Welp, we’ve done it. After almost two years of a dog-free home, we brought home an 8-week-old white Labrador puppy named Walter. And because apparently I enjoy chaos, I already know I want us to become a two-dog household eventually. Bringing home a puppy is a big decision and should not be taken lightly so here’s some of the big things I’ve been thinking about since bringing Walter’s cute butt home.

Before Walter came home, I spent a LOT of time thinking about what to buy. But now that we’ve actually lived through those first weeks, I think some of the most important preparation has nothing to do with filling an Amazon cart. It’s the boring-but-important stuff: insurance, vet appointments, where the puppy will sleep, which rooms are off limits, and whether everyone in the house understands that your weekend sleep-in schedule is about to be personally attacked by an adorable tiny animal.

Pet Insurance Before You Need It

I considered pet insurance with our previous Great Dane, but it was very expensive for him. After losing him and seeing how quickly veterinary expenses can add up, I knew I wanted to seriously consider it with Walter.

I compared several companies and plans and ultimately chose FIGO through Costco.

Reasons I choose FIGO:

• They were cheaper (currently I’m paying $54 a month)
• Annual Wellness coverage ($250 a year)
• Flea, Tick, and Heartworm Prevention ($50 a year)
• Spay, Neuter, Teeth Cleaning ($75 a year)
• Heartworm Test ($45 a year)
• Microchip ($30 a year)
• Deworming ($10)

I do have a $250 deductible but that’s to be expected with any insurance, huh.

The price can vary depending on things like the dog’s age, breed, and plan details, so this is one of those things I’d compare before puppy comes home—or at least very soon afterward.

Check out Figo here!

Plan the First Vet Visit

Once Walter was physically in our arms, I had his paperwork and vaccination records in hand, which made it much easier to talk to our vet about what he had already received and what he still needed.

After bringing home a puppy, the vaccination stage was honestly one of the more annoying parts of early puppyhood because it limited where I felt comfortable letting him walk. Our vet gave us guidance about his parvo/distemper vaccine series and when he could safely start exploring more public places. I followed our vet’s instructions of doing my best to keep him away from public areas where he could contract parvo.

According to the American Kennel Club, puppies typically begin receiving core vaccines around 6–8 weeks old, with additional doses given over the following months. The exact schedule can vary based on your puppy’s age, vaccination history, location, and individual risk factors, which is why it’s important to work with your veterinarian to determine when your puppy is adequately protected and ready to explore more public places.

Puppy Vaccination Schedule

Puppy’s Age	Commonly Recommended Vaccines	Lifestyle / Optional Vaccines
6–8 weeks	Distemper, Parvovirus	Bordetella
10–12 weeks	DHPP — Distemper, Adenovirus/Hepatitis, Parainfluenza & Parvovirus	Influenza, Leptospirosis, Bordetella, Lyme
16–18 weeks	DHPP booster, Rabies	Influenza, Leptospirosis, Bordetella, Lyme
12–16 months	DHPP booster, Rabies booster	Leptospirosis, Bordetella, Lyme, Coronavirus
Every 1–2 years	DHPP, depending on your veterinarian’s recommended schedule	Influenza, Leptospirosis, Bordetella, Lyme, Coronavirus based on lifestyle
Every 1–3 years	Rabies, according to state law and veterinary guidance	—

For Walter, that meant being extra cautious about where I let him walk until our vet gave us the green light. It was frustrating when I wanted to take my new puppy everywhere and start the socialization but being patient is important to keep your new puppy safe.

Puppy-Proof More Than You Think You Need To

Baby gates, play pens, old dog-pen panels—use what works. One of the best things we did was make Walter’s world small at first instead of giving him free rein of the entire house.

We used old kennel panels to block the cat-litter area, secondhand baby gates to close off the hallway and my mother-in-law’s room, and a puppy pen positioned partly in the kitchen area so Walter could be close to me without actually being under my feet.

That pen has been one of my favorite purchases since bringing home a puppy. Even as Walter entered what I lovingly call his Menace Phase, I could put him in there and he understood that it was a place to settle down. He often naps there more willingly than in his crate during the day.

Decide Where the Crate Will Go

We put Walter’s crate next to our bed, and for us that was the best decision for nighttime crate training. If he woke up because he needed to potty, there was no chance of us sleeping through it.

That said, this is definitely something everyone in the house should agree on BEFORE bringing home a puppy. A puppy next to the bed may mean early wake-ups, whining, and a temporary loss of your peaceful morning routine. If one person already isn’t thrilled about puppy chaos, surprise-crate-by-the-bed probably isn’t the way to win them over.

Agree on a Routine

Dogs thrive on routine, and Walter learned ours ridiculously fast. I love sleeping in on weekends, but puppy Walter did not care about my hobbies. For a while, I had to accept that the weekday wake-up time was basically the weekend wake-up time too.

We also learned that bedtime starts hours before bedtime. Dinner, play, potty, settling down—it all works better when it happens in a predictable rhythm.

You do not need a military schedule, but I do think everyone should agree on the basics: who handles mornings, when meals happen, who does the last potty trip, where naps happen, and what spaces puppy can access.

What I’d Have Ready on Day One

If I were doing Walter’s first day all over again, I’d make sure I had: a crate with a divider, a puppy pen, a couple of baby gates, food he was already eating, a few simple toys, a leash, cleaning supplies, and a plan for the first vet visit.

I would NOT buy every adorable puppy product on the internet. Walter taught me very quickly that some of the best puppy supplies are boring, secondhand, or already sitting in your house.

Final Thoughts

The first few weeks with a puppy are so much easier when you’ve prepared the HOUSE and the PEOPLE—not just the puppy supplies. Walter is growing so fast that I’m already looking back at those first clumsy weeks differently. The chaos is real, but so is how quickly it changes.

And yes, I’m still planning to do this again with a second puppy someday. Ask me again during the next Menace Phase.