First, the veterinarian or veterinary technician will take your puppy’s vitals and ask for his health history. If you brought a stool sample, the specimen will be checked for evidence of intestinal parasites. Next, the veterinarian will examine your puppy from nose to tail to check for signs of disease, abnormalities and external parasites. Depending on your puppy’s age and vaccination history, the veterinarian will administer the proper vaccinations. She may also give deworming medication and suggest a flea and tick preventive. Your puppy’s first exam is a great time to bring up the other questions in this gallery and any concerns you want your vet to address.

When it comes to training your puppy, there’s no need to wait. Start as soon as you bring him home. You’ll probably want to work on  foundational commands like sit and stay — and stop him from chewing all your favorite pairs of shoes. You should also work on stopping his jumping behavior and teaching him to walk on a loose leash. That’s a lot! But you don’t need to do it all at once. Keep training sessions short and fun. Make sure to practice reward-based, positive reinforcement training techniques. 

There are four core vaccines all puppies should get: rabies virus, canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus-2 (hepatitis) and canine parvovirus. The rabies vaccine is a one-time vaccine for puppies, but boosters are required (normally every three to four weeks) for most other puppy vaccines. Your veterinarian will discuss the recommended vaccine schedule with you. Also ask your veterinarian about optional vaccines for diseases like Bordetella (kennel cough), Lyme disease, leptospirosis and canine coronavirus.

In general, puppies should be spayed or neutered before they reach sexual maturity (usually around 5 or 6 months old) to prevent unwanted offspring. In some cases, larger breeds may benefit from a longer wait. Talk to your veterinarian about the best time to spay or neuter your puppy. There are many myths surrounding spaying and neutering, so it’s important to read up on the facts.

How much you should feed your puppy depends on the nutrient content and digestibility of the food (some foods are more nutrient dense than others); it also depends in part on your pup's size. Small-breed puppies may need to eat more frequent meals to avoid hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which can be fatal. Small-breed puppies also have tinier teeth and should eat small-kibble food. If you have a Toy dog or a small puppy, feed him a commercial diet specially formulated for small puppies. When it comes to large- and giant-breed puppies, watch out for overfeeding. Many people assume they need to fill their puppies' bowls to the brim to help them grow big and strong, but too many calories may contribute to the development of skeletal disorders. If you have a large puppy, feed him a commercial diet specially formulated for large puppies. No matter your puppy’s size, talk to your veterinarian to learn how much and how often you should feed him.