Caring for Your Puppy: The Complete Guide for New Owners

By Middle Brighton Vet – Your Local Brighton Vet

Congratulations on your new puppy there’s nothing quite like it.

Bringing a puppy into your home is exciting, rewarding, and (at times) a little overwhelming. The good news is, with the right care and guidance, your puppy will grow into a happy, healthy, and well-adjusted dog—and it’s something the whole family can enjoy being part of.

If you’re based in Brighton or Melbourne’s Bayside suburbs, this guide covers everything you need to know, from feeding and vaccinations to behaviour, training, and preventative care.

Feeding Your Puppy for Healthy Growth

Nutrition is one of the most important foundations for your puppy’s development.

A complete and balanced diet is essential fresh meat, milk, or table scraps alone won’t provide the nutrients your puppy needs to grow properly. If you’re considering home-cooked meals, it’s important to ensure the right supplements are included, so always check with your vet first.

What to feed:

Choose a puppy growth diet suited to your dog’s size:

• Small breed
• Medium breed
• Large breed

We typically recommend scientifically formulated diets such as Hills, Royal Canin, or Prime, as they are designed to support healthy growth and development.

Feeding routine:

• Start with 3 meals per day
• Transition to 2 meals per day between 6–12 months
• Follow feeding guides on the packaging, adjusting based on your puppy’s:
  • Age
  • Breed
  • Activity level
  • Metabolism

Avoid overfeeding, excessive treats, and table scraps, as these can impact growth and lead to long-term health issues.

💡 We recommend fortnightly weigh-ins at Middle Brighton Vet to ensure your puppy is growing on track.

A note on milk:

Milk isn’t necessary for puppies. If you do offer it occasionally, lactose-reduced milk is a safer option but only if it doesn’t cause digestive upset.

Vaccinations: Protecting Your Puppy (and Beyond)

Vaccinations are one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect your puppy from serious disease.

Because their immune system is still developing, puppies are particularly vulnerable in their early months.

Puppy vaccination schedule:

• 6–8 weeks: C3 (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus)
• 10–12 weeks: C5 (includes Canine Cough protection)
• 14–16 weeks: Final C3 booster

Parvovirus is especially important to be aware of as it can survive in the environment for up to two years and is often fatal to unprotected puppies.

Important safety tips:

• Avoid walks or public spaces until 7 days after the second vaccination
• Encourage safe socialisation at home with vaccinated, healthy dogs

Ongoing vaccination (adult dogs):

Vaccination doesn’t stop after puppyhood, it’s part of your dog’s lifelong care.

We recommend:

• Annual health checks (including vaccination review)
• C3 vaccines every 3 years
• Canine cough vaccine yearly

Keeping vaccinations up to date is also required for access to:

• Boarding facilities
• Groomers
• Doggy day care
• Training programs

Leptospirosis: What You Should Know

Leptospirosis is a serious bacterial infection that dogs can contract from:

• Contaminated water
• Soil
• Wildlife urine

Importantly, it can also be passed to humans.

Even in suburban areas like Brighton and Bayside Melbourne, exposure is possible particularly for dogs who spend time outdoors or near water.

Depending on your puppy’s lifestyle, we may recommend adding a leptospirosis vaccination to their plan for additional protection.

Parasite Prevention: Worms, Fleas & Heartworm

Parasites are common but with a consistent plan, they’re easy to manage.

Intestinal worms:

Common types include:

• Roundworm
• Hookworm
• Whipworm

Puppies often carry worms without showing signs, so prevention is key.

Recommended worming schedule:

• Every 2 weeks until 12 weeks old
• Then monthly until 6 months
• Ongoing prevention for life either monthly or quarterly depending on the product used

Tapeworm is another common parasite, often spread through fleas making flea prevention even more important.

Fleas & Heartworm

Fleas are present year-round in Melbourne homes and can cause significant irritation not just for your puppy, but for your whole household.

• Even one flea can cause intense itching (flea allergy)
• Fleas can transmit tapeworm
• Fleas can bite humans

Heartworm, on the other hand, is spread by mosquitoes and only takes one bite to infect a dog, even in Victoria.

