Is there anything more exciting and purely joyful than welcoming a new dog into your home and life?! In the middle of it all, it's also important to remember that as happy as your dog is to join your life forever, your pup is also looking at an onslaught of all things all new.

So many new smells, sounds, sights, people, maybe dog siblings... it's a lot for just about any dog.

That's why we've brought together certified positive reinforcement dog trainers & Dogly Training Advocates, who are literally pros at helping you set up your new dog for success, to create these 12 guides.

From prepping before your dog ever arrives to the first days and weeks, your dog is at your side with what you need to know every step of the way.

Here's a look at what you'll learn in each of the 12 guides on dog care tips for new dogs:

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New Pet Guide 1: Essentials You Need Before Bringing Your New Dog Home

Your new dog's arrival is so full of excitement and anticipation, it's easy to forget some of your dog's basic supplies that help everything go smoothly for your dog (and you) that first day and beyond.

You'll want to have everything you need for your dog's health, comfort, and safety on hand in advance so your total focus can be on your dog - building your pup's sense of security, having fun, and loving your new family member like crazy.

That's why certified positive dog trainer and Dogly Advocate Ruby Leslie created a checklist for you of essentials to care for dogs, from food and water dishes to your dog's bedding to harnesses, leashes to healthful dog treats, to baby gates and more, with the why behind each and recommendations for the healthiest, safest versions of them.

You can see the checklist and start getting ready for your new dog here.

New Pet Guide 2:  Important Things to Think About in Your Home Environment Before You Bring a New Dog Home

Have you looked at your home - soon to be your new dog's home - through your dog's eyes? It's one of the first things you'll want to do before your dog's arrival so you can set up everyone for success in your life together.

You'll learn how to do an audit of your home with a fresh eye for what will help your dog feel and be safe, secure, and comfortable in this all-new world - or what might trigger fearfulness or keep your dog from settling in.

To get started with your dog's eye-view audit and how to help your pup feel at home and supported, jump into this guide here with Dogly Advocate Ruby Leslie.

New Pet Guide 3: How to Help Your New Dog Settle into Your Home

If you're wondering how long it will take your new dog to settle in, you're not alone among new dog owners. Every dog is an individual but a few tried-and-true "rules" can help all dogs have a smoother transition on the way to feeling fully, happy at home.

Dogly Advocate Ruby Leslie, who has years of experience working with rescues and pet parents, takes you step by step through the "rule of 3," what to expect the first 3 days, 3 weeks, and 3 months, tips on house training, how to decode signs of fear, stress and other health concerns. And most of all, how to understand what your dog needs when and what to do.

Get started learning all the ways to understand and support your new dog here.

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New Pet Guide 4:  How to Have a Good First Day with Your New Dog

What could be more exciting than the very first day your dog comes home to start a whole new life with you? It's also likely to be pretty overwhelming for your dog on top of all the joy and excitement.

Learn how to set up your dog and everyone in your family to make the first day a good, comfortable and happy one starting with the car ride home to a calm, content first night in this moment-by-moment guide alongside Dogly Training Advocate Ruby Leslie.

New Pet Guide 5: How to Have a Good First Week with Your New Dog

After you've prepped for your dog's arrival and had a successful first day, on to a great first week with more decompression and helping your dog get more comfortable and confident each day.

You'll learn the helpful dos and don'ts for this first week and the dog trainer pro tips underscoring them - like the science behind why sniffing is great relaxation and mental stimulation for a healthy dog overall. Sniffy walks and even plenty of sniffing around your home are a wonderful, de-stressing "do" to enjoy together!

Check out the guide to a good first week with your dog here from Dogly Advocate Ruby Leslie.

New Pet Guide 6: 2 Games You Should Teach Your Dog in Your First Week Together

Almost every pet parent wonders what kind of dog training they should be doing in the early days of dog ownership. Good dog trainers will tell you to hold off on formal positive reinforcement training during this first week and think instead about learning through play and gentle, positive guidance instead.

In this guide in the series, Dogly Advocate Ruby Leslie shares 2 favorite games every new dog parent should know: the Name Game and the Pendulum/Orientation Game and why they're so helpful in building your dog's confidence and bond with you.

Dive in here to learn and enjoy these confidence-builders with your dog.

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New Pet Guide 7: Why Enrichment Matters More Than Dog Training in the First Week

With dog trainers recommending enrichment over structured dog training during the first week at home, many dog owners often ask why, and what exactly is enrichment, and how to do it.

