Ahh...at last. You have selected the perfect puppy of your dreams that you get to take home and make your own. There is no manual with directions on how to succeed at raising him without complications. The first night is oftentimes the most difficult due to the pup missing its mother and other siblings in the litter.  It may typically cry and whine constantly throughout sleeping hours of the night.  However annoying as it may be, one could hardly blame it for its actions after being taken from its family and put in an unfamiliar setting.

To make this transition as comfortable as possible for the pup, it will need a soft, dry, and safe place to sleep. You might want to provide it with a rag or soft toy that has the litter mates or mother's scent on it. It is best not to shower the pups cries with too much immediate attention as this may spoil the pup and reinforce the habit. Blocking light from the cage by placing a sheet over it will get the pup used to going to sleep at a certain time that you determine.

Mischievous by nature, puppies are prone to get into just about anything just like their feline counterparts. Considering this fact, you may need to pet proof the area in which you confine your new pup. Make certain that potentially hazardous objects such as rocks, marbles, wires, and any type of poisonous plants are well out of the puppy's reach.  

Verbally discipline your pup just as you would a child by firmly telling them NO. However, after having told it NO, you should show it the correct behavior for a more desirable response.  For example, if your pup is caught chewing up the newspaper, take the paper away and replace it with one of its durable toys.  Give it praise for chewing the toy.  Verbally reprimand it with a sharp and short phrase and vocal tone for doing otherwise. Physically spanking your pup may create poor temperament and other unforeseen problems as the puppy matures. Some problems that may result from excessive physical discipline over time include fearfulness, shyness, and sporadic aggression.  When encouraging the desired behaviors it is smart to always provide an incentive to reward such behaviors. Flavorful doggie treats make a great positive reinforcer. If you don't have any treat readily available a simple scratch behind the ears and a big hug may suffice.

Be sure to feed your new puppy a dry food specifically made for dogs of his age group.  Watch out for food with an extra high protein content that may also be fortified with extra vitamins which can be potentially harmful to your growing puppy. A young pup should be fed two or three times daily.  Usually after fifteen minutes, the pup will have gotten their fill at which time you can remove the dish.  As they mature, after about ten to twelve weeks of age, you can begin feeding them once in the morning and once at night.

All of these methods should help ease the transition of your new pup so that it can get used to its new surroundings away from its family.  The resulting bond forged between you and your new friend will last a lifetime.