Biscuit & Yarn
The First 30 Days with your new dog
Four weeks, one small thing a day, and every page to fill in.
- Week 1: Settle in
- Week 2: Safe and findable
- Week 3: Your routine
- Week 4: Life together
Week 1: Settle in
The first week is about less, not more: one room, one routine, the same few faces. Most of these days take five minutes, and some are mostly about noticing.
- Day 1
One room to start
A whole house is a lot of new on day one. One room, set up before they arrive, becomes the place your new dog knows is theirs.
Do this
- Set the room up before you leave to pick them up: their bed in a quiet corner, water, and a couple of toys. For a cat, the litter box goes on the far side of the room from the water.
- Keep today to the people who live there. Friends can meet your new dog next week.
- Sit on the floor, phone down, and let your new dog come to you in their own time.
- At bedtime, put the first-night sound on low in that room.
Done when: Your new dog has walked the room and found the bed.
- Day 2
Their name
A name only means something once it is tied to good moments, and the first days are when that tie is made.
Do this
- Say their name in a warm voice when you put the bowl down, when you sit with them, and when they come over.
- Ask everyone in the house to say it the same way, so it sounds like one name, not three.
- Still deciding? Try each name for a day and notice which one you keep saying.
Done when: Your new dog looks up at the sound of their name, even once.
- Day 3
The first-night sound
The first nights in a new home are quiet in an unfamiliar way. A steady sound in the room fills that silence for both of you.
Do this
- Open the first-night sound in the calm player and set it low, in the room where your new dog sleeps.
- Set the timer so it stops on its own after you are asleep.
- Keep the same sound all week, so it becomes part of bedtime.
Done when: Bedtime has a sound, and it is the same one each night.
- Day 4
The shape of their day
A routine is easier to keep once it is written down, and a sitter or a partner can only follow what is on paper.
Do this
- Print the day log and put it on the fridge with a pen.
- For three days, write down the times: meals, naps, play, and outside or the litter box.
- On day three, circle the times that keep repeating. That is their day.
Done when: The log has three days of times on it.
- Day 5
The same route
Everything outside is new: the smells, the noise, the gate down the street. The same short loop each day turns new into familiar.
Do this
- Pick a short loop from your door and walk it at about the same time each day this week.
- Let your new dog stop and look around; this walk is for the street as much as for the distance.
- Notice what they stop at, and what they steer around. Write one thing down on the day log.
Done when: You have walked the same loop three days running.
- Day 6
Walk and weather
Weather changes a walk more than people expect: hot pavement, a cold wind, an early dark. A minute with the forecast saves a bad one.
Do this
- Open walk and weather and save your ZIP code.
- Before the evening walk, check the hour by hour line for heat, cold and rain.
- Pick the walk time that suits the day, and write it on the day log.
Done when: Your ZIP code is saved, and you checked before tonight's walk.
- Day 7
The first visitor
The first guest sets the tone for every guest after. One easy visit is worth more than a busy one.
Do this
- Invite one person, not a party, and ask them to sit down rather than stand over your new dog.
- Ask them to keep their hands low and let your new dog come over first.
- Keep it short: twenty minutes is plenty for a first visit.
Done when: One visit, and your new dog chose to say hello.
Week 2: Safe and findable
This is the week you hope never matters: the tag, the chip, the photos, the card. Ten minutes a day, and if your new dog ever gets out, everything a stranger needs is already done.
- Day 8
The tag
A tag is the fastest way home. Anyone who finds your new dog can call you within a minute, with no scanner and no office hours.
Do this
- Put the number you always answer on the tag, and their name if you like.
- Check the fit of the collar when it goes on, and again each week while they grow.
- Read the number on the tag back to yourself, digit by digit. A typo here is easy to miss.
Done when: The tag is on, and the number on it rings your phone.
- Day 9
The microchip
A chip is only as good as the details behind it. If the registry does not have your number, nobody can call you.
Do this
- Find the chip number on the adoption or breeder papers, or ask whoever placed it.
- Register it, or move it into your name, with your phone number and address.
- Set the yearly reminder to check that the details are still right.
Done when: The registry shows your name and your number.
- Day 10
Three photos that would find them
If your new dog ever slips out, the first thing anyone asks for is a clear photo, and a cute photo and a useful one are different photos.
Do this
- In daylight, at their eye level: one from the side, one from the front, and one of any marking that is only theirs.
- Make a photo album just for them on your phone and favorite all three.
- Describe their color and markings in your own words, the way you would tell a neighbor.
Done when: Three photos are in the album, and the description is written down.
