What should I buy before bringing a puppy home?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
Before your puppy comes home, set up a quiet corner with a bed, water and chew toys, buy the food it eats now, and get two steel bowls, a soft collar or harness, a lead and an ID tag. Add a pen or baby gate, cleaning supplies, and book a vet visit for the first week.
Just as important is what you remove: wires, shoes, cleaning products, medicines and toxic foods within reach, and any balcony gap a puppy could slip through. Buy less than you think; a routine matters more than gadgets.
What do I need to buy for a new puppy?
The essentials. Everything else can wait until you know your puppy.
- The food the puppy eats now, enough for the first weeks. The RSPCA advises keeping the same diet at first and changing gradually over three to five days if you need to. RSPCA
- A bed for a quiet place of its own, with water, food and toys, where it can rest undisturbed. RSPCA NSW
- Things to chew, lick, sniff and tear: stuffed rubber toys, snuffle mats, cardboard boxes and toilet rolls help a puppy relax. RSPCA NSW
- A gentle collar or harness and a lead. RSPCA NSW says prong collars, check chains and bark collars should not be used. RSPCA NSW
- An ID tag with your phone number, and a vet appointment to talk about a microchip, which a scanner reads but which is not a GPS tracker. PDSA
- A crate or a puppy pen big enough for the puppy to stand up and turn around in, or a baby gate across a bathroom or utility area. Humane World for Animals
- Cleaning supplies for accidents: the RSPCA suggests a warm solution of biological washing powder, then a rinse with water. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- A folder for the vaccination card, deworming dates and purchase or adoption papers. AWBI advises owners to keep the vaccination record to hand. Animal Welfare Board of India
- Treats for training, small and soft. Rewards are how a puppy learns what you want. RSPCA NSW
Do I need a crate, a pen or a gated room?
Any of them works if it is a safe, pleasant place, never a punishment.
Den
Crate
Crate training uses a dog's instinct to seek a quiet, safe place and helps house training. Puppies under 6 months should not stay in a crate for more than three or four hours at a time. Humane World for Animals
Room to move
Puppy pen
More room to move, with a bed at one end. AVSAB says scheduled naps in safe places such as crates or puppy pens teach puppies to settle on their own. American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
Simple
Gated bathroom or utility area
Humane World suggests a section of a bathroom or laundry room blocked with baby gates when you cannot supervise. Humane World for Animals
How do I puppy-proof an Indian flat?
Get down to puppy height and look around.
Do
- Lift wires, chargers, shoes and slippers off the floor, and give chew toys instead: puppies chew to relieve teething discomfort. ASPCA
- Close balcony doors, and check gaps in grills and railings a small puppy could squeeze through.
- Store floor cleaners, phenyl and toilet cleaners in a closed cupboard, and rinse bowls and toys after disinfecting them. ASPCA
- Plan a cool room for summer power cuts, with water in steady bowls that cannot tip over. Animal Welfare Board of India
Don’t
- Leave chocolate, grapes and raisins, onions and garlic, or anything sweetened with xylitol where a puppy can reach. ASPCA lists them among foods to keep away from pets. ASPCA Animal Poison Control
- Leave medicines on a bedside table or in a handbag on the floor. Merck Veterinary Manual
- Use the crate or pen as punishment. Humane World for Animals
What should I do before the puppy arrives?
Two weeks before
Read your society's bylaws and rental agreement, and check whether your city needs a pet dog licence. Find a vet nearby and a 24-hour vet for emergencies. Animal Welfare Board of India
One week before
Ask the breeder or rescue what the puppy eats, how much and how often, and when it was last dewormed and vaccinated. RSPCA
A few days before
Set up the quiet corner, the pen or crate and the toilet spot. Agree house rules as a family: who feeds, who walks, where the puppy sleeps. RSPCA NSW
The day it comes home
Take it straight to its toilet spot, then let it explore one room. Keep visitors away for the first days. RSPCA (England and Wales)
Within the first week
The first vet visit, with every paper. Your vet sets the vaccine and deworming plan and checks for ticks. Merck Veterinary Manual
What can I skip buying?
