Bringing Your Puppy Home

Bringing home your puppy is an exciting time! A comfortable space, familiar supplies, and a consistent routine can help make the transition easier.

Your puppy has already been introduced to regular grooming, a bedtime schedule, and a familiar feeding and potty setup here at Bayview Shih Tzu. Continuing those routines initially can help them feel secure while they get to know their new family.

Give your puppy time to adjust, plenty of rest, and gentle encouragement along the way.

Prepare a safe puppy area before pickup day so everything is ready when you arrive home.

Your puppy is accustomed to a 4-by-4-foot puppy pen with room to rest, play, and use a designated potty area. Starting with a similar arrangement can help them recognize where to sleep and where to potty.

Have these supplies ready:

• Nature’s Domain Puppy Food from Costco
• Food bowl and pet water bottle
• A secure puppy pen
• An appropriately sized crate or travel carrier
• A comfortable, washable bed
• Potty pads and a secure grate or pad holder
• An enzymatic accident cleaner
• Puppy-safe toys and chews
• A lightweight leash and properly fitted harness
• A brush, metal comb, and grooming supplies
• Waste bags and cleanup supplies

Keep electrical cords, medications, cleaning products, poisonous plants, and small objects out of reach. Block stairs and spaces where a tiny puppy could fall or become trapped.

Visit our Puppy Essentials page to see recommended products, including familiar items our puppies use here.

Bring a secure carrier, a washable towel or blanket, extra potty pads, waste bags, and cleanup supplies. For longer trips, bring water and discuss feeding arrangements with me beforehand.

Before leaving, make sure you have your puppy’s health records and understand their food preparation, feeding schedule, and potty routine. Write down any questions you would like us to go over together.

Transport your puppy in a secured carrier or an appropriately fitted vehicle restraint. Do not allow them to ride loose or on the driver’s lap.

Keep the vehicle comfortable and well ventilated. Shih Tzu are sensitive to heat, and puppies should never be left alone in a parked vehicle.

While vaccinations are still in progress, avoid heavily used dog potty areas at rest stops. For longer journeys, plan a clean travel potty setup and ask your veterinarian about safe stopping options.

Show your puppy their potty spot first, followed by their water, food, bed, and puppy area.

Keep their world small at first. Exploring the entire house immediately can be overwhelming and makes supervision and potty training harder.

Keep the first day quiet, with gentle interaction and plenty of opportunities to sleep. Let your puppy approach at their own pace, and save busy outings and lots of visitors for later.

Some puppies settle in quickly, while others need more reassurance. Allow yours to adjust without rushing them.

Have children sit on the floor and let the puppy come to them. Teach gentle petting and explain that puppies need uninterrupted time to eat and sleep.

Always supervise interactions. Small puppies can be injured by being dropped, squeezed, chased, or allowed to jump from furniture.

Introduce other pets gradually. Keep early meetings brief and calm, use gates or separate spaces when needed, and provide separate meals and resting areas.

Never force an introduction. Give each animal a comfortable place to retreat, and supervise until you are confident they can safely share space.

Your puppy has been eating Nature’s Domain Puppy Food from Costco, softened with homemade chicken bone broth, with some chopped-up Freshpet mixed in. They also often enjoy a little of my homemade dog meatloaf.

You can find a link to my homemade dog meatloaf recipe here on the website.

Follow the individual portions, preparation instructions, and feeding schedule provided at pickup. Their complete and balanced puppy food should remain the foundation of their diet. Keep toppers and homemade additions small unless your veterinarian has confirmed that the full diet is balanced for growth.

Keeping meals familiar at first can help ease the transition. If you change foods later, make the change gradually over about a week, or as your veterinarian recommends.

Homemade broth should be plain, without onions, garlic, added salt, or seasonings, and thoroughly strained to remove all bones. Never feed cooked bones.

Young, small-breed puppies need regular opportunities to eat. Watch that your puppy actually eats, especially during the excitement of moving.

Contact your veterinarian promptly if your puppy refuses food or misses a meal. Very small puppies can develop low blood sugar. Weakness, trembling, wobbliness, collapse, or seizures require urgent veterinary attention.

Your puppy is used to drinking from a pet water bottle. I use water bottles because they help keep the water clean and their faces dry.

Providing a similar bottle initially gives your puppy a familiar way to drink. Keep fresh water available, position the nozzle within comfortable reach, and check daily that water flows properly. Clean the bottle and nozzle regularly.

If you prefer a bowl, offer a shallow, stable bowl alongside the bottle until you see your puppy drinking comfortably from it. Monitor their drinking rather than assuming they have found the water.

Visit our Puppy Essentials page to see recommended water bottles and feeding supplies.

Your puppy is accustomed to a 4-by-4-foot puppy pen with a potty pad in a designated area. I place a wire grate over the pad to keep the puppies from reaching and shredding it.

If you continue this setup, use a grate designed for that purpose. It should be secure and smooth, with openings small enough to prevent tiny paws from slipping through or becoming caught.

Keep the potty area separate from the bed, food, and water. Change pads and clean the grate regularly.

Starting with a familiar setup can help your puppy continue their routine. Gradually introduce more space and freedom as their potty habits become reliable.

