The first...

Your new puppy will be feeling overwhelmed.

Your puppy may feel very unsure of what is happening. Remember they have been removed from the only environment and home they have known since birth and then placed in the care of a new family that they still need to get to know. 

There may also possibly be other animals in the home that they will need to adapt to. It is only natural that they are scared and are not comfortable at first. It is very important to take note of these considerations and deal with the process of settling in appropriately. 

It is important that your new puppy be given a lot of affection and reassurance once in the new home and it is important that if there are other animals such as dogs or cats that they be introduced correctly after the process with all the various and new human family members has been completed. 

Introduce the puppy slowly to the other animals and only one at a time by first giving the animals the opportunity to smell the puppy's hindquarters. Thereafter the puppy can be put on the ground and the pets be given the chance to integrate without too much interference unless it is necessary. It is important to note that the puppy and any existing pets should preferably not be left together and unsupervised for at least a week or two.

They may cry a bit, especially during the first night or two as they are accustomed to sleeping with their human and doggy pack at night and will need to be comforted. You may elect to have them sleep in the bed with you or alternatively one can put their basket next to ones bed so that you are able to extend your hand, pat them and reassure them when they cry.

You need to show the puppy where to find sources of water in the house or garden repeatedly until they confidently know where it is. Do not move the water sources around as this can be very confusing and disconcerting for the puppy. It is also a very good idea to feed the puppy at the same place and at the same time every day. Young puppies need to eat three times a day until about 6 months of age.

It is important to note that they may not want to eat or drink initially and as such you need to continually and patiently present them with water and food until they do start eating and drinking. If they have not eaten for a whole day or two it may be time to take them to the vet as this could lead to them being very ill. 

Your puppy may shut down and possibly hide under furniture and very possibly cry a lot. It is important to pick them up in this case and provide them with comfort and physical contact until they relax and stop crying. Young puppies need a lot of sleep so do not be concerned if your young puppy sleeps a fair amount of time. It is also vital that your puppy has a designated sleeping spot whether it is a blanker or a basket. This is a “safe zone” for your puppy where they know they can go and relax or sleep or just be comfortable when things become too overwhelming for them.

Housetraining needs to start right away. Each time a puppy wakes up or goes to drink water or eats some food you need to take them outside into the garden to do their business (Remember their bladders are still very small and they will need relieve themselves quite frequently). Once they are done you need to praise them with encouragement, so that they start to associate this type of behaviour with positive reinforcement. That's not to say there will not be the occasional accident as they are still very small, and it may take them a while to work out where the garden is. 

Also if they do not have direct access to the garden when they need to go do their business, accidents will happen! Take a deep breath and do not blame or chastise the puppy. Patience is key as they will work it out and get it right in time.Your new puppy will start settling in, in terms of their family and routine. 

For the first three days you need to take note of your puppy's bowel movements. It is likely that they will exhibit some diarrhea for the first three days, and this is for a number of reasons. Firstly it is a bit stressful and disconcerting life change for them to be handed over to their new family, and as we humans can attest to, we too are impacted by this malady in times of severe stress. Secondly there are germs and bacteria in their new homes that they have not been exposed to before and therefore it is possible that their tummies may be a little upset. Should this however persist for longer than three days, it may be time to take your puppy to the vet. One should take them to the vet much sooner however should the diarrhea be accompanied by a failure in your puppy to eat or drink as they can become severely hydrated and very sick very quickly. On a final note in this section, should there be any blood in your puppy's stool, do please take them to the nearest veterinary hospital straight away as this can become very dangerous and very quickly. 

After the first three or so days have passed things should be going well with your new little puppy and they will hopefully have started to settle.