1. a bed or place set up for him to sleep.

2. food dish & water dish.

3. food, preferably some the same the breeder has been feeding. This way you will not upset their tummy by giving a completely new food. These would be better added a little later.

4. pick an area where you would prefer him to go to the toilet. Also you could pick a word to say when they do go to the toilet so you can teach them to go on command.

5. think of a name to call him.

6. some toy for him to play with.

7. puppy proof the house and yard, remember puppies love to explore and chew. Items such as electrical cords, batteries, razors, pesticides and cleaning products must be put out of reach. Some plants can be toxic also.

On the day of pick up.

1. Try to pick him up as early as you can, this way he will have the whole day to settle in and get used to his new surroundings before night and bed time.

2. Talk to the breeder again about his food and how many times a day to feed him. Most breeders will provide you with a list of these things anyway.

3. You should also get his immunisation card, which will tell you when he had his needle and when his next is due.

4. Ask if he has been fed, he more than likely has not been as he will be going in the car and it is best that he has not as he may get car sick. Take an extra towel and paper towel in the car with you just in case. Also a little while after he has explored his new home you may want to give him his morning meal.

5. Always remember after you leave the breeders they are always still their for you to talk to & ask questions, even the little questions that you may think are silly ones. Most breeders love to here from you and find out how things are going, don't be surprise if they ring you first.

When you get home.

1. Let him explore his new yard under you watchful eye. He will probably need to go to the toilet so praise him if he does.

2. Introduce him slowly to other pets if you have some. They may need to be separated from each other the first week or so until they are able to except the new family member.

3. Have some rules set out and be sure the whole family knows them and agrees to use them. eg - is the dog allowed inside? Where the dog will eat and sleep?

4. Supervise your children with the the puppy always, this way there can be no accidents.

Other things to organise will be:

1. Make an appointment with the vet, for their next needle and check up.

2. Worm you pup every 2 weeks until the next needle, ask vet about future worming treatments.

3. Heartworm treatment can be given daily or monthly, how much depends on the weight of the dog. Check with your vet.

4. Puppy school is a great way to solcialise your puppy, between the age of 8-16 weeks and it is very important to do this so your puppy learns to interact with other dogs, cats and people.

5. Desexing, decide whether too or not, if you are not planning to breed dogs this could be the best thing to do for you and the dog.

6. Flea control, ask your vet or breeder what they would recommend but you will need to apply some form of treatment.