The first week shapes everything. A puppy's earliest days in your home set their sense of safety, their sleep habits, their gut health, and their bond with you. Most new puppy checklists are a panic-buy list of plastic. This one is shorter, calmer, and built around a single idea: they're not a purchase you're equipping — they're family you're welcoming.
1. A real bed, from night one
The crate-plus-old-towel approach teaches a puppy that sleep is something that happens on scraps. A proper bed — supportive base, bolster rim to nest against — becomes the secure territory they return to for life, and protects growing joints from day one. Choose one sized for the adult dog they'll become, with a washable cover (you will need it). Start in our Sanctuary collection.
2. Identification before they ever leave the house
Microchip first — your vet handles it — but a collar with an engraved tag is what a neighbour reads in the first five minutes a puppy slips a gate. A well-made collar in full-grain leather also breaks in with them instead of being replaced every few months. Our Adornment collection covers collar, leash and personalized tags that are made to last years, not seasons.
3. Food and water stations that respect their body
Elevated or well-placed bowls, a consistent feeding spot, and — this matters more than most guides admit — single-ingredient, human-grade treats for training. A puppy's first months are thousands of tiny rewards; what those rewards are made of is a genuine health decision. See The Nourishment.
4. Calm, on purpose
The first nights are loud with crying — theirs and sometimes yours. A calming routine helps: warm blanket that smells of you, consistent bedtime, and gentle wellness support as they adjust. Our Ritual collection is built for exactly this transition.
5. One keepsake you'll thank yourself for
Here's the step every checklist skips: photograph them this week. Puppyhood lasts about twenty minutes. A custom portrait or personalized keepsake of those first days becomes the thing you'd save in a fire, fifteen years from now.
The shortcut
We bundled the essentials — bed, personalized harness, human-grade treats, calming chews — into the New Puppy Starter Set, so day one arrives in one box.
Free AU shipping over $75 · Code FOUNDINGFAMILY: 15% off your first order.