New Puppy Checklist: Everything to Have Before Day One

Most new puppy checklists are shopping lists. Food, bowls, crate, bed, toys, leash, done.

 

The trouble is in the details they skip. Popular lists disagree on how big the crate should be. Some tell you to buy "AAFCO-approved" food, which isn't a thing. Others recommend raised bowls with no evidence, or say your puppy should stay away from public places until every vaccine is done, which the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior argues against.

 

This checklist gives every item its reason and a source, and calls out the places where the popular lists and the veterinary guidance part ways. It covers what to buy, what to book, and what to puppy-proof before your puppy comes home. If you're adopting an adult dog this October instead, there's a section for you near the end.

 

 

The new puppy checklist

 

Here's the whole list in one place. The sections below explain each line and where it comes from. We make some of these items, and we've marked them. We don't sell crates, food, bowls, toys or leashes, so those are generic.

 

Sources: VCA Animal Hospitals; AAFCO; American Kennel Club; Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine; ASPCA, checked October 2026.

 

Buy before day one

 

☐  Puppy food labelled "growth" or "all life stages"

 

☐  Washable food and water bowls, at floor level

 

☐  A crate sized to the puppy now, or an adult-size crate with a divider

 

☐  A washable bed and blankets

 

☐  Baby gates or an exercise pen

 

☐  A collar you can fit two fingers under, with an ID tag showing your phone number

 

☐  A non-retractable leash, and a harness if you like

 

☐  A car crate, carrier or seat-belt harness

 

☐  Poop bags and a dispenser (we make these)

 

☐  Training pads for overnight, an apartment or lining the crate (we make these)

 

☐  An enzymatic cleaner for accidents

 

☐  Pet wipes for paws and coat between baths (we make these)

 

☐  A treat pouch and small training treats (we make the pouch)

 

☐  A dog toothbrush and dog toothpaste, never human toothpaste

 

☐  A brush, nail trimmer and dog shampoo

 

☐  Chews that pass the thumbnail test

 

Book or do before day one

 

☐  A vet appointment for the day you pick your puppy up

 

☐  Ask the breeder or shelter for vaccine and deworming records and the microchip number

 

☐  Puppy-proof: medicines and supplements in closed cabinets, gum, toothpaste and nut butters out of reach, a lidded trash can, cleaners and rodent bait put away

 

☐  Save ASPCA Animal Poison Control, (888) 426-4435, and your nearest emergency vet

 

☐  Find a puppy class that checks vaccines

 

In the first 16 weeks

 

☐  Register the microchip in your name and check the phone number on it

 

☐  Keep up with vaccine boosters and deworming on your vet's schedule

 

☐  Socialise: people, surfaces, sounds and carried outings, but no dog park yet

 

What do you need before your puppy comes home?

 

VCA Animal Hospitals' own new puppy checklist runs to more than 20 items, and most lists cover the same core: food, bowls, a crate, a bed, a collar, a leash, toys and cleanup supplies (VCA Animal Hospitals, New Puppy Checklist, 2026). The items are rarely the problem. The details are, so here are the ones worth getting right.

Collar and leash

 

VCA's rule for fit is simple: "you should be able to fit just two fingers under the collar." It also says to "avoid retractable leashes." A plain leash gives you more control while your puppy is learning.

 

In the car

 

VCA's checklist is clear that "your puppy shouldn't be allowed to roam freely in a moving vehicle." A crate, carrier or harness that clips to a seat belt does the job.

 

Teeth

 

The best way to prevent tartar build-up, according to VCA's veterinary dentists, is "daily tooth brushing using a toothpaste that is specifically formulated for dogs and is designed to be swallowed" (VCA Animal Hospitals, Dental Disease in Dogs). Human toothpaste is out, for a reason covered in the puppy-proofing section.

