Last Updated: 28/05/2026
Your 8-Week-Old Puppy: The First Weeks at Home
A vet's guide to your 8-week-old puppy: how often to feed, how much sleep is normal, realistic training at this age, the first vet visit, and what's normal in those chaotic early weeks.
Author: Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 4 minutes - short read
You've survived the first week. Your puppy has a bed, a name they're starting to recognise, and an opinion about the vacuum cleaner. Now what? This guide picks up where bringing home a new puppy leaves off, and walks through the practical bits of the next few weeks: feeding, sleep, what training is realistic at this age, what to expect at the first vet visit, and when soft poo is something to worry about.
Eight-week-old puppies typically need four meals per day spaced evenly across daylight hours, 16 to 20 hours of sleep including naps, and their first round of C3 vaccinations between 6 and 8 weeks of age.
Feeding your 8-week-old puppy
The key things to get right at this age:
- Four meals a day spaced across daylight hours. Drop to three meals around 12 weeks.
- Stick with the breeder or rescue's food for at least the first week. If you're switching puppy food, transition gradually over 7 to 10 days, mixing in a bit more new food every few days. Sudden food changes on top of a stressful move are the fastest route to an upset tummy.
- Choose a complete and balanced puppy food matched to your pup's breed size. See our guide to what to feed your puppy if you're still choosing.
- Use the packet's feeding guide as a starting point for portion sizes, then adjust to your puppy's body condition so they stay lean as they grow.
- Wet, dry or a mix of both - all work.
- Skip supplements, especially calcium, which can interfere with developing bones.
Sleep: why your puppy is asleep more than awake
Puppies this age need 16 to 20 hours of sleep a day, including naps. That's more than most new pet parents expect.
An overtired puppy doesn't act tired. They act wound up. If your puppy is suddenly biting, zooming around the lounge or refusing to settle, the answer is almost always more sleep, not more play. A quiet nap usually does the trick.
A few things that help:
- Set up a quiet rest space. A crate or pen near the action works well.
- Steer your puppy towards it when they start winding up, rather than waiting for things to fall apart.
- Expect toilet wake-ups every 2 to 3 hours at night, easing off from around 16 weeks.
- Keep night wake-ups boring: lights low, no play, straight outside, straight back in.
If the crying picks up rather than settling, our guide to stopping your puppy crying at night has the full method.
What training looks like at 8 weeks
Training at 8 weeks isn't really about "sit", "drop" and "stay", though these can definitely commence as well. The priorities at this age are:
- Name recognition - your puppy turning their attention to you when you say their name
- Toilet training - out first thing, after every meal, after every nap, after every play, last thing at night, and reward heavily for going in the right spot. Our guide to toilet training your puppy has the full method
- Gentle handling - touching paws, ears, mouth and tail every day, with treats, so future vet visits and grooming are easy
- Crate or pen familiarity - building a positive association with their rest space (crate training your puppy walks through how to do it positively)
- Bite inhibition - redirect mouthing onto toys, walk away briefly when play gets too rough. Our guide to how to stop your puppy biting has all the details.
Sessions should be short. Five minutes, two or three times a day, is plenty. Reward-based only, always.
Your first vet visit
You should have booked the first vet visit within the first week. Here's what to expect:
- A weigh-in and full nose-to-tail health check.
- Confirmation your puppy's microchip number, and confirm or discuss council registration.
- The vaccination schedule. The first C3 is typically given between 6 and 8 weeks of age, with follow-ups at 12 and 16 weeks.
- A worming protocol. Every 2 weeks until 12 weeks of age, then monthly.
- When to start flea, tick and heartworm prevention. Products are safe to use from around 6 to 9 weeks of age and your vet will recommend an option that suits your puppy. Our guide to flea, tick and worming for dogs compares the leading combination products like Nexgard Spectra and Simparica Trio.
"My puppy has diarrhoea, is this normal?"
Mild, short-lived loose stools are common in the first couple of weeks home. The usual culprits are:
- A too-fast food switch
- The stress of moving home
- Your puppy chewing something they shouldn't have
- Intestinal parasites
If your puppy is otherwise bright, eating well, and the stool firms up within 24 hours, you can usually keep an eye on things at home. Our guide to puppy and kitten poo problems walks through what's normal and what isn't.
Call the vet if any of the following apply:
- Diarrhoea lasts more than 24 hours
- There's blood, or the stool looks black or tarry
- Your puppy is also vomiting, lethargic, or off their food
- Your puppy is very young
And if you're switching food and seeing soft stools, the issue is usually pace, not product. Slow the transition down to 10 days and mix more carefully.
8 Week Old Puppy FAQs
Four meals a day, lots of sleep (more than you think), short and gentle training, and a vet visit booked. The first few weeks home are about routine more than perfection, and most of the chaotic bits are normal.
Articles recommended for you
Our vet authored guide to the benefits of feeding your dog fresh food plus tips and advice for introducing it into their regular menu.
See our guide to protecting your pet from parasites from our vet team.
Thinking of getting a fish? Check out our guide for setting up a tank and home care tips!
Looking to understand horse feeds better? This comprehensive guide covers feeding recommendations for horses of all ages and disciplines.
Does your pet suffer from anxiety? Check out our Vet-guide for treatment options to help your pet.
History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Thu 28 May 2026
Written by Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)
Veterinarian
Dr. Gillian graduated from the University of Sydney in 2005 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science. She worked in a number of small animal clinics, before joining the Pet Circle Vet team in 2020. Dr. Gillian has special interests in ultrasonography, surgery and behaviour. Her favourite part of being a vet is being an advocate for the animals. She loves helping owners to make the best, evidence-based decisions for their pets, and seeing the beautiful bond that people have with their fur-babies.