Dogly Training Advocate Ruby Leslie takes you step by step through the science behind sniffing, licking, chewing, and stress relief for your dog, along with how-to examples of fun, enriching exercises, and the 3-step secret to supporting your dog successfully with mental enrichment.

Get started here with the many ways you can support your pet's health emotionally and physically through enrichment - especially in this important first week. Have fun!

New Pet Guide 8: 3 Most Important Starter Training Tips

Certified positive dog trainers know the real secret to any successful dog training process is training ourselves to "think dog." It's true whatever your situation and your dog - adult dogs and puppies, female dogs, male dogs, all sizes and shapes - and especially important when you're bringing a new dog into your life.

In this guide from Dogly Advocate Ruby Leslie, you'll learn how to "think dog" along with pro tips in the 3 key areas where it can help you anticipate how to support your dog: 1) helping your dog make your home his/her home, 2) reading your dog's body language, 3) understanding and managing resource guarding.

When you're ready to "think dog" to help yours settle in and thrive, you can get started here.

Once you've been through the first 8 guides in the New Pet Channel, you should be well grounded in how to set up your dog (and you) for success in advance, upon arrival, and in your early days and weeks together.

Now to address another important interaction sure to come up eventually: How to set everyone up for equally smooth dog-to-dog introductions in a series of 4 step-by-step guides ...

New Pet Guide 9: The 3 Steps to Introducing Dogs to Each Other

With so much newness in your dog's life, you won't want to introduce your pup to other dogs too soon unnecessarily. But if you're lucky enough to already have dogs in your family, of course, you'll want to intro all your family members gradually and comfortably. How do you do that?

Certified positive reinforcement dog trainer and Dogly Advocate Tiffany Baker explains how dog trainers do it with "scent before sight, sight before touch," starting with separation and decompression.

You'll learn how to familiarize your dogs with each other's scents in step 1, followed by sight at a distance in step 2, before eventually moving to getting closer with touch in step 3 - all with positive reinforcement throughout (treats!).

When you're ready to introduce your family dogs, jump into this guide and accompanying video here.

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New Pet Guide 10: How to Avoid 7 Common Dog Introduction Mistakes

When you're starting to plan how to introduce your dog to other dogs, it helps to know the common mistakes even the most responsible pet owner can make naturally so you can avoid them.

In this guide, Dogly Training Advocate Ruby Leslie helps you think about what meeting & greeting feels like from your dog's perspective plus the 7 most frequent mistakes and what you should do instead. Check out the full guide here to know what NOT to do and what TO do in dog introductions.

New Pet Guide 11: How to Introduce Your New Dog to Resident Dogs with Parallel Walks

Introducing your new dog to other dogs with parallel walks is incredibly useful for a range of situations. Actually parallel walks can be great for any dogs who may be unfamiliar or not totally comfortable with each other yet.

You'll learn why parallel walks work, when to use them, and how to do them step by step with your dog - plus watch-outs on what to avoid and behaviors you're AIMING FOR on parallel walks.

You can get started here to add this super versatile skill to your and your dog's repertoire, under the guidance of Dogly Advocate Ruby Leslie.

New Pet Guide 12: How to Enjoy Dog Playdates Safely

Most dogs are social creatures. Playdates when your dog is ready can be a wonderful opportunity to let your dog enjoy the sheer joy of being a dog with another dog. How do you plan for all the fun while keeping your dog safe at the same time?

You'll find out with step-by-step tips on how to choose your location and your playdate partner (and why), things to watch for that ensure safe dog play, how to spot early warning signs of concerns and what to do when you need to get things back on track (or when to start fresh another day!).

Positive reinforcement dog trainer and Dogly Advocate Tiffany Baker takes you through it all in this guide with accompanying video showing these pro tips in real life.

Get started with planning your dog's playdates safely here.

That's the New Pet Channel here on Dogly!

If you've gone through each guide in the New Pet Channel, you and your new dog should have a solid foundation for a successful beginning to your dog's settling into his or her new life with you and your family (humans and dogs). Congrats!

If you're just getting started, that's great too. A good starting point is essentials you need before bringing your new dog home followed by the other 11 guides in the series, finishing with how to enjoy playdates with other dogs safely.

New Pet is just one of many channels here on Dogly. Be sure to check out other channels like Anxiety in Training, Basic Nutrition in Nutrition, or Allergies in Wellness to learn everything you need to know about your dog's training, nutrition, and overall wellness.

And, as always, you can speak with or work with any of the Advocates on Dogly if you ever need more personalized help. Don't go through stuff alone with your dog, we're here for you!