Your New Puppy's First Week: Routine, Commands and Body Language

The first week with a new puppy goes best when you keep life small, quiet and predictable. A steady routine of sleep, meals, toilet trips and short play sessions does more than any amount of training, and the only commands worth starting are the very simple ones: the puppy's name, "sit" and an early "come". Alongside that, you spend the week learning to read the signals a young dog uses to tell you it is relaxed, tired or overwhelmed.

Arrival day: keep the world small

A puppy that has just left its litter has had a big day before it even reaches your door. New smells, a car journey and unfamiliar people are a lot to take in, so the kindest first afternoon is a boring one.

Before the puppy arrives, set up one area where it will spend most of its time: a crate or a pen with a comfortable bed, a water bowl, a couple of chew toys and, nearby, an easy-to-clean spot for accidents. Tuck away cables, shoes and anything small enough to swallow. Puppies explore with their mouths, and the first week is not the time to discover what they can reach.

When you get home:

1. Carry the puppy straight to the spot you want it to use as a toilet and give it a few minutes there.
2. Bring it inside to its own area and let it sniff around at its own pace.
3. Keep visitors away for now. Friends and relatives can meet the puppy next week, once it knows where it lives.
4. Let it sleep whenever it wants to. Young puppies need far more rest than most new owners expect.

If there are children in the house, sit them on the floor and let the puppy approach them, rather than the other way round. Picking the puppy up and passing it around is exciting for people and tiring for the dog.

A simple daily rhythm for the first seven days

Puppies settle faster when the same things happen in roughly the same order every day. The exact times matter less than the pattern. A typical day might look like this:

Time of day	What happens	Why it helps
On waking	Straight outside to the toilet spot	Prevents the most predictable accident of the day
Breakfast	Meal in the crate or pen, then outside again	Links food, rest and toilet in a fixed sequence
Mid-morning	Five minutes of play or a mini training session	Uses energy without overdoing it
Late morning	A long nap in a quiet spot	Rest helps a puppy cope with everything new
Afternoon	Meal, toilet, gentle handling, another nap	Repeats the rhythm so it becomes familiar
Evening	Calm play, last meal, quiet time with the family	Winds the puppy down before bed
Bedtime	One last toilet trip, then lights out	Gives the night its best possible start

Ask the breeder or shelter what the puppy has been eating and keep to the same food for now. A sudden change on top of a new home can upset a young stomach. If you want to switch, do it gradually later, and check with your vet if you are unsure.

Toilet training starts on day one

House training is mostly about timing. Puppies usually need to go after waking up, after eating or drinking, after play and every so often in between. If you take your puppy out at those moments, most successes happen on their own and you simply reward them.

A few habits make it go more smoothly:

• Use the same spot every time. The familiar smell helps the puppy understand what that place is for.
• Stay quiet until it is done. Then praise warmly and offer a small treat straight away, while it is still at the spot.
• Watch for the signs. Sniffing the floor in circles, sudden restlessness or wandering off towards a corner often means "now".
• Treat accidents as information. Clean them up calmly with an enzyme cleaner and take the puppy out sooner next time. Scolding tends to teach a puppy to hide from you when it needs to go, not to wait.

Getting through the first nights

The first few nights are often the hardest part of the week, for both of you. The puppy is used to sleeping in a warm pile of littermates, and now it is alone in a strange room.

Many owners find it helps to put the crate or bed in the bedroom for the first nights, close enough that the puppy can hear and smell you. A soft blanket that smells of its old home, if the breeder can provide one, can also be comforting. You can move the bed to its permanent place gradually once the puppy is settled.

If the puppy wakes and cries in the night, it may genuinely need the toilet. Take it out calmly, with as little talking and light as possible, then straight back to bed. Over the week the gaps between wake-ups usually grow longer as the puppy's bladder control improves.

The first commands to teach a puppy

Training in week one should feel like a game. Keep each session to a few minutes, do it when the puppy is awake but not wild, and stop while it is still keen. Use tiny, soft treats or part of its daily food.

Three cues are a sensible place to start:

• Its name. Say the name once in a cheerful voice and reward the moment the puppy looks at you. Repeat a handful of times a day. Avoid using the name when you are cross, so it always predicts something good.
• Sit. Hold a treat just above the puppy's nose and move it slowly back over its head. Most puppies fold into a sit to keep watching it. Reward the instant its bottom touches the floor, and add the word "sit" once it is doing this reliably.
• Come. Crouch down a short distance away, say "come" in a happy voice and reward generously when the puppy arrives. Only call when you are almost certain it will come, and never call it to something it dislikes, such as having its nails trimmed.

You can also start getting the puppy used to wearing a collar and to being gently handled: touching its paws, looking in its ears and lifting its lips for a second, each followed by a treat. This makes grooming and vet visits much easier later.

Reading early puppy body language

A puppy cannot tell you in words that it has had enough, but its body usually does. Learning these signals in the first week helps you know when to carry on and when to give it a break.

What you see	What it often means	What to do
Loose, wiggly body, soft eyes, relaxed mouth	Comfortable and happy	Carry on with what you are doing
Play bow, front end down and rear end up	An invitation to play	Join in briefly, then calm things down
Yawning, lip licking or turning the head away	Mild stress or uncertainty	Give it space and slow down
Tail tucked, body low, ears pinned back	Fear	Remove what is scaring it and let it retreat
Frantic biting, zooming, ignoring cues	Overtired or overstimulated	End the session and offer a nap
Sniffing the floor and circling	Probably needs the toilet	Go outside straight away

Context always matters. A yawn after a long walk is just tiredness, while a yawn as a stranger leans over the puppy is more likely to be a sign of unease. Watching the whole body, not just the tail, gives you the clearest picture.

It is also worth booking a check-up with your vet during the first days. They can examine the puppy, talk you through vaccinations and parasite treatment, and tell you when it will be safe to meet unfamiliar dogs and walk in public places.

Where Dog Translator fits in

Dog Translator is not a substitute for watching your puppy, but it can make the first week more fun and give your training some structure. Its 64 training classes cover basic commands and tricks, each with a photo and a five-step guide you can mark complete. If you prefer a path to follow, the Three courses split the classes into beginner, amateur and advanced tracks, with your progress saved as you go.

The Bark to words feature is a playful extra: hold the mic while your puppy barks and the app returns a sentence written in your dog's voice. Treat it as a light-hearted interpretation alongside what the puppy's body is telling you, not as a replacement for it. The app is free to download, with advanced features available through an optional Premium subscription.

FAQ

How long does it take a new puppy to settle in?

Every puppy is different. Many start to relax within a few days once they know the routine, but feeling fully at home can take several weeks, so keep things calm and predictable for a while.

Should I let my puppy sleep in my bedroom?

Many owners find the first nights go more smoothly with the puppy's bed close by, because it can hear and smell them. You can move the bed gradually to its long-term spot once the puppy is sleeping well.

When should I start training my puppy?

You can start gentle training on the first day, as long as it feels like a game. Short sessions with its name, "sit" and "come" are plenty in the first week.

Is it normal for a puppy to bite so much?

Yes, mouthing is normal puppy behaviour, and it often gets worse when a puppy is overtired. Redirect it to a chew toy, and if the biting turns frantic, end the play and offer a nap.