- Day 11
The emergency card
If something happens to you, the person who finds your keys needs to know there is a pet at home and who to call.
Do this
- Make the card with your numbers, a backup person, and your vet.
- Print two: one by the front door, one in your wallet.
- Tell your backup person they are on it.
Done when: One card is by the door and one is in your wallet.
- Day 12
The numbers, before you need them
Nobody wants to be searching for a phone number at 2 a.m.
Do this
- Save three contacts: your vet, the nearest 24-hour clinic, and the person who would step in if you could not get home.
- Add their name to each contact, so all three come up together when you search it.
- Map the route to the 24-hour clinic once, so it is not new on a bad night.
- Copy the three numbers onto the emergency card by the door.
Done when: All three numbers are in your phone and on the card.
- Day 13
Their papers in one place
Paperwork arrives in a rush in the first weeks and scatters just as fast. One folder means any question about your new dog takes a minute to answer.
Do this
- Pick one folder, on paper or on your phone, and name it for them.
- Put in the adoption or breeder papers, the chip number and any receipts with dates.
- Print the visit record and keep it at the front, to fill in at every visit.
Done when: Everything about your new dog is in one place.
- Day 14
The license
Some cities and counties ask for a pet license, and the tag that comes with it is one more way home.
Do this
- Search for your city or county with the words pet license, and open the official page.
- Note whether one is needed, what it asks for, and when it renews.
- If one is needed, put the renewal date in your calendar.
Done when: You know whether your new dog needs a license, and when.
Week 3: Your routine
By now the day has a shape. This week writes it down and stretches it a little, so the ordinary days feel easy: time alone, a brush, a trip, a rainy afternoon.
- Day 15
The sitter sheet
The day you need a sitter is never the day you have time to write everything down.
Do this
- Open the sitter sheet and copy in the times from your day log.
- Add the house rules, their favorite things and who to call.
- Print one and keep it with the emergency card.
Done when: The sitter sheet is printed and by the door.
- Day 16
An hour alone
Sooner or later your new dog will have the house to themselves. A short first time, on a quiet day, is easier on everyone than a long first day at work.
Do this
- Pick a quiet day and leave for a short errand, under an hour.
- Keep the leaving and the coming back low-key.
- If you like, leave the calm player on for them while you are out.
- When you get back, notice what changed: where they were, and what moved.
Done when: One short time alone, and you noticed how it went.
- Day 17
A few minutes with a brush
Brushing is easiest when it is ordinary. A minute a day now is easier than a struggle later.
Do this
- Pick a time when your new dog is sleepy, like after a meal or a walk.
- Brush for a minute along the back, then stop while it is still going well.
- Do it again at the same time tomorrow.
Done when: Three short brushing sessions, each ended on a good note.
- Day 18
The car
If every ride ends at the vet, the car gets a reputation. A few ordinary rides change that.
Do this
- Set up the back seat or a crate before you start, so your new dog has a spot of their own.
- Drive around the block, or to a park, and back.
- Keep the first rides short, and end each one with something good.
Done when: One short ride that ended somewhere good.
- Day 19
A rainy day game
Some days the weather wins. A game indoors uses their nose and their head, and fills an afternoon.
Do this
- Hide a treat under one of three cups and let your new dog find it.
- Roll a few treats into a towel and let them unroll it.
- Hide a favorite toy somewhere in one room and help them hunt for it.
Done when: One indoor game they would happily play again.
- Day 20
The night walk
In some seasons the dark comes early, and drivers see a dark dog late.
Do this
- Clip a light to the collar or the leash, and wear something bright yourself.
- Walk the same loop you know from the morning.
- Keep your phone light ready and one hand free.
Done when: One night walk with lights on you both.
- Day 21
Three weeks
Change is hard to see from inside it. Three weeks in, the first night already feels like a long time ago.
Do this
- Print the firsts page and fill in what you can: the first night through, the first visitor, the first trip.
- Write one line about who your new dog was on day one, and one about today.
- Take a photo in the same spot as a day one photo, if you have one.
Done when: The firsts page has its first entries.
Week 4: Life together
The last stretch is the fun part: who your new dog is, the pictures and the cards, the dates worth keeping, and a look back at how far you have both come.
- Day 22
Their breed
A breed is a history: what generations of their family were asked to do. Knowing it makes a lot of small habits make sense.
Do this
- Read their breed page, or the page for the closest mix.
- Note one thing the breed was made for, and one place you have already seen it at home.
- Save the page; it is a good one to share with family.
Done when: You can say in one sentence what their breed was made for.
- Day 23
Fireworks and storms
Loud nights come on known dates and in the forecast. A plan made on a quiet day is easier to follow on a loud one.
