You’ve waited months or even years to finally bring your puppy home, and now they’re here. They’re so tiny, that you’re afraid to squeeze them too hard.
I remember being dazed by the number of dogs at the breeder’s when we arrived in South Carolina to pick up Charlotte. There were parents and pups everywhere, and it was a chaotic but warm place. Puppies were tumbling over each other and chasing closely behind Mom and Dad. I was so excited to leave with Charlotte but also felt incredibly guilty taking her away from the only place she had known and her parents and siblings. The breeder assured me that she was ready, and, more importantly, Mom was ready to have some peace!
So we loaded her into the back of the car with the best of intentions to make the drive back to Wisconsin with her riding in her crash-tested car carrier. Not ten miles down the road, it became evident that Charlotte would have none of that. And so began the power struggle with a tiny creature who had already stolen my heart.
My sister and I took turns driving while the other let Charlotte alternately snooze in a lap or test her climbing skills trying to get into my purse! The mountains proved challenging for her puppy belly, and there were messes to clean up. Fortunately, I was prepared with puppy pads, fresh water and lots of wipes.
Charlotte’s first night away from home was in a hotel in Kentucky, and I was expecting a rough, sleepless night, but the drive had done her in, and she was all too content to curl up in the corner of the exercise pen I had brought for the occasion and fall instantly and soundly asleep. She was exhausted!
It’s likely that your pup will also be overwhelmed and exhausted by their “gotcha day”. Let the settle into a quiet space and sleep. They need a lot more sleep than most people realize, and it will take them about three days to begin to acclimate to a new space once you get them home. Keep their world small at first with their own safe kennel and exercise pen. Introduce them to other people and parts of the house slowly. A grand welcome home party is not what they want. Let them settle in at their own pace, and enjoy the newness and discovery phase as their world expands.