Getting your first dog can make it feel as though you need to buy an entire pet shop before collection day. You don’t.
There are some things you really should have organised before your dog arrives, others you’ll probably need quite soon, and plenty that are better bought once you know your dog. This checklist separates the three.
How to use the checklist
ACTION NOW
Arrange or buy this before your dog arrives, or very soon afterwards.
USEFUL SOON
Likely to be needed, but not necessarily worth rushing into before you know more about your dog.
WAIT AND SEE
Depends heavily on the individual dog, your home or your routine. Buying it too early may waste money.
Quick first-dog checklist
| Item | Before arrival? | Likely cost | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vet registration | Yes | — | Below |
| Insurance decision | Yes | Varies | Insurance guide |
| Food | Yes | Recurring | Below |
| Bowls | Yes | Low | Below |
| Bed or rest area | Yes | Low to medium | Bed guide |
| Collar and identification | Yes | Low | Below |
| Harness | Depends | Low to medium | Collar vs Harness |
| Crate or pen | Depends | Medium | Puppy Pen vs Crate |
| Toys | A few | Low to medium | Below |
| Puppy camera | Usually wait | Medium | Camera guide |
Before your dog arrives
Register with a vet
ACTION NOW
- ☐ Find and register with a local vet
- ☐ Check normal opening hours
- ☐ Find out how out-of-hours care is provided
- ☐ Save emergency veterinary contact details
Know who you will call if your new dog needs veterinary help. This is pure preparation, not a shopping decision.
Make an insurance decision
ACTION NOW
- ☐ Decide whether and how you will insure your dog
- ☐ Check when cover begins
- ☐ Understand the excess
- ☐ Check veterinary-fee limits and exclusions
- ☐ Understand how pre-existing conditions are treated
Treat insurance as a financial-risk decision rather than an automatic purchase. Ask how much unexpected veterinary treatment you could comfortably pay yourself, then compare cover in that context.
Identification and paperwork
Microchip details
ACTION NOW
- ☐ Check that your dog is microchipped
- ☐ Get the microchip number and database details
- ☐ Understand how keeper details will be transferred or updated
- ☐ Keep the information somewhere safe
First Dog is UK-wide, and legal details can differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Check current official guidance for the part of the UK where you live.
Check the current microchipping and keeper-detail requirements.
Check the current microchipping and database requirements.
Check the current microchipping and keeper-detail requirements.
Check current microchipping requirements and remember the separate dog-licensing system.
Collar and identification
ACTION BEFORE PUBLIC WALKS
- ☐ Collar
- ☐ Identification tag
- ☐ Check the identification requirements where you live
Essential home equipment
Food and water
ACTION NOW
- ☐ Food bowl
- ☐ Water bowl
- ☐ Find out exactly what food your dog is currently eating
- ☐ Have enough food available for the first few days
Choose bowls that are appropriately sized, stable and easy to clean. There is no default need for expensive specialist technology.
Somewhere to sleep
ACTION NOW
- ☐ Create a safe, comfortable sleeping or resting area
- ☐ Choose an appropriate initial bed, mat or washable bedding
The first bed does not have to be an expensive permanent bed. A growing or chewing puppy may make a simpler first purchase more sensible.
Safe puppy area
ACTION NOW
- ☐ Decide which rooms your puppy can access
- ☐ Remove or secure obvious hazards
- ☐ Decide whether you need a crate, pen, baby gate or another safe-area solution
You need a safe management plan. A crate or pen may be part of it depending on your home and how you intend to use it; neither should be treated as mandatory for every puppy.
Walking equipment
Lead, collar and harness
ACTION BEFORE WALKS
- ☐ Collar
- ☐ Suitable lead
- ☐ Decide whether you need a harness now
- ☐ Do not buy several harness sizes in advance
Start with the decision, then the buying criteria. A harness is useful for many dogs, but fit and purpose matter and puppies grow quickly.