Offer frequent potty opportunities, especially:

• After waking up
• After meals and drinking
• After playing
• Before bedtime
• Whenever your puppy begins sniffing, circling, or wandering away

Guide your puppy to the same potty spot and reward immediately after they finish.

Accidents are part of learning. Clean them with an enzymatic cleaner and adjust supervision or timing. Never scold your puppy or rub their nose in an accident.

Even a puppy who has been doing well here may need extra help in a new home. If your goal is outdoor potty training, gradually build a consistent outdoor routine while preventing indoor accidents.

Our puppies are accustomed to lights out at 9 p.m. and lights on at 6 a.m., and they do very well with this schedule here.

Keeping a similar schedule initially can help your puppy adjust. Offer a potty opportunity before bed, keep the evening calm, and settle them into a secure sleeping area.

Place their sleeping space near you at first so they can sense your presence and you can hear when they need help.

They may still need reassurance and overnight potty breaks in their new home. Familiarity with our schedule does not mean every puppy will immediately sleep through the night after moving.

If your puppy cries, calmly check whether they need to potty, are uncomfortable, or need reassurance. Keep nighttime interactions quiet and gentle.

Practice short, comfortable periods in the puppy pen while you are nearby. Provide a safe toy and reward relaxed behavior.

Gradually step away for brief moments and return before your puppy becomes distressed. Build time slowly rather than beginning with a long absence.

If using a crate, introduce it with the door open and reward your puppy for exploring voluntarily. The crate should allow them to stand, turn around, and lie down comfortably.

Never use the pen or crate as punishment. Arrange care and potty breaks around your puppy’s age and individual needs. Remove collars and harnesses during confinement to reduce snagging risks.

Your puppy has been groomed regularly here at Bayview Shih Tzu and is familiar with baths, toenail clippers, scissors, and grooming clippers.

Continue gentle, regular grooming to maintain that familiarity. Keep sessions calm and positive, with praise and rewards. Your puppy may still need time to adjust to a new person, different tools, or a new grooming environment.

Brush and comb regularly, paying attention behind the ears, under the legs, and where a harness rubs. Longer coats generally need daily attention, and shorter haircuts still require maintenance.

Gently clean around the eyes with a soft, damp cloth, using a clean area for each eye. Contact your veterinarian for squinting, redness, cloudiness, or unusual discharge.

Practice gentle paw handling and introduce a dog toothbrush with dog-safe toothpaste. Leave trimming around the eyes and other delicate areas to an experienced groomer.

Visit our Puppy Essentials page for recommended grooming supplies.

Our puppies especially enjoy toys that make crinkly, crunchy sounds, including some cat-style crinkle toys.

Choose sturdy toys suitable for puppies. Avoid loose strings, bells, small attachments, and pieces that could be swallowed. Supervise unfamiliar toys and remove damaged ones.

They also enjoy bully sticks under close supervision. Choose an appropriate size, use a secure holder, and remove the stick before it becomes small enough to swallow. Never leave a bully stick in the pen with an unattended puppy, and offer chews separately from other pets.

You can find recommended toys and chews on our Puppy Essentials page.

Begin with simple skills such as responding to their name, coming when called, sitting, and accepting gentle handling.

Practice for a few minutes at a time. Reward the behavior you want with praise, play, or a small amount of their regular food.

Redirect chewing from hands, clothing, and furniture to suitable toys. If your puppy becomes especially mouthy or restless, they may need a potty break or quiet rest.

Use patience and consistent rules throughout the household. Avoid yelling and physical punishment.

Arrange your puppy’s first veterinary appointment promptly after coming home, following any timing requirements in your purchase agreement.

Bring their vaccination and deworming records, food information, and questions. Your veterinarian can help plan future vaccines, parasite prevention, nutrition, and ongoing care.

Save the numbers for your regular veterinarian and the nearest emergency clinic.

Contact a veterinarian promptly for refusal to eat, repeated vomiting or diarrhea, coughing, unusual tiredness, or signs of pain. Trouble breathing, collapse, seizures, or suspected poisoning require emergency care.

Please keep me informed, but do not wait for my reply before seeking needed veterinary attention.

Introduce new people, sounds, surfaces, and everyday experiences gradually. Pair new experiences with something your puppy enjoys, and let them observe from a comfortable distance.

If your puppy hides, freezes, or tries to leave, give them more space. Never force a greeting or overwhelm them with attention.

Early socialization matters before the vaccination series is complete. Ask your veterinarian about safe puppy classes, suitable outings, and visits with healthy, appropriately vaccinated dogs.

Avoid dog parks, unfamiliar dogs, and heavily used dog areas until your veterinarian advises otherwise. Carrying your puppy or using a clean stroller can help them experience the world without walking on shared ground.

You are welcome to reach out with questions as your puppy settles in. A description, photo, or short video can help me understand what you are seeing.

—Bobbi
Bayview Shih Tzu

Find recommended products for feeding, potty training, grooming, play, and rest—including familiar supplies our puppies use here.

Button: Shop Puppy Essentials

This guide offers general care information. Follow the individual instructions provided for your puppy and your veterinarian’s advice.