Bringing home a puppy is the start of a long, happy life together. These ten top tips for welcoming a new arrival will help you to make sure you start as you mean to go on.

1. Choose a name - be creative and have fun! Make sure all family members are consistent - if your puppy's name is Ben, use Ben and not Benjamin to avoid confusion.
2. Provide toys and games. Make sure toys are large and sturdy enough so they can't be swallowed and put them away between play sessions so your puppy won't tire of them.
3. Dogs may require occasional bathing, so ask your vet to recommend a mild pet shampoo. Use a dog brush and a nail clipper made for dogs. And teach your puppy to enjoy being groomed by brushing a few strokes every day followed by a small treat. 
4. Make sleep time comfortable. Provide soft, washable bedding for your puppy to curl up in. Teach your puppy to sleep in a doggy bed or confine in a crate overnight.
5. Puppies chew to investigate new objects and to help lose their baby teeth. Give your puppy chew toys, so your furniture, shoes and remote controls won't be destroyed.
6. Playing fetch with balls and ring toys is great exercise for your puppy - and great fun for you
7. Choose the right collar. Collars should fit with some slack but not loosely enough to slide easily over the head. Allow for two finger-widths of space between the neck and collar and check the collar's fit every week during your puppy's growth, loosening as needed.
8. Start dental care early. Choose a canine toothbrush and an enzymatic canine toothpaste.
9. Always have an ID tag with current information attached to the collar, and speak with your vet about microchip insertion in case your puppy gets lost.
10. Find a vet you can trust at a quality practice, as this relationship can last more than a decade. Arrange a new puppy health check, so your vet can allocate a bit more time than the usual 10-minute consultation.