DogsLifeGuide
Your puppy's first year: a month-by-month guide
Every guide and calculator for your puppy's first year, in the order you'll need them: getting ready, the first weeks at 8–12 weeks, 3–6 months and 6–12 months. Each stage has the key numbers and the pages that go deeper.
A puppy's first year runs in four stages: getting ready, the first weeks home (usually 8–12 weeks), 3–6 months and 6–12 months. Sleep, toilet trips, meals and vaccinations change at each stage. This page collects every DogsLife guide and calculator for that year, in order, with the numbers that matter most.
Before your puppy arrives
- New puppy checklist: what to buy, how to puppy-proof, and the house rules to agree before day one.
- Puppy tracker app: what's worth logging from the first day, and why.
- Look up your breed's adult size and needs on the dog breeds pages.
8–12 weeks: the first weeks home
| What | Typical at this age | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep | 15–20 hours a day at 4–12 weeks | The Royal Kennel Club |
| Toilet trips | Every 30–60 minutes while awake, plus after waking, eating and play | The Royal Kennel Club |
| Meals | About four a day up to 12 weeks | American Kennel Club |
| Vaccines | Core vaccines start at 6–8 weeks, repeated every 2–4 weeks | WSAVA |
| Time alone | About 1 hour under 10 weeks | American Kennel Club |
Guides for this stage: puppy's first night home, puppy crying at night, the 8-week, 10-week and 12-week puppy schedules, how much a puppy should sleep, puppy nap schedule, overtired puppy, how often a puppy needs to pee, puppy potty training and puppy socialisation.
Calculators: puppy potty schedule, puppy sleep calculator and puppy feeding schedule.
3–6 months: building the routine
| What | Typical at this age | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep | 14–16 hours a day | The Royal Kennel Club |
| Toilet trips | Many can hold on about 3–4 hours | The Royal Kennel Club |
| Meals | About three a day | American Kennel Club |
| Vaccines | Last puppy dose at 16 weeks or later | WSAVA |
| Time alone | About one hour per month of age | American Kennel Club |
This is when teething peaks and the first walks begin. Read puppy biting, house-training accidents, how long a dog can be left alone and how much to feed a puppy. The puppy vaccination schedule explains the doses, and the dog walk calculator gives a safe walk length for your puppy's age.
6–12 months: almost grown
| What | Typical at this age | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Toilet trips | About 4–6 hours from 6 months | The Royal Kennel Club |
| Meals | Two a day from about 6 months | American Kennel Club |
| Vaccines | A booster from 26 weeks | WSAVA |
| Growth | Small breeds done by 6–8 months, medium about 12, large 12–18 | American Kennel Club |
Use the puppy adult size estimator to get a rough adult weight, and the puppy feeding schedule for when to switch to adult food. As your dog grows up, the daily dog routine and our adult and senior dog care guide take over.
Frequently asked questions
What should a new puppy owner do first?
Before the puppy arrives: bed, bowls, the breeder's food and a puppy-proofed room. In the first week: keep things calm, take it out after every sleep, meal and play, and book the vet. Our new puppy checklist has the full list.
When does a puppy stop being a puppy?
Physically, when it stops growing: the AKC says small breeds usually by 6–8 months, medium breeds at about 12 months, and large and giant breeds at 12–18 months, some up to 24.
When can my puppy go outside on walks?
When your vet says your puppy is protected. Under the WSAVA guidelines the last puppy vaccination is at 16 weeks or later, and your vet sets the exact plan. Until then, carry your puppy out to see the world safely.
Sources
- Why does my puppy sleep so much? — The Royal Kennel Club
- Why does my puppy pee so much? — The Royal Kennel Club
- Puppy feeding fundamentals — American Kennel Club
- 2024 guidelines for the vaccination of dogs and cats — World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA)
- How long can a puppy be left alone? — American Kennel Club
- When do dogs stop growing? Puppy growth chart — American Kennel Club