Do this
- Put the big fireworks nights in your calendar, with a reminder the day before.
- Pick the quietest room in the house and make it comfortable.
- Open the noisy-nights playlist and save it.
Done when: The dates are in your calendar, and the room and the playlist are ready.
- Day 24
Their age
Age shapes the year ahead. Knowing where your new dog is in life helps you picture it.
Do this
- Enter their birthday, or your best guess, in the calculator.
- Note their age in human years on the firsts page.
- Add their birthday to your calendar, guessed or not.
Done when: Your new dog has a birthday in your calendar.
- Day 25
Your new dog's resume
Renting with a pet, booking a sitter or joining a daycare all go easier with a one-page introduction.
Do this
- Open the resume and add their photo, their age and the things they love.
- Add what people ask for: the license and chip numbers, and the routine from the sitter sheet.
- Save it as a file you can send from your phone.
Done when: The resume is saved and ready to send.
- Day 26
The announcement
Everyone who heard about your new dog wants to see them. One good card answers all of them at once.
Do this
- Pick your best photo from this month.
- Make the card with their name and the day they came home.
- Send it to the group chat, or print a few for the people who would put it on the fridge.
Done when: The card is made and sent.
- Day 27
A picture on the wall
A few weeks in, your new dog is part of the house, not just in it. A picture on the wall says so.
Do this
- Look through the eight designs for their breed.
- Pick the one that suits the room, with their name under it.
- Not now? Save it for gotcha day.
Done when: You have picked the design, for now or for later.
- Day 28
Gotcha day
The day they came home deserves a date of its own, and next year it will sneak up on you.
Do this
- Open the countdown and enter the day they came home.
- Add it to your calendar as a yearly event.
- Write down how you will mark it: a walk, a new toy, a photo in the same spot.
Done when: Gotcha day is in your calendar for next year.
- Day 29
Where they sleep now
Four weeks in, your new dog has made their own choices about the house, and where they sleep is the clearest one.
Do this
- Notice where they have slept the last three nights.
- If it is not the bed you bought, move the bed there.
- Write it on the firsts page.
Done when: Their bed is where they actually sleep.
- Day 30
One month
Thirty days ago your new dog was new. Today they are family, and you did every step of that.
Do this
- Pick a photo from day one and one from today.
- Make the one-month card with both.
- Fill in the last lines on the firsts page, and keep the kit where you can find it next year.
Done when: One month, written down and shared.
The shopping list, in the order you need it
Have it before they arrive
- Stainless steel pet bowl, 18 oz
- Bowl mat, bone shape
- Pet bed
- A collar or harness and a leash that fit
- A carrier, or a leash, for the trip home
- The food they eat now, from whoever had them last
The first week
- Engraved name tag
- Pet bandana
- A brush for their coat
- A few clear photos of them, saved to your phone
It can wait
- Portrait poster
- Pet hoodie
- A second bed for the room where you spend evenings
- A car seat cover or a crate for the car
Welcome home
Gentle, please. A dog is settling in.
Your new dog's day log
Three days of times, written down as they happen. Times only. On day three, circle the ones that repeat.
| Day oneDate | Day twoDate | Day threeDate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meals | |||
| Naps | |||
| Play | |||
| Outside | |||
| Notes |
Your new dog's sitter sheet
Fill it in by hand, or make a typed one with the sitter sheet tool.
Meal times
Walk times
Bedtime
Favorite things
House rules
Your phone
Emergency contact
Vet or clinic
Microchip number
Anything else
Your new dog's firsts
The small moments of the first month, with the date. You will want these later.
- The day they came homeDate
- The first night throughDate
- The first visitorDate
- The first walk on the same loopDate
- The first car rideDate
- The first time they came to their nameDate
- Where they sleep nowDate
- Their age in human yearsDate
- Who they were on day oneDate
- Who they are at one monthDate
Your new dog's visit record
One block for each visit. Write down what the vet tells you, in their words, and keep this page in the folder.
Date
Clinic
Why we went
What the vet said
Next visit
Date
Clinic
Why we went
What the vet said
Next visit
Date
Clinic
Why we went
What the vet said
Next visit
Year-one budget
Fill in what you expect, then what it was.
| Expected | Actual | |
|---|---|---|
| Food | ||
| Supplies and bedding | ||
| Collar, tag and leash | ||
| Grooming | ||
| Vet visits | ||
| Insurance | ||
| Pet license | ||
| Sitters and daycare | ||
| Training classes | ||
| Toys and treats | ||
| Travel | ||
| Other | ||
| Total |