From food to where they sleep to routines to socialising, all of this takes a bit of getting used to as a first time puppy owner. Here are some new puppy tips to help you navigate the new arrival.

A huge amount of research has resulted in life-stage diets which are formulated specifically for the nutritional needs of pets at different stages and these are available in many vets and pet stores.

Puppy diets are important because they have extra supplements added such as glucosamine and chondroitin to aid joints and antioxidants which promote a healthy immune system and help to protect brain cells.

Do try to feed your puppy the very best quality food you can afford, it’s an investment in your puppy’s health and happiness.

When it comes to treats, choose natural treats like carrots or broccoli and high-quality treats with healthy ingredients.

Just like a new baby, for a new puppy, things like baby gates do come in handy. If you have rooms that you don’t want your new puppy in at least until they are housetrained, then make a “puppy-safe room” for them to wander around in.

As well as their crate, their bed and some water, add some toys for them to play with and chew on.

After all, it’s really not possible to supervise your new puppy 24 hours a day, so having one space to put them when you can’t be with them is sensible.

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Socialisation is a vital part in the upbringing of puppies and will prevent certain behavioural problems later in life. Pets that are poorly socialised and habituated live a life of fear.

At the start of their lives, all animals go through what is known as a ‘sensitive development period’. During this time, they encounter the world for the first time – and learn to accept what they find.

In puppies, this period starts at birth and lasts until about 14 weeks of age. Anything a puppy experiences during that time will become part of its natural order of things. After that age, unfamiliar objects and experiences can cause a fearful response (sometimes extremely fearful) and can ultimately lead to aggression.

It is important, therefore, that the owner introduces his or her puppy to as much of puppiesthe environment and lifestyle as possible, as soon as possible.

Learning to interact normally with adults, children, other dogs and pets is called socialisation.

The experience of household noises like appliances, cars, the countryside and city – becoming accustomed to a wide range habitats and environments – is called habituation.

More young adult dogs are euthanased because of behavioural problems than die from the diseases we vaccinate against. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these behavioural problems are brought about by poor socialisation.

For example, if a puppy has never met a postman, or a child, and encounters one of these for the first time later in life, it can become extremely fearful. A natural response of a fearful dog, if it has no other means of escape, is aggression.

Proper habituation helps prevent similar problems. Imagine trying to take a dog who has never encountered a car on a journey – the poor animal will be sick with fear, and may become aggressive.

And, if a puppy has not been accustomed to separation from its owners during the sensitive period, it may, in later life, bark, whine, lose toilet control or be destructive whenever it is left alone.

Again, just like kids, puppies benefit from a consistent routine, where they know and learn what expected behaviour is.

Create a routine for when you feed them, when it’s play time, training time and of course cuddle time.

Puppies only have full control of their bladder at around 12 weeks of age, so you should expect some accidents as you house train them.

Take your puppy outside first thing in the morning, also after eating, after play time, after they’ve had a snooze and before bedtime. Praise them each time.

Our dog trainer recommended having one pole in the garden where you encourage them to go to at least pee there.

If you have to leave your puppy at home alone, then put them in their crate while you’re away as this will encourage them to control their bladder but also avoid them chewing on things.

Don’t forget that some “cute” puppy behaviour may be annoying or even dangerous later when they get older. For example, jumping up on people or getting used to being held.

Now is the time to correct this behaviour before they get entrenched in it.

Either get a dog trainer to come to your home, or enrol your new puppy in training classes, because both you and they will benefit from them. They should learn how to be obedient and follow some basic commands such as “Sit”, “Down”, “Come” and “Wait”.

Teaching them to walk on a leash without straining is also useful.

If you opt for classes, your puppy will also get the chance to socialise with other puppies.

Get your puppy used to showering and teeth brushing and grooming, you’ll be grateful later that you did. Depending on the breed, they may need to go for regular visits to the dog groomers, so take them when they are a puppy to get their nails trimmed for the first time to get used to the new location.