 

Training

 

VCA lists a treat pouch with a one-line reason: "This will make taking treats on training adventures and walks much easier." Reward-based training has the evidence behind it. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior puts it this way: "Positive and consistent training is associated with fewer behavioral problems and greater obedience than methods that involve punishment and/or encourage human dominance" (AVSAB, Position Statement on Puppy Socialization).

 

How big should a puppy's crate be?

 

VCA and the American Kennel Club seem to disagree on crate size, and a popular pet-sitting site gets it half right. VCA's checklist says the crate "should be large enough for your puppy to stand, lie down and turn around," and warns: "don't use a crate that matches your puppy's intended full size at this time." Too much space, it explains, and "they turn half of their crate into a bathroom."

 

The AKC agrees on the problem and offers a cheaper fix: "Consider purchasing a crate appropriate for your puppy's adult size with a divider so it can "grow" with your dog" (AKC, How to Crate Train Your Dog, updated 2026).

 

 

For the first night, Banfield Pet Hospital suggests keeping the crate close by: "Keeping your puppy in a crate near where you sleep means you can keep an eye on them in case they need to go potty or need attention" (Banfield Pet Hospital, New puppy checklist). Night trips are normal for months, as our puppy potty schedule by age explains.

 

How do you read a puppy food label?

 

"AAFCO does not regulate, test, approve or certify pet food," says the Association of American Feed Control Officials itself (AAFCO, Understanding Pet Food, 2025). So "AAFCO-approved", a phrase that turns up even on vet-network checklists, doesn't mean anything. What you're looking for is the nutritional adequacy statement on the bag.

 

That statement names a life stage. For a puppy, you want "growth" or "all life stages" (AAFCO, Reading Labels). If your puppy will be big, read one step further. Tufts' veterinary nutritionists explain that since 2016, AAFCO guidelines "require pet foods that are categorized for 'growth' to specify if they have met additional guidelines just for large- and giant-breed puppies (i.e., dogs expected to be more than 70 lbs at their mature adult weight)" (Tufts Cummings School, Petfoodology, 2017). The same note adds that some would argue 50 lbs is a more conservative cut-off.

 

What about raised bowls? Some retailer and breed-club lists recommend them for neck comfort, with no source. The one large prospective study we found points the other way for big dogs. In a 2000 JAVMA cohort of large and giant breeds, "having a raised feeding bowl" was among the factors "significantly associated with an increased risk" of bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus) (Glickman et al., JAVMA, 2000). It's an observational study of big breeds only. Even so, there's no evidence a puppy needs a raised bowl, and a plain floor bowl is fine.

 

Which chews are safe for a teething puppy?

 

Cornell's Riney Canine Health Center passes on the rule veterinary dentists use: "Most veterinary dentists go by the "thumbnail test" for chewing items. They suggest that you should be able to make a dent in the item with your fingernail" (Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Risks from a fractured tooth). If you can't dent it, it's hard enough to break a tooth.

 

The same page is blunt about the hard stuff: "Avoid antlers, hooves and bones, which may break a tooth, or splinter and cause stomach problems." The ASPCA adds that dogs "might sustain injury or obstruction to the gastrointestinal tract when ingesting bones, which could be serious and require surgery" (ASPCA, People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets).

 

Rawhide sits in the middle. Cornell says "some rawhides are safe for dogs," but "they always require supervision." The AKC's concern is that strong chewers can break off large chunks that become a choking or blockage risk (AKC, Are Rawhide Chews Dangerous for Dogs?, 2025). Hard nylon chews that some lists recommend won't pass the thumbnail test either.

 

What cleanup supplies does a new puppy need?

 

The Companion Animal Parasite Council, a veterinary parasitology guideline body, puts it plainly: "Pick up feces immediately when walking a dog in a public area and from the yard on a daily basis" (CAPC, General Guidelines for Dogs and Cats, 2025). Its roundworm guidance explains why: "A single adult T. canis can produce as many as 85,000 eggs per day," and "common disinfectants are not effective at killing them" (CAPC, Ascarid, 2025). That makes poop bags a health item as much as a courtesy.

