From Frost’s Frenchies

Your Puppy Handbook

Getting Started

Training & Behavior

Health & Wellness

Supplies

Growing Up

The First 72 Hours Home

Key Takeaway

The first three days home are about helping your puppy feel safe, not perfect. Keep life calm and follow a consistent routine. Some transition stress is completely normal. Help your puppy adjust by feeding the same food on the same schedule they’re used to, then make any changes gradually, only if needed. A consistent routine supports healthy growth, promotes good digestion, and makes potty training more predictable.

Checklist

Schedule your first veterinary visit if you haven’t already.
Keep the first week quiet and limit visitors.
Feed the same food on the same schedule used at Frost’s Frenchies.
Provide fresh water at all times.
Feed meals at consistent times each day.
Transition to a new food gradually over 7–10 days if changing diets. (If you must change food, be sure to feed a high-quality puppy food for the first year of life.)
Monitor your puppy’s appetite, weight, and stool quality.
Take your puppy outside after waking, eating, playing, and before bed.
Continue short, positive crate sessions at times other than bedtime.

tip

If your puppy seems either quieter or more hyper than you expected, don’t panic. Many puppies spend the first couple of days simply observing. Others express stress through nervous energy. Confidence usually grows and temperaments settle as they learn your home’s routine.

A puppy that eats a little less during the first day or two is often adjusting to a new home.

what’s normal?

The following are common during the first few days home:

Sleeping 18–20 hours each day.
Eating a little less during the first meal or two.
Whining at bedtime or when left alone briefly.
Following you from room to room.
Potty accidents while learning a new routine.
Mildly soft stool for a day or two after the move, then firm, well-formed stools after the initial adjustment period.
Drinking water often throughout the day.
Steady weekly weight gain.

call your veterinarian if…

Your puppy refuses food for more than 24 hours.
Repeated vomiting occurs.
Diarrhea that’s severe, bloody, or lasts longer than a day.
Your puppy has difficulty breathing.
Your puppy becomes extremely lethargic, collapses, or you feel something simply isn’t right.
Your puppy appears dehydrated, weak, or unusually lethargic.
You notice ongoing weight loss or your puppy stops gaining weight.