dog · 14 min
PillarYour first year with a new dog
the 3-3-3 rule, food, vet, training, and the thirty hundred things people will tell you that you should ignore.
Year one with a dog is the steepest part of the curve. The good news is that nothing you do in week one breaks the next ten years. The bad news is that everyone has an opinion, and most of it is from 1997. This is the guide we wish we'd had on the drive home from the shelter.
First 72 hours
Most dogs decompress for two to three weeks after arriving in a new home. The 3-3-3 rule is the shorthand: 3 days to start to relax, 3 weeks to settle in, 3 months to feel like yourself. Don't host a welcome party. Don't push training. Let your dog watch you go through a normal day. Boring is the goal.
Food
Find out what the shelter or foster was feeding and start there. Switch gradually over 7-10 days if you want to change. Two meals a day is a fine default for most adult dogs. Puppies need three to four. Free-feeding is a coin flip — works for some dogs, becomes a weight problem for others.
Vet
Establish a relationship with a regular vet in the first month. Annual exam + core vaccines (DAPP + rabies, plus leptospirosis if you're in their range) + monthly heartworm + flea/tick prevention. Budget $400-900/year for a healthy adult dog; more for puppies and seniors.
Questions, answered
- Should I crate train?
- Most dogs benefit from a crate as a quiet place that's theirs. Start with the door open, food rewards inside, and short sessions. It is not a punishment. Don't use it that way.
- How much exercise does a dog actually need?
- Two 30-minute walks plus active play is enough for most adult medium-sized dogs. Working breeds (herders, retrievers, terriers) need more. Senior dogs and brachycephalic breeds need less.
- Pet insurance — yes or no?
- Yes for most people. Premiums are $30-60/month for a young dog. One emergency surgery is $4,000-12,000. The math is in your favor in nearly every realistic scenario.
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