New puppy checklist: what do you need to buy, and what will it cost?

What to get for a new puppy

These are the things to buy before your puppy comes home, with typical prices from Battersea's cost guide, updated 13 October 2026. Sizes and brands vary widely. If this is your first dog, our first-time dog owner guide covers the jobs to do before collection day, such as registering with a vet.

Source: Battersea, cost of owning a dog (updated 13 Oct 2026). For food, see our guides to puppy food, large breed puppy food (for breeds expected to be big adults) and what dog food costs, and the portion calculator.

When does a puppy need vaccinations?

The 2024 WSAVA guidelines advise several doses of the core vaccines (distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus) every 2 to 4 weeks, with the final dose at 16 weeks of age or older, then another dose at or after 26 weeks rather than waiting until 12 to 16 months. Leptospirosis vaccination is highly recommended where it is endemic.

UK practices price this differently: most of the 11 lists we read on 21 October 2026 sell a two-injection puppy course for £75–£115, and Medivet Ashby lists a three-dose course at £98. The two sources answer different questions: WSAVA writes global guidance on timing, while a practice list prices the course its vets give with the vaccine brand they use. Your vet sets the schedule for your puppy. Ask your vet how many doses your puppy needs, when the 26-week dose fits in, and when it is safe to walk outside. Our dog vaccination cost guidelists every practice's price.

Vet costs in the first year

The lowest and highest prices on the UK practice price lists we read on 21 October 2026; they are the same lists behind our vaccination and neutering cost guides, which name every practice. Your practice may charge more or less; from 23 December 2026 larger practices must publish price lists, which will make comparison easier. The BVA and BSAVA's March 2026 advice is to spay most female dogs at 12 to 23 months and not castrate males before physical maturity, so neutering may fall in the second year.

Your vet will advise on vaccination timing, when to neuter, and flea and worm treatment for your puppy's age and weight. If you prefer non-prescription flea and worm treatment by post, subscriptions cost about £8.50 to £12.50 a month; see our flea and worm subscriptions comparison. For bigger costs later on, our average vet bill guide lists published prices.

How much does a puppy cost in the first year?

No charity or regulator publishes a first-year total, so we do not invent one. Three published figures give the scale. Battersea estimates around £1,800–£2,000 a year to care for a dog (updated 13 October 2026). The PDSA puts the minimum set-up cost at £415 for a small dog, £531 for a medium dog and £560 for a large dog, plus £69, £83 or £116 a month, including insurance (calculated 2024). On top come the one-off vet costs in the table above and the price of the puppy. Our cost of owning a dog guide works out food, flea treatment and boosters by size from prices we checked, and the pet cost calculator adds your own insurance quote.

Puppy insurance

Battersea estimates dog insurance at £20–£60 a month, and the Association of British Insurers reported an average premium of £389 a year per pet in 2023, across all pets (published August 2024). Most policies exclude conditions that showed signs before cover started, so insuring early keeps more covered. Our puppy insurance guide explains waiting periods and hereditary-condition wording; compare lifetime and time-limited cover and see our dog insurance comparison.

Legal requirements

Microchip by 8 weeks

All dogs in the UK must be microchipped and registered on a database by the time they are 8 weeks old, and owners can be fined up to £500 (GOV.UK). The rules are in the England Regulations 2023, Wales Regulations 2015 and Scotland Regulations 2016. A breeder should have chipped the puppy before sale; update the database with your details.

Collar and ID tag in public

Under the Control of Dogs Order 1992, a dog in a highway or place of public resort must wear a collar with the owner's name and address on it or on an attached tag. There are exemptions, including registered guide dogs and some working and sporting dogs. A phone number is not required by the Order but is useful.

Buying a puppy: Lucy's Law

In England, since 6 April 2020, businesses cannot sell puppies or kittens under six months old that they did not breed themselves; Wales introduced similar rules from 10 September 2021 (Welsh Government). Buy directly from the breeder and see the puppy with its mother, or adopt from a rescue or rehoming centre.