Your puppy might be overwhelmed at having been removed from her mother and her litter, her trip to the veterinarian, and the trip home. Before you bring her into the house, give her the opportunity to go to the bathroom. If you have a yard and have selected a place in the yard where you'd like her to potty, take her to that spot. When she pees or poops, praise her sweetly but not too enthusiastically — you don't want to startle her. Then give her a treat.

Once in the house, chances are your tired puppy will need a nap. Bring her into the house and show her where to find her crate and her water bowl. She may settle right down. If not, let her explore, keeping a very close eye on her. Until she's reliably housetrained, she should not have full run of the house. If you see her squat to pee or poop, gently pick her up and take her outside.

Try to keep your home calm this first day. If you have kids, they'll likely be excited and want to play with the new poodle, but explain to them that the puppy needs some quiet time. Don't let them bring their friends over to meet the puppy until she has had a chance to rest.

Sometimes a coat or sweatshirt can help a poodle handle the elements.

Once your pup has napped, take her outside to potty. Then, when she's empty and raring to go, let your kids play with her (or play with her yourself), keeping everything happy and upbeat so you don't frighten the pup. You'll know soon enough whether your particular puppy is easily frightened. If your puppy chooses to chew on your hand or other body part (or your clothes) during play, calmly remove yourself and give her an appropriate chew toy.

Puppies are like babies. They wear out quickly. Be sure you give your puppy ample time to nap. When you can't supervise your poodle pup, put her in her crate for a little R&R. Be sure and take her out frequently to pee.