Toys and chewing
ACTION SOME NOW
- ☐ A small selection of appropriate toys
- ☐ Something appropriate for chewing
- ☐ Something suitable for interactive play
Do not buy fifteen toys before learning what your puppy actually enjoys. Start with a few different types.
Training preparation
ACTION NOW
- ☐ Suitable small training treats or rewards
- ☐ Decide how you will approach basic training
- ☐ Identify reputable puppy training support if required
Training advice should remain welfare-oriented. You do not need an elaborate equipment collection before you have established what support you and your puppy actually need.
Cleaning and grooming
Basic cleaning supplies
ACTION NOW
- ☐ Supplies for toilet-training accidents
- ☐ Waste bags
- ☐ Old towels
- ☐ A puppy-safe household cleaning plan
Products such as puppy pads are situational rather than universally required.
Grooming
USEFUL SOON
- ☐ Find out what coat care your individual dog requires
- ☐ Buy an appropriate basic brush or comb if needed
- ☐ Use dog-safe grooming products only when necessary
Specialist grooming purchases depend heavily on coat type and the individual dog.
Health and preventative care
ACTION NOW
- ☐ Obtain existing veterinary and health records
- ☐ Keep vaccination information
- ☐ Check flea and worm treatment history
- ☐ Ask your vet what needs doing next
First Dog does not prescribe vaccination schedules, parasite-treatment doses or medication. Where individual medical judgement is involved, check with your vet.
Travel
ACTION BEFORE COLLECTION
- ☐ Plan how your dog will travel home safely
- ☐ Decide how your dog will be secured in the vehicle
- ☐ Bring suitable bedding or towels
- ☐ Have water available where appropriate
Choose a transport setup for your vehicle, your dog and how you expect to travel rather than turning collection day into a generic travel-equipment shopping list.
Things you probably don’t need to buy yet
Expensive permanent dog bed
WAIT AND SEE
Wait until you know more about adult size, sleeping preferences and chewing behaviour.
Several collars and harnesses
WAIT AND SEE
Puppies grow. One appropriately fitting setup is more useful than a collection they may quickly outgrow.
Huge toy collection
WAIT AND SEE
Learn what your dog enjoys first.
Specialist grooming products
WAIT AND SEE
Buy for the actual coat rather than a generic puppy list.
Puppy camera
WAIT AND SEE
Useful for some households and unnecessary for others. Ask what problem you are trying to solve first.
Automatic feeder
WAIT AND SEE
Not a default puppy essential.
Lots of treats
WAIT AND SEE
Find out what agrees with your puppy and what motivates them.
Premium accessories
WAIT AND SEE
Function first. Expensive is not automatically more suitable.
Being prepared doesn’t mean buying everything in advance.
Your first 48 hours
- ☐ Give your puppy time to explore without overwhelming them
- ☐ Show them their water and resting area
- ☐ Start a simple toilet routine
- ☐ Keep the first few days relatively calm
- ☐ Begin establishing predictable routines
- ☐ Check paperwork and microchip-transfer details
- ☐ Contact your vet if anything about their health concerns you
What should you budget for?
Your first year can include initial equipment, food, insurance, routine veterinary care, training, grooming, replacement equipment, travel or boarding, dog walking or daycare in some households, and unexpected veterinary costs.
The printable First Dog Checklist
The web checklist is intended to be genuinely useful on its own. The printable version is for convenience: checkboxes organised by timing, notes for your vet and emergency details, microchip information, insurance notes, current food, collection-day reminders, first-48-hours tasks, budget columns and your own notes.
Getting your first dog?
Get the printable First Dog Checklist so you can keep track of what you’ve sorted, what you still need and what can wait.
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How we built this checklist
First Dog separates legal and administrative requirements, health and welfare guidance, practical essentials, and optional purchases. Where authoritative guidance exists, it should be checked and cited. Where something is editorial judgement, that distinction should be clear.
Where something depends on your individual dog’s health, a general website cannot replace advice from your vet.