The first few days are the honeymoon period. You and your family will be completely entranced at your new family addition, and your puppy will provide you with hours of entertainment. You'll take pictures and e-mail your friends, you'll laugh at her cute antics...and you'll also start to realize just how much work raising a puppy can be.

Puppies need constant supervision. You may find that your puppy has lots of energy but you're beginning to get very tired. Here are some tips for making the first few days easier:

Take your puppy to the vet right away. Bring your puppy to the veterinarian within 48 hours to make sure that she is healthy and so that you can start her health care program.
Set rules now, and stick to them. If you let your puppy get up on the couch with you now because she's small and cute but don't want her to get up there later when she's bigger, that will confuse her. Give her consistent structure.
Begin your training now. Start teaching your puppy manners today, such as sitting for her food or at the door. If you train her now, she will keep those manners as she gets older. Puppies are like spongesthey soak up information. They have very short attention spans, though, so shorter training sessions are best.
Stick to a schedule. Puppies do best with consistent routines. Even if you are home for a few days, you should keep your dog's feeding and potty schedules consistent, just as you would during the days you work.
Get your puppy used to being alone. If you picked up your puppy on a weekend or decided to take a few days off to bond with her, she might be confused and upset the day you head back to work. To prevent this reaction, train her to being confined in her crate now. Leave her crated while you run short errands so that she won't experience such a dramatic transition when you return to your regular schedule.

Some puppies will waltz into your home and act like they've lived there all their lives. Some puppies may be hesitant or confused. Some puppies will be fine during the day, but whine or cry at night. Keep in mind that your puppy has left the only home she's known, and this could be a confusing transition for her. It may take her a couple weeks to feel comfortable and fit in with her new routine; this is normal.

Many puppy owners make the mistake of letting their puppies off leash outside during their first weeks together. Very young puppies are like little ducklings and will follow you around loyally. They're still kind of clumsy and can't move very fast. But this stage will disappear overnight. One day the puppy who was sticking to you like glue will suddenly dash across the street, and no amount of calling will get her to come to you. This is not what you want to teach her. Don't give her the opportunity to run away from you, and you won't have to worry about chasing her. Set her up for success right from the start by putting her on a leash.

If your puppy is very shy, if she hides from you, if she growls at you when you try to touch her or pick her up, or if she growls over her food bowl, call a professional, reward-based dog trainer. Your puppy may need special help.