 

What to have on hand:

 

• Poop bags and a dispenser, for every walk and a daily yard pick-up. Our 1080-count Dog Poop Bags come in 60 rolls of 9 by 13 inch bags.
• An enzymatic cleaner for indoor accidents. VCA explains that "the odor of urine or feces is a cue to use the location again in the future," so an ordinary spray that leaves a scent behind can undo your training (VCA Animal Hospitals, House Training for Puppies and Dogs).
• Training pads, if you need them. VCA's checklist suggests them for the crate: "You may want potty pads to line your pup's crate for easier accident clean-up." Our Training Pads come 50 to a pack with six layers. Pads do have a trade-off when it's time to move outdoors, which our post on when to stop using puppy pads covers honestly, and how many pads you'll need does the math.
• Wipes and a paw cleaner, for muddy paws and quick tidy-ups between baths. Our Biobased Pet Wipes are unscented, hypoallergenic and 8 by 8 inches, and our paw cleaner uses soft silicone bristles. See how to clean dog paws after a walk.
• A treat pouch for the walk itself. Ours has a built-in bag dispenser and comes with three rolls.

 

If you'd rather buy the basics in one go, our Starter Kit pairs 1,080 poop bags with 100 wipes.

 

How do you puppy-proof your home?

 

In 2025, ASPCA Animal Poison Control received calls about more than 376,000 items that pets were exposed to. Over-the-counter medicines and supplements topped the list at 16.9% of exposures, followed by food and drink at 16.4% and human prescription medicines in third (ASPCA, The Top 10 Toxins of 2025, 2026). Chocolate came fourth at 13.6%. Houseplants, the thing most puppy-proofing guides start with, came sixth at 7.5%, followed by rodenticides (6.5%), household products (6.4%), insecticides (3.8%) and recreational drugs (1.9%).

 

Source: ASPCA, The Top 10 Toxins of 2025 (March 2026). All pets, not dogs only.

 

The ASPCA says grapes, raisins, xylitol gums, onions and garlic make up the largest part of the food and drink group. Xylitol needs its own line. The US Food and Drug Administration warns that in dogs it "may result in a rapid and profound decrease in the level of blood sugar (hypoglycemia), an effect that can occur within 10 to 60 minutes of eating the xylitol" (FDA, Paws Off Xylitol; It's Dangerous for Dogs, 2025). The FDA's list of places it turns up includes toothpaste, chewable vitamins and "some peanut and nut butters." That's why VCA's checklist says "Don't use human toothpaste for your puppy!"

 

Veterinary products came fifth, at 9.1%. The ASPCA points to flavoured chewables, such as calming chews and joint-care products, and its advice is short: "It's best to keep these locked away."

 

Puppy-proofing, then, is mostly about cabinets and trash cans:

 

• Medicines, supplements and vet chewables behind closed doors, not on a low shelf or in a bag on the floor.
• Gum, mints, toothpaste and nut butters out of reach.
• A trash can with a lid, especially in the kitchen.
• Cleaners, insecticides and rodent bait stored high or locked away.
• Cords and small objects off the floor in the rooms your puppy can reach.

 

 

Our guide to getting your home ready has a room-by-room walkthrough.

 

When should a new puppy see the vet?

 

VCA's veterinarians recommend booking the vet for the day you collect your puppy. Most reputable breeders and adoption organisations "will allow a probationary period (often 72 hours) before the agreement is finalized," and VCA's advice follows from that: "It is a good idea to schedule a veterinary appointment the same day you pick up your pup to promptly identify any problems" (VCA Animal Hospitals, Choosing the Right Puppy from a Litter). Other clinics suggest within three to five days or within the first week. Same day is the safest.

Take the records you were given: vaccines, deworming dates and the microchip number. Your vet will build the schedule from there.

 

Sources: AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines; Companion Animal Parasite Council; AVSAB; VCA Animal Hospitals, checked October 2026. Your vet sets your puppy's schedule.

