The first year, milestone by milestone

When: Within the first few days of bringing them home, whatever the breeder or shelter already did.

Bring: Any records you were given, a stool sample in a sealed bag, and a list of your questions written down because you will forget them.

What happens: A full physical, weight, a check for parasites, and a plan for vaccines. It is mostly a baseline, which is the point.

Make it a good one: Feed them lightly, bring excellent treats, and ask the staff to give some too. A puppy who thinks the vet is where cheese happens is a gift to everyone for fifteen years.

Core vaccines start around six to eight weeks and repeat every two to four weeks until about sixteen weeks, because maternal antibodies interfere until then. That final one matters most — a puppy who stops at twelve weeks is not fully covered. Rabies is usually given around twelve to sixteen weeks and is set by law rather than by preference. Non-core vaccines depend genuinely on where you live.

Baby teeth arrive around three to six weeks. They start falling out around fourteen to sixteen weeks and most dogs have all forty-two adult teeth by six to seven months. Expect the worst chewing between four and six months. Any baby tooth still present alongside its adult replacement after about seven months should be looked at — retained teeth crowd and trap plaque, and it is a common finding at the neuter appointment.

Roughly six to eighteen months, later in large breeds. Recall falls apart, they rediscover fear of things they were fine with, and the training you thought was finished appears to vanish. It has not. This is the period when most dogs are surrendered, and almost all of them come out the other side.

Neutering recovery is usually ten to fourteen days of restricted activity, and that is not optional — most complications come from a dog who felt better on day four. A recovery suit is more tolerable than a cone and they can still eat. Check the incision twice daily: some swelling is normal; discharge, heat, gaping or a bad smell is not. No baths, no swimming, no off-lead running until cleared. Expect them to feel fine long before they are healed — that is the danger, not a reassurance.

Usually done at the neuter appointment or at any routine visit, and it takes seconds. The chip itself is useless without registration — an enormous number of chipped dogs are never reunited because the number on file is a phone from two moves ago. Register it, and check it annually. Find which registry holds yours free at petmicrochiplookup.org.

Go early, before they need one, and ask for a short introduction visit rather than a full groom. Handling practice at home — paws, ears, tail, clippers running nearby without touching — is what makes the first real appointment survivable. A dog whose first experience of a groomer is a four-hour dematting session learns the wrong thing permanently.

Do a trial night before you need one, not the week you fly. Most facilities require vaccination proof including Bordetella, often two weeks ahead. Leave written instructions and something that smells of home.

Dogs do grieve, and it usually looks like appetite loss, searching, clinginess, or sleeping more. Keep the routine as unchanged as you can, because routine is what they anchor to. Letting a surviving dog see the body is often recommended and the evidence is mixed — it does no harm, and some dogs search less afterwards. Do not rush into a replacement for their sake; that is usually for yours, which is allowed, but worth being honest about.

· American Animal Hospital Association (aaha.org) — free guidelines — canine life stage and vaccination guidelines
· American Veterinary Medical Association (avma.org)
· Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com) — free online
· Cornell Riney Canine Health Center (vet.cornell.edu)

All of this is timing and preparation. The only purchases are a recovery suit and a stool sample bag.