Golden retriever meets puppies for the first time

Once you get home, you may have other pets and family members for him to meet. Remember that your new pet has had a tough day – he’s left everything he knows, so don’t give him too many new things to meet straight away. It’s usually sensible to keep his first afternoon and evening as quiet as possible – avoid him meeting the cats, and have only a short meeting with any resident dogs so that he isn’t overwhelmed. Family members should be kept to a minimum, too, and showing off the new puppy to all the school friends is best left for another day.

Instead, find a quiet room where the family is likely to spend a lot of time, and place puppy on the floor. Allow him to come to you, or sniff to explore. Encourage him with treats or toys, but don’t worry if he doesn’t engage straight away – this is all very strange for him! Ideally, you should feed the same food as the breeder at first – he doesn’t need another thing changing in his life! There’ll be plenty of time for changing his diet to your preferred diet at a later date.