coolstuffwithcoco

The day-by-day plan for your rescue dog's first 30 days

The cover of The First 30 Days.

What to do the first night, the first week, and when things go sideways.

$30, a 38-page PDF with 14 printable pages. Instant download.

Get the plan for $30
  • 14-day money-back guarantee, no reason needed.
  • $5 of every copy goes to Arizona Animal Welfare League in Phoenix.

Sound familiar?

By the end of the first month, this is what dog adopters said was going wrong, in a US survey of more than 22,000 new adopters. Each one has its own page.

  • 34%Play biting and jumping upPage 15
  • 32%Accidents in the housePage 14
  • 28%Pulling on the leadPage 16
  • 24%Struggling when left alonePage 18
  • 14%Fearful, timid or hidingPage 26

And in the first three days? Hiding, not eating and sleeping all day are mostly normal. Page 11 says which signs aren't.

Shelter to Home surveys (2026): more than 22,000 adopters from 112 US shelters and rescues. Month-one figures for dog adopters.

38 pages, in the order you'll need them

Start where you are. Bringing them home this week, home a few days, or something's wrong right now: the contents page sends you to the right page.

Page 10 of the guide.
Page 10: the drive home and the first night, step by step.
Page 11 of the guide.
Page 11: what's normal in the first three days, and what needs a vet.
Page 14 of the guide.
Page 14: house-training, with a 14-day log to print.
  1. Part 1. Before they come home, or tonightpp. 5–10
  2. Part 2. Days 1 to 3pp. 11–12
  3. Part 3. Weeks 1 to 3pp. 13–21
  4. Part 4. Your householdpp. 22–24
  5. Part 5. Your life, your dogpp. 25–28
  6. Part 6. When it's hardpp. 29–33
  7. Part 7. Keep thispp. 34–35
See all 31 sections, page by page

Part 1: Before they come home, or tonight

  1. Is your home ready?5
  2. The quiet room6
  3. The chip, the tag and the door rule7
  4. The shopping list8
  5. Ask the rescue9
  6. The drive home and the first night10

Part 2: Days 1 to 3

  1. Normal, or call the vet?11
  2. A boring day that works12

Part 3: Weeks 1 to 3

  1. The first vet visit13
  2. House-training, and the log14
  3. Play biting and jumping up15
  4. Walks: pulling, sniffing and long lines16
  5. The enrichment menu, and chewing17
  6. Alone time: the ladder and the log18
  7. Sleep, rest and crates19
  8. Scared or settling: reading their body20
  9. Keep their world small21

Part 4: Your household

  1. Meeting the dog who already lives here22
  2. Meeting the cat23
  3. Kids and dogs: the house rules24

Part 5: Your life, your dog

  1. On your own, or in an apartment25
  2. A senior or a shy dog26
  3. Hot weather, from a flat-faced expert27
  4. The first-year budget28

Part 6: When it's hard

  1. What the shelter might not know29
  2. Adoption shock, and asking for help early30
  3. When to call a vet or a certified behaviourist31
  4. Before you call: the incident log32
  5. If they go missing: the first hour33

Part 7: Keep this

  1. The 3-3-3 quick card34
  2. The 30-day tracker35

Read a page before you buy

This is page 34, the 3-3-3 quick card, exactly as it prints. Stick it on the fridge. It's yours either way.

Tap the page to open it full size.

Page 34 of the guide, the 3-3-3 quick card: 3 days to decompress, 3 weeks to settle in, 3 months to feel at home, and the five things that matter most.

Rescues give tips away. Why pay $30?

Free advice is good, and your rescue's advice comes first. This puts it in order and fills the gaps.

Free articlesThe First 30 Days

The shape of it

Tips, one topic at a time

A plan in the order you'll need it: before they arrive, the first night, days 1 to 3, weeks 1 to 3

When to worry

“Call your vet if you're concerned”

Pages 11 and 31 say which signs are normal, which need a vet, and which need a certified behaviourist

Your household

Written for any dog, anywhere

Pages for the dog already at home, the cat, kids, apartments, seniors and shy dogs

Keeping track

Nothing to print

14 printables: the 30-day tracker, the house-training log, the alone-time ladder, the incident log

Who's behind it

Written by Coco's human, from published research and the advice of vets, behaviourists and the big rescue organisations. Every number in it says where it's from. The sources are on page 37, checked in September 2026.

Coco is the French Bulldog on the cover. She hosts, and she has opinions about the quiet room.

General guidance for dog owners — not veterinary or behavioural advice. If your dog's distress is severe, or there's any bite risk around a child, that's a conversation for your vet or a qualified behaviourist.

Where your $5 goes

Arizona Animal Welfare League. Founded in Phoenix in 1971, it calls itself Arizona's oldest and largest no-kill shelter.

We chose Arizona Animal Welfare League ourselves. They haven't reviewed or endorsed this guide.

Every copy sends $5, with no cap. We pay the rescue by the 20th of each month and post their receipt on our giving page, so you can check.

The First 30 Days

  • A 38-page PDF: the plan for the first night, the first week and the first month
  • 14 printable pages, from the 30-day tracker to the incident log
  • Instant download, and a copy by email

$30

About 50¢ a day for the month it covers.

Get the plan for $30

14-day money-back guarantee. Email us and we refund it, no reason needed.

$5 of your $30 goes to Arizona Animal Welfare League Inc, a 501(c)(3) charity in Phoenix, Arizona, for every copy sold from 7 October 2026 to 31 December 2026. No cap: every copy counts, and refunded orders aren't. We pay by the 20th of each month and post the receipt at coolstuffwithcoco.com/giving.

Questions, answered straight

Is this right for my dog?
Yes, if you've just adopted a dog of any age from a shelter or rescue, or you're about to.
It's written for the first month in a new home. Page 26 covers seniors and shy dogs, and page 25 covers living alone or in an apartment. A brand-new puppy needs a puppy course for teething and socialising as well.
What do I get, and when?
A 38-page PDF, straight away on the page after you pay, and a copy by email.
14 of the pages are printables. It works on a phone, and every line on the contents page links to its page.
Is this vet advice?
No. It's general guidance, and it tells you when to call a vet or a certified behaviourist instead.
Page 31 is that list. Every statistic says where it's from, and the sources were checked in September 2026 (page 37).
What if it doesn't help?
Email us within 14 days for a full refund. You don't need to give a reason.
How do I know the $5 reaches the rescue?
We pay the rescue by the 20th of each month and post their receipt at coolstuffwithcoco.com/giving.
Every copy counts, with no cap. Refunded orders aren't counted.

Day one is easier with a plan. So is day twelve.

Get the plan for $30