Supports preparing a safe home and quiet rest area, finding a vet before arrival, familiar food and routines, and positive learning. Checklist dates are planning reminders.
Getting started
New Puppy Checklist
Prepare for homecoming with a dated new puppy checklist that fits your home, then tick, save, share or print your progress.
Puppy homecoming
Enter your puppy's homecoming date and details about your home.
PUPPY CHECKLIST
Ready when you areNew puppy checklist
Ready when you are.
Enter the homecoming date and choose your answers, then create your dated checklist.
For general information only, not professional advice. Check the official sources below. Use your own judgement and speak to a qualified professional before you act.
Based on official guidance
Calculated on your device
A starting point, not advice
HOW TO USE IT
Start with your details
Choose the homecoming date
Enter the day your puppy comes home. The checklist works with future or past dates and keeps the dates you choose.
Tell us about your home
Choose yes or no for outdoor space and children at home. Create the checklist to see the matching tasks and three dated sections.
Tick tasks as you finish them
Choose Before day one, First day or First week from the tabs. Before day one is selected first; one checklist is shown at a time. Tick a task only when you have completed it.
Keep and share your progress
Choose Save on this device after changing ticks. Each save creates a separate copy; open or delete it in Saved. Share includes the answers and ticks. Print includes every section, even those closed on screen.
HOW IT WORKS
What shapes your result
The checklist reads its preparation tasks from one dedicated data file. Your outdoor-space and children answers add or remove the relevant tasks; completed tasks that no longer apply are dropped.
Before day one = homecoming date minus one calendar day. First day = homecoming date. First week = homecoming date plus seven calendar days. Every task in a section shares that section's date. These are planning deadlines, not appointment bookings or prescribed care dates.
These dates are planning reminders. Arrange the first health check promptly within the first week; do not wait for the booking deadline.
Calendar dates are calculated on your device without time-of-day conversions. Changing country keeps your answers and progress on the matching country URL; the preparation tasks and sources remain the same. Date formatting follows the selected country.
Ticks are saved with the checklist when you choose Save on this device. After reload, create the checklist to see the saved ticks; opening a saved copy or valid shared link shows it immediately. Changing an input clears its link reference and shows an Inputs changed notice. The previous checklist stays visible until you choose Create again. Changing a tick keeps the result and clears the old link reference, so a later share uses your current progress.
Read about our methodologyFAQ
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask most.
What do I need before bringing a puppy home?
Prepare a safe home, quiet rest area, familiar food, water bowls, walking equipment and identification. Find a vet and ask the breeder or shelter about previous care. The checklist adds tasks for your outdoor space and children.
When should the first vet visit be?
Arrange the first health check promptly within the first week, as Humane World advises. The checklist's booking reminder is a planning deadline, not a reason to delay the visit or wait if you have concerns.
How can you puppy-proof your home?
Move harmful or easily chewed items out of reach, keep unsafe rooms inaccessible and provide a safe resting area. If you have outdoor space, check fences, gates and hazards before use.
What should I ask the breeder or shelter?
Ask about the puppy's familiar food, routine, previous health care and available records. Keep this information for the first health check and use it to make the move calmer.
Does the checklist change for children or no outdoor space?
Yes. No outdoor space adds the close-to-door toilet-spot task; outdoor space adds outdoor safety and a chosen toilet area. Children add house rules and supervised introductions. A responsible adult should directly supervise interactions with children.
Are ticks saved automatically, and what does a share link include?
Choose Save on this device to keep your current ticks as a separate copy. Open or delete copies in Saved, or use Delete saved data to remove saved copies. A shared link includes the homecoming date, answers and ticks in its URL fragment. Anyone with the link can read them. It is not sent to the host. Print includes all three sections; there is no calendar download for this tool.
Sources and checked dates
Each note explains what its source supports. Open the link to read the guidance yourself.
Supports a chosen toilet area, regular opportunities and rewards. The close-to-door placement is the checklist specification's practical suggestion, not a prescribed distance.
Supports a safe living space, comfortable bedding, fresh water, suitable food, identification, gentle play and reward-based training. No numerical exercise or feeding targets are taken from it.
Supports discussing safe interactions before arrival, calm introductions and direct adult supervision. Children should respect the puppy's space and quiet rest.
Supports checking that an outdoor area is secure and protected from weather. Country-specific registration requirements and adult feeding advice are not used in this checklist.
The former Humane Society of the United States supports supplies, quiet arrival, household routines and a health check within a week. The booking reminder does not mean waiting until its deadline.
