Checklists Adult dog
Adopting an adult dog: first-week checklist (India)
An adult dog arrives with habits, a history and sometimes worries. The first week is about learning who they are: what they eat, how they toilet, how they react to people and other animals, while you keep things predictable. Tick items as you go; ticks stay in this browser only.
Adult dog: first-week checklist
17 items
Before the dog comes home
Day one
Rest of the first week
WSAVA treats rabies vaccine as core wherever rabies is endemic, and leptospirosis vaccine as core where canine leptospirosis is endemic and suitable vaccines exist.
Source: WSAVA vaccination guidelines 2024. Checked 26 October 2026.
Tropical parasite guidelines advise monthly deworming for adult dogs and protection from ticks and other ectoparasites throughout the year.
Sources: TroCCAP canine worm guidelines (tropics); TroCCAP tick and flea guidelines (tropics). Checked 26 October 2026.
Source: TroCCAP tick and flea guidelines (tropics). Checked 26 October 2026.
Cornell’s canine health centre advises avoiding walks during the hottest part of the day and never leaving a dog unattended in a car; heatstroke is a medical emergency.
Source: Cornell: heatstroke in dogs. Checked 26 October 2026.
Cornell advises choosing trainers who use positive reinforcement and avoiding harsh, punitive methods.
Source: Cornell: anxious behaviour in dogs. Checked 26 October 2026.
Your ticks are saved only in this browser on this device. Download or print a copy to keep it elsewhere.
Common first-week questions
The dog’s vaccination history is unknown. What happens now?
Tell your vet. WSAVA’s aim is for every dog to receive the core vaccines, and it supports antibody (serology) testing in some situations to check protection. Your vet will decide which vaccines and tests suit your dog.
Source: WSAVA vaccination guidelines 2024. Checked 26 October 2026.
Does an adult dog need every vaccine every year?
Not necessarily. WSAVA says core vaccines should not be given more often than necessary in adults, because modern modified-live core vaccines protect for many years, while most non-core vaccines last about a year. It recommends a yearly health check rather than a “vaccination visit”. Your vet sets the actual schedule.
Source: WSAVA vaccination guidelines 2024. Checked 26 October 2026.
How do I walk a new dog safely in summer?
Cornell’s canine health centre advises avoiding strenuous exercise in hot, humid weather, walking outside the hottest part of the day, giving shade and plenty of chances to drink, and never leaving a dog alone in a car.
Source: Cornell: heatstroke in dogs. Checked 26 October 2026.
Things to have ready
Our essentials list explains what to check for each product type. A starting set for this pet:
Sources for this page
- 2024 Guidelines for the Vaccination of Dogs and Cats, executive summary, World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Vaccination Guidelines Group (2024). Checked 26 October 2026.
- Guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and control of canine endoparasites in the tropics, second edition, Tropical Council for Companion Animal Parasites (TroCCAP) (March 2019). Checked 26 October 2026.
- Guidelines for the control of ectoparasites of dogs and cats in the tropics, first edition, Tropical Council for Companion Animal Parasites (TroCCAP) (1 January 2022). Checked 26 October 2026.
- Heatstroke: a medical emergency, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Riney Canine Health Center. Checked 26 October 2026.
- Anxious behavior: how to help your dog cope with unsettling situations, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Riney Canine Health Center (last updated 23 December 2025). Checked 26 October 2026.