The first year of your puppy's life is the most important. With the proper diet, the right training and regular veterinary visits, you will insure that your puppy will grow into a dog that you will be proud to have as your companion.Everything you put into training that first year, you will reap the benefits of it for years to come. A trained dog is a pleasure to have around, whereas a dog with no obedience training is considered a nuisance and generally does not stay a member of the family for its lifetime.

Coming into your home is a new and sometimes frightening experience for the puppy. Your new puppy will adjust quickly if you are patient and show him what you expect of him. If there are small children in the picture, be sure that they do not play too roughly with the puppy. Rough treatment as a puppy can lead to a poorly adjusted adult who may not trust children. Play biting should never be allowed. Any behavior you do not want your dog to continue as an adult, should be addressed when he is a puppy.

Be consistent. For example, jumping on people: if this is OK when you have jeans on, do not reprimand the puppy for doing it when you are in your good clothes. They understand rules that are consistent. This is why following through is very important. Never leave a command disregarded. If you have asked him to come (and he knows what this means), do not ignore it if he doesn't come. Otherwise you are telling him it's OK to do what he wants when he wants.

Read more: Puppy Tips

Those weeks of careful monitoring have finally paid off—you're now the proud caretaker of a housebroken pup! But wait, is that a yellow stain partway up the drapes? And after you unclip Rex's leash in the dog run, and he maniacally bounds around for 45 minutes, it still takes a ten-minute game of "catch me if you can" to get him back on-leash to go home. What gives? Your puppy has grown into a teenager.

The Wide World of Spots

From the age of six to 18 months, your dog undergoes adolescence—that gawky stage between puppyhood and adulthood. Physically, your dog has his adult teeth, but he still needs to chew on hard toys. That cottony puppy coat is falling out during one tremendous shedding cycle, allowing the adult coat to grow in. He has almost reached his adult height, but for now is all loose elbows and gangly movement.

And what movement! During adolescence, the domestic canine resembles a perpetual-motion machine that requires superhuman stamina to wear out. It's a good idea to find your pup a friendly pack of other canine adolescents to run with in the safety of an urban dog run or suburban fenced-in yard. If your dog lacks canine friends, send him or her out with your resident human teen to fetch a Frisbee or go jogging.

Read more: Rebels with Paws - Surviving a Canine's Adolescence

In an ideal world, puppies come from a highly reputable source, where someone lovingly keeps the litter area clean at all times. The new caretaker has a fenced-in yard to which no other dogs have access

Read more: The Potty Wars - The Three C's of House-Training your Pup

Bringing home a new puppy is truly one of life's joys.  Thoughtful pre-puppy preparations and a wellplanned  first 24 hours can give your fuzzy bundle of  promise a head start and make your dreams of the perfect  family dog come true.

Before the Big Day

Once household discussions have established that everyone wants a dog of a certain age and breed, where to get the pup—from a shelter or reputable breeder—is more or less determined. Now, family meetings should cover scheduling:
Who will take the pup to the papers or backyard and when?
Who will be in charge of feedings three to four times a day?
Who will make veterinary appointments for vaccinations and deworming?

Read more: Puppy Preparedness - Readying the Home for a New Canine Arrival