Also get them accustomed to you looking in their mouth and running your fingers over their gums to prepare them for tooth brushing.

Buy a dog brush and gently brush them to get them used to being groomed.

Wash them gently in the shower with some warm water – you’ll need them to stay still the first time they roll in fox poo, so getting them accustomed to being showered is sensible.

Hopefully these tips for first time puppy owners are useful for you, a bit of common sense and plenty of love goes a long way too. And do enjoy the new puppy stage while it lasts, just like your kids, they will grow up in the flash of an eye.

You can begin making things easier for your furry-nosed friend a few weeks before the event. That’s when many animal lovers start with a Bach flower treatment or insert a plug into the mains socket which gives out pheromones. These can have the effect of alleviating the stress, so a plug should really be fitted two weeks before the firework evening, to allow its effect to unfold fully.

You can also give food supplements which will strengthen the animal’s nerves.

You can help allay a bit of the panic over loud bangs using a noise CD. Play the firework CD very, very quietly at first. Reward your dog for calm behaviour and increase the volume bit by bit.

This way the creature gains confidence and takes it on board that nothing happens despite all the detonations.

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As the turn of the year approaches, dog owners should make sure their free-roaming friend stays inside, instead of cruising around outside where it might run get startled and injure itself when the fireworks kick off.

Ideally, you should also bring doggie inside during the daytime. If a big one goes off really close by, the dog can also run off in shock, so they are safer in the house.

Dogs at Halloween may seem like a recipe for cute Insta pics, but as cute as it may seem to pick up a costume for your pooch, many dogs don’t love the experience.

If you do decide to dress him up, keep an eye out for telling behaviour. If your dog is reluctant, quiet, or pawing to get the costume or accessories off, remove it straight away.

On the evening itself:

• Create a safe refuge for your dog by drawing the curtains. Many animals are even afraid of the flashing lights! The animal will feel more secure in the semi-darkness.
• You can put on some music or switch on the television so that the noises from outside can’t be heard so easily.
• You can also help your pet through your own confident behaviour: look self-assured and relaxed and Fido will sense that everything’s okay, despite the loud bangs.
• Don’t under any circumstances comfort a trembling animal by talking soothingly to it and stroking it sympathetically, that just reinforces the panic.
• Allow your pet to sit by you.
• Animals who suffer full-on panic attacks on Halloween can also be given tranquillisers. But beware: only use medication which your vet has given you for your pet. Animals can react to human tranquillisers in a highly agitated manner. So discuss the use of medication with your vet in good time so that your pet can also have a happy Halloween.

Before we look at the top 10, it’s worth mentioning some canines that aren’t so great with children. For example, certain breeds of terriers (sometimes nicknamed little terrorists) may not get along with kids as well as others. They can be “bossy,” independent and may not have the patience to deal with curious toddlers or small children.

Not to say that all smaller dogs or terriers wouldn’t make a good companion animal for children, sometimes larger breeds are simply more durable than others when it comes to toddlers and active kids.

Size matters also. Remember to consider the size of your home and yard when choosing your dog. If you live in an apartment, you and your family might be better off with a smaller animal like pug. Those with a bigger backyard could better maintain the high-energy levels of a retriever.

Here’s the top ten list of bets family dog breeds, according to the American Kennel Club, that come in all shapes and sizes:

Labrador Retrievers are loyal and friendly, they have the energy to keep up with growing kids.

Bulldogs are calm and happy dogs who can often be amusing.

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Golden retrievers will be known to you from the Andrex puppy ads. This intelligent, devoted dog is gentle and friendly.

Beagles are a happy-go-lucky dog and a calm, affectionate companion.

As well as being adorable, pugs are playful, friendly and mischievous.

Irish Setters are active, easily trained, outgoing and good natured.

This lesser-known breed is curious, loyal and playful.

Patient with kids, this gentle giant is a great playmate.

