Our First Week With Our New Puppy

Our new puppy arrived this week, and we have spent the last several days helping her settle into her new home. Those first days are always about adjustment for the puppy and for us, and finding a rhythm that feels calm and manageable.

Her breeder had her sleeping through the night already, which gave us a great starting point. The biggest thing we have been working on is helping her feel content in a brand-new environment, especially in the crate. Even puppies who did well with a crate at their breeder can find the transition challenging.

She was not fully crate trained for life in a busy household yet, so our focus has been on helping her learn to settle independently. Calm is the goal, but we also want her to build confidence on her own. We do let her cry a little in her crate at times. It is never for long, and she is always safe and comfortable. It is just part of helping her learn to self-soothe in a new space. Over time, these short moments help her settle more easily on her own.

We have found a few strategies really help with crate training in a new home. Short crate sessions during the day as well as at night help her understand that the crate is a safe place, not just a bedtime routine. Keeping a predictable schedule with potty, play, eat, and then rest has made settling much easier. Adding familiar bedding or a soft item that smells like home can help her feel secure. Sleeping near her at first, especially at night, also reassures her while she adjusts. These steps give her confidence and help make the crate a positive part of her daily life.

We also had to switch her food right away. She was eating a fish-based protein, but because my daughter has a severe fish allergy, fish is not something we can have in our home at all, even for the dogs. Normally I prefer slow food transitions, but safety had to come first. We transitioned her to a raw diet, slowly but as efficiently as possible, and the switch was surprisingly smooth. She tolerated it very well with no digestive issues. Our long-term plan is to feed a half kibble, half raw diet, but starting with raw made the initial change easy on her system.

Nights have been going well overall. She was already sleeping through the night with her breeder, and we are now helping her adjust to sleeping in a crate in her new environment.

The first week with a new puppy is not about perfection. It is about consistency, patience, and helping them feel safe and confident in their new home. Every puppy adjusts differently, and we are taking things one step at a time. Stay tuned as next week we start emphasis on training and puppy classes …