Puppy Planning Checklist
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Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public and make it simple for people to get dogs from good sources and for reputable breeders, shelters and rescues to put their dogs in good homes.
Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public and make it simple for people to get dogs from good sources and for reputable breeders, shelters and rescues to put their dogs in good homes.
Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public and make it simple for people to get dogs from good sources and for reputable breeders, shelters and rescues to put their dogs in good homes.
Preparing for your puppy’s arrival:
❑ Gather the gear and supplies you will need for your puppy.
❑ Pick a name for your puppy. We offer some suggestions here.
❑ Select a veterinarian and make an appointment. We recommend seeing a vet within 72 hours of bringing your pup home.
❑ Choose a groomer for your puppy. Good groomers book out far in advance so get on the schedule soon. However, we recommend waiting to take your pup to the groomer until after it has had all of its vaccines, however, you can start getting your pup used to being brushed and having nail trimmings.
❑ Have a family meeting! It’s important everyone is on the same page about how the puppy will fit into your home. We created a Family Meeting form to help.
❑ Set up your house for your new pup’s arrival.
- Puppy-proof your home and yard.
❑ Prepare for traveling home with your puppy.
- If you are flying, read Flying Home With Your Pup
- If you are driving home, read Driving Home With Your Pup
❑ Get ready to train your puppy
- Enrolling in a Puppy Kindergarten Training Class or a puppy class ideally with supervised, off-leash play
- Review Your Puppy’s First Day and Your Puppy's First Week lessons
- Go through the Teaching Your Puppy a Marker Cue and Teaching Your Pup Its Name classes
- Play the Tennis Ball Game a few times to prepare yourself
- Download and read the Puppy Potty Training Solution ebook
- Watch Savvy Socialization
- Watch the Taglines class
- Explore our Puppy College Resources
❑ Schedule and prepare for picking up your puppy.
- Set a date and time to pick up.
- Find out what food your pup eats now and ask about details on deworming, heartworm meds, flea/tick meds, and microchipping.
❑ Take with you to pick-up:
- A small towel or soft toy, like a Snuggle Puppy
- Delicious treats
- Stuffed kong or chews
- Travel water container
- Payment method
- Any other questions you may have
❑ During pick-up, try to ask questions without your puppy present to avoid distraction. Once you see your puppy it will be hard for you to focus on what your breeder or shelter folks are telling you but it is worth the effort. They will be giving you important information about your puppy.
- Find out what your puppy has been eating and get some of it, if possible.
- Ask for the schedule of when your pup was dewormed (intestinal and/or heartworm), given flea and tick preventative, and if it’s been microchipped so you can schedule your vet appointment(s).
- Expect to sign a purchase contract and provide any final payments due for the puppy. Those may include final purchase payment, registration fees, and microchip fees.
- If your pup will be registered, be prepared to complete the registration papers then. Most breeders will have already registered the litter to themselves and this transaction transfers ownership of the puppy to you, the new owner. You may need to have your puppy’s registered name on the paperwork so be prepared ahead of time.
- Don’t forget to take some pictures while you are there–of your pup and its mom, littermates, breeder, foster parents, or caregivers.