 

Vaccines

 

The American Animal Hospital Association's canine vaccination guidelines start the puppy series at 6 to 8 weeks and repeat it every 2 to 4 weeks until the puppy is older than 16 weeks, with 18 to 20 weeks preferred where parvovirus risk is high (AAHA, 2022 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines, updated 2024). AAHA's 2024 update also added leptospirosis to its core vaccines for all dogs. Other guidelines, including WSAVA's, treat it as region-dependent, so ask your vet what applies where you live. On rabies, VCA notes: "The rabies vaccine is often given at 12 to 16 weeks of age." Local law sets the rest (VCA Animal Hospitals, Puppy: Recommendations for New Owners, Part I). Our rabies vaccine schedule covers it in more detail.

 

Deworming and stool checks

 

CAPC recommends deworming early and often: "Administer anthelmintic treatment to puppies and kittens starting at 2 weeks of age and repeating every 2 weeks until regular broad-spectrum parasite control begins." It also advises: "Conduct fecal examinations at least four times during the first year of life." Bring a fresh stool sample to the first visit if your vet asks for one.

 

Spay and neuter

 

Spay and neuter timing is a separate conversation with your vet. Our guide to when to spay or neuter sets out the options.

 

Do you need a microchip if your puppy wears an ID tag?

 

Yes. A 2012 national survey of US households found that 14% of dogs had been lost in the previous five years and 93% were recovered, with 14% of those found through an ID tag (Weiss, Slater and Lord, Animals, 2012). A tag gets a neighbour to call you. A microchip gets a shelter to call you, but only if it's registered.

 

Registration is where it breaks down. In a study of 7,704 microchipped animals entering 53 US shelters, the shelters found owners for 74.1% of microchipped stray dogs. Where an owner couldn't be found, the most common reason was an "incorrect or disconnected telephone number," and of the chips shelters looked up in a registry, only 58.1% were registered in the database (Lord et al., JAVMA, 2009).

 

So the checklist item has two parts: get the chip, then register it in your name and keep the phone number on it current. The American Veterinary Medical Association also recommends a collar with current ID even for chipped pets, notes that a microchip isn't a GPS tracker, and advises adopters to get the chip number from the shelter so they can register it themselves (AVMA, Microchipping: FAQs for pet owners).

 

Can your puppy go outside or to class before all its shots?

 

This is where veterinary sources really do disagree. Some clinic checklists say full public exposure should wait until the core vaccine series is complete. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior says the opposite: "The primary and most important time for puppy socialization is the first three months of life," and AVSAB "believes that it should be the standard of care for puppies to receive such socialization before they are fully vaccinated" (AVSAB, Position Statement on Puppy Socialization).

 

AVSAB's conditions are specific. Puppies "can start puppy socialization classes as early as 7-8 weeks of age," and "should receive a minimum of one set of vaccines at least 7 days prior to the first class and a first deworming." It draws one firm line: "Visits to dog parks or other areas that are not sanitized and/or are highly trafficked by dogs of unknown vaccination or disease status should be avoided."

 

The evidence backs the class part. A UC Davis study followed puppies across four US cities: "In total, 279 puppies attended socialization classes and none were suspected of or diagnosed with CPV infection," and vaccinated puppies in classes "were at no greater risk" of parvovirus than vaccinated puppies that stayed home (Stepita, Bain and Kass, Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 2013). A separate owner survey linked puppy classes with dogs staying in their first homes (Duxbury et al., JAVMA, 2003).

 

 

Adopting an adult dog this October? What changes on the list

 

October is Adopt-A-Dog Month®, which American Humane Society launched in 1981. If the dog coming home is an adult, most of this list still applies, with a few changes:

 

• Size the crate for the dog you have. There's no growing to plan for.
• Ask the shelter for everything. That means vaccine records, any medical notes and the microchip number. The AVMA notes that many shelters chip adopted animals, so register the chip in your name.
• Still book the vet early. A check in the first week is a good idea even for a fully vaccinated adult.
• Expect some accidents. Many adult rescue dogs need a refresher in house training. Our two-week reset for adult and rescue dogs covers it, and the 3-3-3 rule for rescue dogs sets out what the first weeks and months tend to look like.

