Puppy care: your first-year guide
A puppy's first year sets up a lifetime of health and behaviour. The essentials are a complete puppy diet, a vet-guided vaccination and deworming plan, parasite prevention, and — crucially — early, positive socialization during the first three months, which is as important as any vaccine for a happy adult dog.
- Socialize early and safely: the primary window is the first ~3 months (AVSAB).
- Set up vaccination, deworming and parasite prevention with your vet from the first visit.
- Feed a complete diet made for growth; go easy on rigid quantities — growth and body condition guide it.
- Behaviour problems, not infections, are the leading cause of death in young dogs — socialization matters.
Bringing your puppy home
Set up a safe, puppy-proofed space with a comfortable bed, fresh water, and hazards (wires, small objects, toxic plants and foods) out of reach. Keep the first days calm, establish a routine, and book a first veterinary visit to start a health plan. Puppies sleep a lot — that's normal and important for growth.
Feeding
Feed a complete and balanced diet formulated for growth (puppy food), which supports rapid development. Large- and giant-breed puppies have specific needs, so ask your vet about the right food. Rather than fixating on rigid quantities from the internet, use the product's guide as a starting point and adjust with your vet to keep your puppy at a healthy body condition — you should be able to feel the ribs easily. Fresh water should always be available.
Vaccination, deworming and parasites
Puppies need a primary vaccination series — typically starting around 6–8 weeks and repeating every few weeks until the final dose at 16 weeks or older (see our vaccination planner). They also need deworming from the first weeks of life, repeated on schedule, and then routine parasite prevention for worms, fleas and ticks (see deworming and ticks & fleas). Your vet sets the exact plan — this page doesn't give doses or fixed dates.
Socialization — the critical window
AVSAB describes the first three months as the primary window when puppies most readily adapt to new people, animals, sounds and experiences. Well-run puppy classes can usually begin around 7–8 weeks, after at least one set of vaccines given a week beforehand and a first deworming, provided the puppy is healthy and kept up to date. Positive, gentle exposure now reduces fear and aggression later — and behavioural problems, not infections, are the leading cause of death in dogs under three. Socialize safely, but don't wait until the full vaccine course is finished to start.
Toilet training and routines
House-training works best with routine, supervision and reward: take your puppy out after waking, eating and play, and reward success immediately. Accidents are part of learning — clean them calmly without punishment. Consistent sleep, feeding and toilet routines help everything else fall into place, and gentle handling of paws, ears and mouth from the start makes future grooming and vet visits easier.
Everyday care
Introduce dental care (tooth-brushing) and grooming early and positively. Provide safe chew toys for teething and dental health, age-appropriate exercise (little and often; avoid over-exercising growing joints), and plenty of rest. Keep tracking growth and body condition, and raise any concerns at vet visits.
In warm, humid conditions, start parasite prevention early and keep it year-round with your vet. Rabies is endemic in India, so discuss rabies vaccination timing and local requirements with your vet. Take care with heat — exercise puppies in the cooler parts of the day and always provide shade and water.
Do & don't
Do
- Start a vet-guided vaccination, deworming and parasite plan early.
- Socialize positively and safely during the first three months.
- Feed a complete growth diet and monitor body condition.
- Use routine and reward for toilet training; handle paws, ears and mouth gently.
- Puppy-proof the home and keep toxic foods and objects out of reach.
Don't
- Isolate your puppy until 'fully vaccinated' — safe early socialization matters.
- Follow rigid internet feeding amounts over your vet's advice and your puppy's condition.
- Over-exercise growing joints or force long walks.
- Punish toilet accidents — it slows learning and harms trust.
- Give adult supplements, human food scraps, or medicines without veterinary advice.
When puppy signs need faster attention
Puppies can go downhill quickly — some signs need prompt veterinary care.
- Repeated vomiting or diarrhoea, especially with blood (parvovirus is serious in pups)
- Not eating, weakness, or a very quiet puppy
- A pot belly, poor growth, or visible worms
- Difficulty breathing, collapse, or a suspected toxin
- Any injury, or a puppy that seems in pain
Frequently asked questions
When can my puppy start socializing and going to class?
AVSAB supports starting safe socialization in the first three months — puppy classes can usually begin around 7–8 weeks, after at least one set of vaccines given a week before and a first deworming, if the puppy is healthy. Socialize before the full course is finished, but do it safely.
When do puppies finish their vaccinations?
The primary series typically finishes with a dose at 16 weeks or older. Exact timing and which vaccines are used depend on your puppy and region — see our vaccination planner and your vet.
How much should I feed my puppy?
Use a complete growth diet and the product's feeding guide as a starting point, then adjust with your vet to keep your puppy at a healthy body condition. Avoid rigid amounts copied from the internet, especially for large breeds.
How often should I deworm my puppy?
Puppies are wormed from the first weeks of life and repeated every couple of weeks early on, then moved to routine control. Your vet sets the schedule — see our deworming guide.
Is it safe to take my puppy outside before full vaccination?
With sensible precautions, yes — avoid high-risk areas and unknown dogs, but don't keep your puppy isolated, because missing the socialization window carries its own real risks. Ask your vet about safe local options.
Sources
- SourceAVSAB — Position Statement on Puppy Socialization. avsab.org
- SourceWSAVA — 2024 Guidelines for the Vaccination of Dogs and Cats. wsava.org
- SourceCompanion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) — General Guidelines. capcvet.org
- SourceAAHA — 2019 Canine Life Stage Guidelines. aaha.org