Anyone who has brought a puppy home knows the first day is part joy, part chaos. The short film below, "Puppyhood", captures that feeling: a young man spots a puppy adoption sign at a market, meets a small black-and-white puppy and takes it home, and the two of them slowly work out how to live together. It runs about three and a half minutes, and it was made by BuzzFeed's video team in partnership with Purina Puppy Chow.
Below is the story behind the video, followed by practical, vet-backed advice for the first days and weeks with a new puppy.
The story behind "Puppyhood"
"Puppyhood" was uploaded to the BuzzFeedVideo YouTube channel in late May 2015 and had passed 3.7 million views when the Indian marketing publication afaqs! reported on it. It is a piece of branded content: the film tells a small story with humour and warmth, and the sponsor's puppy food appears inside the plot rather than in a separate advert.
The video was part of a larger Purina programme called "Welcome to the Puppyhood", launched in June 2015 with a website, puppyhood.com, built by the New York agency Night Agency. The site offered new owners guidance on nutrition, grooming, exercise, health, behaviour and training, along with a breed selector, a name generator, a new-puppy checklist and a milestone tracker. Purina also ran similar puppy videos with The Huffington Post later that year.
The film works because it shows things almost every new owner recognises: the nervous first meeting, a man talking to a dog that cannot answer, and the moment a strange house starts to feel like home for both of them.
The first 48 hours
A puppy's first trip home is a big change: new smells, new people and no littermates. Dr. Marty Becker, writing for Vetstreet, suggests a few simple steps to make it easier:
- Bring a familiar smell. A towel or T-shirt that smells of the puppy's mother and littermates, placed in the crate, can help it settle.
- Toilet first. Let the puppy relieve itself outside before going indoors, and keep it on a lead inside at first.
- Book a vet check. Arrange an examination within about 48 hours of bringing the puppy home; many breeder and shelter contracts require it. The first visit can be a simple check-up and weigh-in, followed by a plan for vaccinations.
- Keep the same food. Feed what the breeder or shelter used at first. If you want to switch, mix the new food in gradually over 7 to 10 days.
House training, sleep and chewing
Young puppies have limited bladder control, and excitement alone can cause accidents. Take the puppy outside first thing in the morning, last thing at night, after every meal and after 15 to 20 minutes of play, and reward it straight away when it goes in the right place. Night-time trips should be quick and boring, so the puppy does not learn that the middle of the night is playtime.
A crate in a busy part of the house gives the puppy a safe den. Short, calm periods in it help, and responding to whining only when the puppy is quiet avoids teaching it that noise opens the door. For chewing, choose sturdy toys without small parts or stuffing that could be swallowed; puzzle toys with a few treats inside keep a young dog busy.
Why socialisation matters so much
Puppies go through a sensitive period early in life when new experiences shape how confident they will be as adults. Research summarised in the scientific literature places the start of this window at around 4 weeks of age, when puppies can see, hear and smell and begin exploring; it closes as they become more wary of unfamiliar things. Veterinary advice for owners generally treats the first three to four months as the most important time to act.
In practice, that means gentle, positive exposure to many people, friendly vaccinated dogs, car rides and everyday sounds, without overwhelming the puppy. Until your vet says vaccinations are sufficient, carrying the puppy during errands is a safe way to let it see the world. Simple training such as sit, come and "drop it" can start within the first couple of weeks, and puppy classes usually begin after the second round of vaccinations.
One video, many different puppies
"Puppyhood" shows one dramatised arrival, and every puppy reacts differently. Some explore boldly from the first minute; others hide under the sofa for a day. Neither reaction predicts what kind of adult dog it will become. Patience, a predictable routine and a good relationship with your vet matter far more than a perfect first day. If anything about your puppy's health or behaviour worries you, talk to a vet.
Sources: afaqs!: Playful Puppyhood with Purina Puppy Chow; MediaPost: Purina says Welcome to the Puppyhood; BarkPost; Vetstreet: Surviving your first 30 days with a new puppy; Wikipedia: Dog behavior. Video © BuzzFeed / Purina.
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