 

For the adoption process itself, see what to expect when adopting a dog from a shelter. If you're still deciding, how much it costs to adopt a dog lays out fees and the first-year budget.

 

Is pet insurance worth setting up in week one?

 

The North American Pet Health Insurance Association put the average accident and illness premium for a US dog at $836 in 2025, and $190 for accident-only cover. Only 5.99% of US dogs are insured (NAPHIA, 2026 State of the Industry Report Highlights, 2026). Those are averages for all dogs, not puppies.

 

If you're going to insure, the first weeks are the time to look, before anything shows up on your puppy's record. Read each policy's waiting periods and its rules on pre-existing conditions before you buy. Our post on what dog insurance claims show looks at what owners actually claim for.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What do I need for a new puppy?

 

The essentials are food labelled "growth" or "all life stages", a crate sized to the puppy, a collar with an ID tag, a non-retractable leash, poop bags, an enzymatic cleaner, chews that pass the thumbnail test, and a vet visit booked for pickup day. In 2025, medicines and supplements were 16.9% of pet poison calls, so cabinet space matters too.

 

 

When should I take my new puppy to the vet?

 

Ideally on the day you bring your puppy home. VCA's vets point out that sellers and shelters often allow only a 72-hour window to return a puppy with a health problem. The vaccine series starts at 6 to 8 weeks and repeats every 2 to 4 weeks until your puppy is older than 16 weeks.

 

 

Can my puppy go outside before all its shots?

 

Yes, with care. AVSAB says socialisation before full vaccination should be the standard of care, and classes can start at 7 to 8 weeks once a puppy has had one set of vaccines at least 7 days earlier. In one study, none of 279 vaccinated puppies in classes caught parvovirus. Avoid dog parks until the series is finished.

 

 

How big should a puppy crate be?

 

Big enough for your puppy to stand, turn around and lie down, and no bigger. VCA warns that extra space lets a puppy "turn half of their crate into a bathroom." If you'd rather buy once, the AKC suggests an adult-size crate with a divider that you move as your puppy grows.

 

 

Where should a puppy sleep the first night?

 

In a crate near where you sleep, so you'll hear when your puppy needs to go out. Banfield recommends this, and night trips are normal for months. In one owner survey of 248 dogs adopted as puppies, sleeping on or near the owner's bed was among the factors linked with dogs staying in their homes.

 

 

The short version

 

Buy the basics, but get the details right: a crate sized to the puppy or fitted with a divider, food labelled "growth" or "all life stages", a collar you can slide two fingers under, and chews you can dent with a thumbnail. Poop bags and an enzymatic cleaner aren't extras. One deals with roundworm eggs on the sidewalk and the other stops accidents repeating in the same spot.

 

Book the vet for pickup day and ask for the records and the microchip number. Register the chip in your name. Put medicines, supplements and anything with xylitol behind a cabinet door, and save the poison-control number. Then get your puppy out into the world, carefully, before the vaccines are finished. That's the part the old advice got backwards.

 

If you'd like the cleanup side sorted in one order, our Starter Kit covers bags and wipes, and a treat pouch keeps rewards and bags on your belt for every walk.

 

Sources: VCA Animal Hospitals, the American Animal Hospital Association, AVSAB, the Companion Animal Parasite Council, the ASPCA, the US Food and Drug Administration, AAFCO, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University's Riney Canine Health Center, the AVMA, the American Kennel Club, Banfield Pet Hospital, NAPHIA, American Humane Society and the peer-reviewed veterinary literature. Specific pages consulted are listed below.

 

This guide is general information, not veterinary diagnosis. If your puppy is unwell, call your vet.