You may have read
A puppy needs calcium syrup or supplements.
Myth
What the sources say
On a food labelled complete and balanced for growth, a puppy should not need extra calcium. Ask your vet before giving any supplement. VCA Animal Hospitals
You may have read
Puppy pads are a must in a flat.
Myth
What the sources say
They help if you must leave a puppy alone, but Humane World notes that indoor toileting can make outdoor house training take longer. Humane World for Animals
You may have read
A choke chain will stop pulling.
Myth
What the sources say
RSPCA NSW says check chains and prong collars should not be used. A harness and reward-based lead training work better. RSPCA NSW
You may have read
Milk is good for a new puppy.
Myth
What the sources say
ASPCA notes pets lack enough lactase to digest milk well, so dairy can cause diarrhoea. Water and the puppy's usual food are enough. ASPCA Animal Poison Control
Going away soon? Tell us your dates.
A checked local sitter feeds, walks and keeps your pet company at home, follows your care sheet to the letter and sends a photo every day. Petym is opening city by city: send your dates and we will tell you when a sitter can take them.
- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
Questions owners ask
What food should I buy for a new puppy?
- Start with exactly what the breeder or rescue was feeding, so the puppy's stomach is not upset by a move and a new diet at once. The RSPCA advises changing food gradually over three to five days if you need to. Choose a food labelled complete and balanced for growth, and ask your vet.
Do I need a crate for a puppy?
- No, but a safe den helps. A crate, a puppy pen or a gated corner all work if the puppy can stand and turn around and the space is never used as punishment. Humane World advises that puppies under 6 months should not be crated for more than three or four hours at a time.
Should I buy a collar or a harness for a puppy?
- A soft, well-fitting harness or flat collar both work, with an ID tag. RSPCA NSW says prong collars, check chains and bark collars should not be used. For flat-faced breeds, a harness avoids pressure on the neck and airway.
What should I clean puppy accidents with?
- The RSPCA suggests a warm solution of biological washing powder, then rinsing with water, to remove the smell so the puppy is not drawn back. Avoid strong-smelling products, and never punish the puppy for an accident.
When should a new puppy see a vet?
- Within the first week, with every paper from the breeder or rescue. Merck notes that puppies are vaccinated every 2 to 3 weeks until about four months, and vets check stools for worms until two tests in a row are clear. Your vet sets the dates.
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Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- RSPCA: Getting ready for your RSPCA rescue dog (pre-adoption booklet, 2023) (opens in a new tab)
- RSPCA NSW: Happy Healthy Puppies (2026) (opens in a new tab)
- PDSA: Microchipping your pet (opens in a new tab)
- Humane World for Animals: Crate training 101 (opens in a new tab)
- RSPCA (England and Wales): How to toilet train your puppy or dog (opens in a new tab)
- Animal Welfare Board of India: Circular and guidelines for pet owners (1 June 2020) (opens in a new tab)
Show all 16 sourcesShow fewer
- American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior: Position statement on puppy socialization (opens in a new tab)
- Humane World for Animals: How to potty train a puppy: essential housebreaking tips (opens in a new tab)
- ASPCA: Destructive chewing (opens in a new tab)
- ASPCA: Pet poisons: be mindful of these household products and cleaning agents (4 June 2020) (opens in a new tab)
- Animal Welfare Board of India: Request to ensure care and protection of animals from direct heat during extreme hot weather (4 May 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control: People foods to avoid feeding your pets (opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Overview of household hazard toxicoses in animals (full review March 2025, updated February 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Animal Welfare Board of India: Guidelines on pet and street dogs, their care-givers, and residents' welfare and apartment owners' associations (26 February 2015) (opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Puppy care (opens in a new tab)
- VCA Animal Hospitals: Supplements for puppies and kittens (updated 20 March 2025) (opens in a new tab)