PUPPY TIPS-When you arrive home with your puppy... introduce him/her to your designated potty area. He/she will probably have to "go". Afterwards... let the puppy walk around and explore his/her new surroundings.  Once the puppy is comfortable and has settled down from the trip home offer him/her some water (about 15-30 minutes after you arrive). If it is time for the baby's meal... make sure the puppy is feeling ok and not nauseous from the car ride.

I recommend having a "safe puppy area"... this can either be a crate, exercise pen or a smaller area of a room blocked off by a gate. Make sure that there is nothing within the puppy's reach that it should not have access to.

Allow the puppy plenty of rest time. Puppies need plenty of nap time between play sessions. If a puppy is sleeping do not wake him/her up to play. They will let you know when its time to play again!

Try to make the puppy's first days quiet. Avoid the temptation to have your whole family and all your friends over to meet the new baby right away. You need to spend some time getting used to each other. There will be plenty of time in the next week or two to have your new baby make his/her "debut".

- Your puppy's first night home -

Your puppy's first night home he/she will probably cry and carry on a bit. There are several things you can do to make those first few nights a bit easier. If you decide that the puppy is going to sleep separately from you... in lets say the kitchen...  some things you can do would be to leave the radio on quietly, make sure the puppy has something to cuddle with (like a plush toy) and another toy or bone of some sort.  Most likely the puppy will cry on and off...but will settle down once he/she realizes no one is coming. Or you can choose to put the puppy in his/her crate by your bed and when the puppy wakes...just reassure and let the puppy know you are there and that everything is ok. If the puppy consistently cries or carries on that might mean that he/she has to go potty... but use your judgment.