Our Recommended Prevention Options

To make things simple, we typically recommend one of two approaches:

Option 1 – Monthly protection

• Monthly chew (e.g. Nexgard Spectra) or spot-on treatment
• Plus a tapeworm tablet every 6 months

Option 2 – Longer-acting protection

• Yearly heartworm injection (ProHeart)
• Yearly flea/tick injection (Bravecto)
• Intestinal worming every 3 months (e.g. Drontal or Milbemax)

💡 Always ensure your puppy is weighed before treatment to ensure the correct dose is given safely and effectively.

💡 We’ll help you choose the right combination so your puppy stays protected with a routine that’s easy to stick to.

Desexing Your Puppy

Desexing is an important decision and one we tailor to each individual puppy.

Benefits include:

• Preventing unwanted pregnancies
• Eliminating the risk of pyometra (in females)
• Reducing cancer risks
• Minimising roaming and hormone-driven behaviours

Timing matters:

• Small to medium breeds: often around 6 months
• Large breeds: timing may be delayed to support joint development

We often recommend a juvenile health check at around 10 months to assess growth and guide timing.

Surgical options:

For female dogs, we offer laparoscopic (keyhole) desexing, which:

• Uses smaller incisions
• Reduces discomfort
• Supports faster recovery

Surgery, Anaesthesia & Safety

We understand surgery can feel daunting but your puppy’s safety is always our priority.

Before any procedure:

• A full health check is performed
• Anaesthetic plans are tailored to your puppy
• A dedicated nurse monitors vital signs throughout

We also recommend pre-anaesthetic blood testing to check liver and kidney function and identify any hidden concerns.

Identification & Microchipping

Keeping your puppy identifiable is a key part of responsible ownership.

• Microchipping is legally required in Victoria
• Your puppy should wear a collar with ID
• Council registration is required by 3 months

These simple steps greatly increase the chances of your puppy being safely returned home if they wander.

Pet Insurance

While we all hope for a smooth start, puppies are naturally curious and accidents can happen.

Pet insurance can:

• Cover unexpected injuries and illnesses
• Reduce financial stress
• Allow you to focus on treatment decisions

It’s best arranged early, before any medical conditions develop.

Training, Behaviour & Socialisation

The early months shape your puppy’s future behaviour.

Positive training:

Puppies learn best through consistency, patience, and positive reinforcement.

Using treats and praise helps them understand what you like, while also building a strong bond at the same time.

Toilet training basics:

Take your puppy outside:

• After meals
• After naps
• After playtime

Reward success immediately puppies quickly learn what works when shown clearly.

Chewing & teething:

Chewing is completely normal for puppies it’s how they explore the world and manage teething.

The key is guiding that behaviour in the right direction early.

Providing appropriate chews helps:

• Redirect chewing away from household items
• Support dental health
• Provide mental stimulation and reduce boredom

We recommend dental-approved chews such as:

• Oravet
• Dentastix
• Dentalife
• Greenies

What to avoid:

We generally recommend avoiding bones, as they can:

• Fracture teeth
• Cause constipation
• Lead to digestive upset

If offering raw meat for chewing, larger strips are safer than mince, and supervision is always important.

Socialisation & support:

Early positive experiences help shape a calm, confident adult dog.

Expose your puppy to:

• New people
• New environments
• Different sounds

And when you’re out and about, don’t forget:

• Treats (for rewarding good behaviour)
• Poo bags (for responsible ownership)

If you’re in Brighton or Bayside Melbourne, our Puppy Preschool is a great way to build skills, confidence, and connection from the very beginning.

Stay Informed: You’re Not in This Alone

There’s a lot of information out there and not all of it is reliable.

As a local Brighton vet, we’re here to help you cut through the noise with advice you can trust, tailored to your puppy and your lifestyle.

If you ever have questions or come across conflicting advice, our team is always happy to help.

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👉 Need Help With Your Puppy?

If you’ve recently welcomed a puppy into your home, we’d love to meet you.

Book your puppy’s first visit with your trusted Brighton vet today and give your pup the best start in life.

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