French bulldogs are another playful and docile dog breed, ideal for having around kids.

Remember Lassie? Collies are loyal and devoted to the end.

Poor training, dogs specifically bred for fighting and other attributes have lead to a bad name for some really great dogs. Even though terriers may not be the best choice for a family, don’t discount these breeds altogether purely by their reputation. The same is true for other canines that have higher statistics for biting and attacking people.

We won’t get into the Pit Bull debate here, but it’s interesting that the number two spot belongs to a Bulldog and the French Bulldog also makes the cut in the AKC top ten.

When the Pit Bull splashed across headlines for a seemingly bad disposition, other canines were also improperly labeled as “bad dogs,” also partially due to media exposure. Take these three noble breeds who make great family pets:

1. Doberman Pinschers
2. German Shepherds
3. Rottweilers

You may have seen or read that these dogs are vicious, snarling, animals meant to intimate intruders and sometimes attack without provocation. What some potential pet owners may not realize is these dogs are mostly strong-willed, but they’re also very intelligent, extremely loyal and make excellent pets when trained properly.

Proper training is absolutely essential regardless of what breed you choose to be your family pet. Be sure to do your research and understand what you’re getting yourself into before adopting an animal.

Just like your kids, they need discipline, continuous care and attention to grow into the best animal they can be for you and your family.

Is your child begging for a pet? Do they have their eye on a kitten, puppy, goldfish or a hamster? It can be tricky to make that all important choice of which animal to get. It depends on many different factors and your family circumstances:

• the child’s age
• what animals they might be fond of
• how much time they’ll be able to spend with their new best friend, etc.

Whichever pet you decide on, it’s a good idea to research in advance, so you know what you are letting yourself in for. If possible, I would recommend borrowing a similar pet for a few days to let your child have a go at caring for it before you commit yourself.

Other than the many different breeds of dogs and cats available, here are some other choices for a child’s first pet:

While insects aren’t for everyone, owning an ant farm can be a visually stunning experience for some kids, who can watch them care for their habitat.

A small amount of food and water must be added from time to time, but these little critters pretty much take care of themselves.

Called sea monkeys in the past, or sometimes called Fairy Shrimp, these have been a longtime favourite as they are so small, they most often come in a kit that you buy at the pet shop. They are a popular species to culture at home because it is relatively easy to keep a population of them. Petplace.com has some instructions on what you need and how to care for them.

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These are a good choice for a starter pet since they don’t need much care, love or affection but they still require daily responsibility.

While goldfish are a popular pick for a pet, some prefer to start out with a single Betta fish, often called a Siamese Fighting Fish. They very colourful and are actually easier to raise those most other breeds of fish.

Be prepared to spend many decades with this non-fuzzy long life favourite, as tortoises can live to around 80 years old. But as an added bonus, they’re non-allergenic due to their lack of fur.

The most common species would be the Hermannís Tortoise, other species include Marginated, Spur-thighed and Horsfieldís. Tortoises require very little care and make great pets for small children.

After dogs and cats, hamsters are probably the most popular choice. You will need to clean out their cage regularly, but hamsters are cute and fun for kids as a starter pet. We opted for a dwarf hamster for our daughters, and they adored Agent 105 as we named him!

Owning a bird is a little bit more challenging than caring for a fish or tortoise, but they’re very social creatures and make excellent pets.

A good choice for a starter is an inexpensive parakeet or canary as more expensive birds like cockatiels and cockatoos which require more care than their cheaper cousins.

Other than hamsters, there are many other rodent pets to choose from like guinea pigs, gerbils, mice and rats. It’s often recommended to get a same-sex pair of rodents for more social types of rodents.

And to reduce the risk of a child being bitten, these animals should be acquired when they’re younger and gently handled often.

Caring for a pet not only gives children a sense of responsibility, it also offers them educational value, a form of entertainment and enjoyment.

Of course you could always go down the traditional four-legged route and get your kids a dog or cat, but some of these other choices are good for beginner pets.

