Splash's First Week! Our First Days With a New Puppy
By the time this blog post goes up, it will have been officially two weeks since McDoggy, officially named Splash, came home! It has been a whirlwind with Splash home, but I am so so happy. Here's a run-down on how the first week went!
To prepare for Splash's homecoming, we packed the car Friday night with all his essentials. We brought a small dog bed, his Snuggle Puppy with batteries already in, his blanket that Coley and I had been sleeping with the week before, and his teeny tiny collar that I would link but it isn't sold anymore.
Saturday
Coley and I drove three hours into rural Indiana to meet the three boy puppies that the litter we had chosen had. We got second pick, so by the time we had arrived one puppy had already been brought to his forever home! When we got inside to meet them, immediately I knew Splash was the one.
His other brother was a little rambunctious (and honestly a little bite-y and bark-y), and instead of following suit, Splash came over quietly and sat on my foot. He proceeded to just sit there the whole time until he fell asleep. It was SO precious, and Coley and I knew he was our puppy. Even though we had an hour to play with both of them to choose, we were out of there in 20 minutes!
I was very worried about the car ride home after hearing about how so many puppies sometimes go to the bathroom or throw up, but Splash was literally an angel. He slept the whole time and cuddled with his Snuggle Puppy. We did stop twice to see if he needed to go to the bathroom, but he's so tiny and the grass was so tall compared to him, I couldn't tell. We were also super careful about where we were putting him to go to the bathroom, so instead of busy gas stations with grass, we went to fast food restaurants far from the interstate for him to go.
By the time we got home, he was so sleepy and just wanted to go to bed. We fed him dinner and set up his crate next to our bed. By the time 9 pm came around, we all went to sleep. Everything was going great ... until 3 am.
Sunday
By the time 3 am rolled around, Splash was SCREAMING like a monkey. It was probably just him being anxious, but seriously, oh my god he was so loud. I checked to see if he needed to go to the bathroom, but no, he just wanted to be with someone. He would tire himself out from whining and screaming, fall asleep, and then it all happened again at 5 am.
By the time it was 5 am, he was up and ready to start the day. Definitely the worst sleep of my life, and Coley woke up looking like a zombie. Sunday was filled with an all-around sleepy crowd and some attempts to walk him. My sister Simone and I took him to a breakfast spot in the South Loop for him to get a little socialized, and he was a STAR. It's no surprise that having a small puppy makes everyone want to pet and look at him.
Every time we took him out, I brought my nifty mini sling backpack from Vera Bradley that I now use literally every day. In the beginning, I only kept some training treats (he really likes these), my phone, and my wallet in there, but now it has SO much more. I’ll post a full what’s in my bag on Tiktok/Reels soon!
By this time, we were still getting into a routine of when to go walking and when to eat. I also used the Puppy Potty Log app which was SUPER helpful the first week when his schedule was still up in the air. He slept/screamed basically the same as he did on Saturday night, but at least we were prepared for what was to come.
Monday
On Monday, Coley was back to work so Splash and I started our schedule. We're doing three feedings a day, one at 8 am, one at 1 pm, and one at 6 pm. After each feeding, I usually take him out for a small walk or some play time. Then he usually passes out until the next meal.
It was honestly SO nice to have Simone nearby during this hectic time because they would walk him when I was too tired. And it was definitely key to get his energy out during the day so he could adequately sleep at night. We also started to realize that a key thing was to make sure that Splash didn't take any naps after 8 pm. He was always SO tired, but we needed him to sleep through the night. So keep your puppies up during this time!
I was also asking some of my friends what I could do to make him more comfortable at night so he wouldn't get as anxious, and someone suggested having a whole kennel for him at night. Previously, we were having him go in his crate and close the door, but he HATED that. So instead, we left a potty pad out in the open kennel area and left his crate door half open. He ended up up sleeping a lot better and did not scream as much that night!
Tuesday
Tuesday was a repeat of Monday. I honestly am so happy that I didn't have to work during this week because it was so important to get on a consistent schedule for him. So if you're working, I HIGHLY suggest you take a couple days off to spend time with your puppy and get them adjusted.
Splash also took his first Uber ride! Being a city dog, I knew it was important to get him acclimated to being in cars and Ubers pretty quickly. To prepare, we took a quick walk around the block to make sure he peed beforehand and got some energy out. In the car, he just sat on Coley's lap and passed out for the 15 minute drive to our family photos by the river.
Being near the river, we learned pretty quickly that Splash is OBSESSED with grass. And I mean obsessed. He loves to roll and play in it, bite it, and refuses to go to the concrete afterwards. Definitely not the best on his leash (although he is getting better).
Wednesday
This was a big adventure day for Splash. After his normal breakfast, walk/play, lunch and walk/play, my sister Carmen and I decided to take Splash to West Loop to go eat at Parlor Pizza. Even though Uber Pets is always 5 dollars more expensive, the drivers are always infinitely nicer.
I was a little worried about how Splash would do out at a restaurant, but he just passed out under my chair for the whole two hours we were there. We knew how important it was to get Splash to socialize in the first 100 days of him being with us, and I'm pretty sure we met more people in the first three days with him than I have in the last year and a half.
On Wednesday I also realized that Splash did not have enough puppy toys. I bought a bunch of big dog toys that were cute and fun, but none of them fit in his mouth so he wasn't interested in playing with them. I ended up putting in an order for more puppy toys from Chewy, and he LOVES them way more than any of his other toys.
Thursday
I already knew Thursday was going to be chaotic, but I think I underestimated how chaotic it was going to be. This was Coley's and mine's move-in date to our new apartment, and I had to handle that while Coley worked. So what did Splash do? He got his first babysitter!
I recruited Simone's boyfriend, Clay, to watch Splash the whole day until Coley was done with work; it was definitely interesting. He had met Clay previously when he was super sleepy on Saturday so I don't think he really remembered him that well. I had Clay text me updates while I coordinated with setting up our internet and movers, and apparently Splash was NOT on his best behavior.
Apparently he was acting very fiesty, kept trying to eat plants, and wouldn't walk. After his very bad walk, he passed out on the floor. He repeated this craziness during his after-lunch walk (lol poor Clay), and then passed out until it was time to move him to his new house. That night, he slept through the night until 5 am! I think it was a mixture of exhaustion and excitement, but since Thursday night, he has been sleeping through the whole night. Yay!
Friday
Splash is insanely in love with our new apartment. He has a giant terrace where he gets to run around all day, and we put a large Ikea patch of grass out there that he is getting potty trained on! We also set up his toy bin and it's adorable to see all of his fun toys. He's adjusting and already has gained one pound since being home.
Splash's first week has been tiring, chaotic, and full of love. We are obsessed but guys, I finally understand why my parents did not want a puppy growing up. They are SO much work and are truly like having an infant.
So to recap, here are some key things to keep in mind before you bring your puppy home!
If you get a Snuggle Puppy, get the batteries in there so you don't forget. We almost forgot and it was stressful lol.
Take some time off work for when the puppy arrives! Trust me, you'll need it.
Order enough puppy toys that will actually fit in his mouth. The big toys are usually fun and playful, but they can't actually use them because they're so teeny.
Pack a puppy pouch or sling bag to keep puppy essentials in for when you take them out. You never know where or when they'll have an accident.
Use the Puppy Potty Log app to track the consistency of the puppy's first week.
Make sure they meet people! Splash loves people now because he had the chance to meet so many in the first week.
If you're getting a puppy, I hope this helps! You can catch all things Splash at @mcdoggytheminidoodle on Instagram. Until next time!