can crawl through. A fence that is known to keep an adult dog contained may not be as safe for a puppy. If you don't have a fenced yard, be prepared to walk the puppy using a lead. Remember that she won't know any commands and may be easily distracted chasing a squirrel.

Investing in a crate, large enough for the adult your puppy will grow into (you will section it off to a smaller size for the puppy and adjust it as she grows), is your best bet to make puppy training safe and enjoyable for everyone. By crate training your puppy now, you will ease housebreaking, give your puppy a safe "cave" to sleep and rest in, and create the puppy's home inside your home. The crate should never be used for punishment, it is a good place, a safe place. When putting the puppy in the crate, always give a treat to go in...use a command like "load up", "kennel up", "go to your house", etc., toss the treat in and help the puppy to go inside. It is a good idea to serve the puppy's meals in the crate, that helps to quickly make the crate a good place. Food is not left in the crate, but the meals are served there, and leftover food is removed after about 20 minutes. Until the puppy is past the destructive chewing stage you don't want to put bedding in the crate. You don't want anything in the crate that can be chewed and swallowed.

You will also need some basic puppy supplies such as;

• Chew toys such as made by Kong, sturdy squeaky toys and/or puppy specific Nylabones.
• Puppy food and tip proof food and water dishes. Ask your breeder or vet for advice on appropriate food and feeding schedules.
• Puppy collar and leash

Plan to work out a daily schedule with your puppy. If you start immediately with a regular feeding schedule, you will help make house training more predictable. Set aside time at regular intervals for the puppy to play and rest. When puppies are young, they require time to sleep throughout the day. These periods of sleep usually follow periods of high energy. Make sure your puppy gets plenty of opportunities to burn off all their puppy energy, several times a day. They also require time outside to relieve themselves at night. While house training is a subject of it's own, for the first few weeks, plan to set your alarm to take her out to potty during the night. After these middle of the night potty breaks, the puppy should be put right back into the crate to go back to sleep. Be careful not to let playing get started or the puppy will assume that it is time to get up for the day. Do NOT let the puppy sleep in bed with any human family member! This creates leadership issues that can be difficult to resolve later.