We chose a cockapoo puppy for 2 reasons. Firstly we have 2 allergy-prone family members and we needed a dog that wouldn’t cause too many allergy problems. Secondly, cockapoos are a good mix of cleverness plus sociability, and a close relative had a cockapoo so we could see first hand what the breed was like.

Scout is a male puppy – we had the choice between a female or male and we fell in love with him. Having grown up with dogs, both my husband and I thought we knew the score but guess what, we didn’t!

Our kids are 11 and 14 so we had completely forgotten baby-time but when you have a new puppy you have to remember it’s a baby and it needs extra attention.

The first few nights you have the puppy, it will howl and bark during the night and the best thing to do is to leave it so it gets used to being by itself at night.

My tip: You can try leaving some music or the radio on, but it is literally the first few nights of pain that you need to get through and it does stop.

Despite promises they make that they will absolutely help with the dog and take care of it, your children will want all the cuddles and pats but they won’t want to do poop patrol!

You will end up doing the bulk of the caring for the pet, so be prepared for that.

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Yep, it’s back to taking it in turns to get up at weekends as we are out of the young kids stage and had got used to being able to sleep in a bit. During holidays we ended up having a rota to make it fair so everyone took their turn.

Unless you’re already a dog trainer, don’t think you can train the dog yourself as you won’t manage. It’s really worth paying for either a trainer to come to your house or go to dog classes. We did the former because there were no classes running near us when we needed to get him started. And the earlier the better.

According to our trainer, most dogs settle into their habits by 16 weeks of age, so if you can train them on some of the key things before then, that will make your life a lot easier.

Before training, we were starting to get frustrated and we also didn’t understand how dogs’ minds work, so having that explained really changed things for the better for us.

You now have to think about:

• where you are going to spend your holidays near or far
• are you going to take the dog, in which case you need to research pet-friendly options
• are you going to leave them behind, in which case you need to organise care and factor in the cost to your holiday budget
• If it’s a male dog, most kennels and dog care require them to be neutered with all their injections, including kennel cough, in place. So you need to organise the timing in the first year so the neutering has taken place in time.

Kind of like having back up for your kids in case you can’t get to school in time or need to spend a night away with work, you may need some back up for your dog. You might need to find a dog-sitter who is flexible and willing to take the dog for you on an ad-hoc short-term basis, or ask friends or family if they can be your back up for a night or so if required.

Yes – all weathers! Dogs need walking and you can’t really use the poor weather as an excuse. Just wrap up warmly and in suitable clothes, and once you get over the initial blast as you go outside, I guarantee you will end up feeling better for the fresh air.

I thought this was a cliché, but it’s true. Puppies chew stuff. You have to get used to putting things up out the way and not leaving things lying around as you used to.

Apart from slippers, our puppy loves sneaking a sock or a pair of underpants off the drying rack.

All dogs need a bit of stimulation, especially when most of the family is out all day. They end up chewing things out of boredom.

Our vet recommended the Kong toys which you fill with a few bits of kibble or some peanut butter, freeze and then the dog will spend a good while trying to lick the treats out of the toy.

You can find the Kong toys on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com (NB If you buy through our links we get a small commission).

We bought a collar and lead to start with that were the cheapest and they just didn’t last. Puppy chewed the clip on the collar and the lead was the cord type and it just didn’t work properly.

While you don’t need to go for the most expensive items either, beware of the false economy of buying cheap items and needing to replace them regularly.

Before you think this has all been a negative experience, here are some of the wonderful things about our new puppy and how the family has reacted:

• The children are learning to be more responsible about their pet.
• We are definitely more active as a family and I am so much more active myself as the primary walker!
• The greeting from our dog when you walk in the door is so delightful it makes you smile every time.
• When he cuddles up and snoozes on your lap, it’s very sweet and makes you feel so good.
• Burying your nose in the dog’s fur is a great way to calm down!