Before bringing your puppy home, you'll need to "puppy proof" your house. Puppies are like babies: they want to explore every corner of your house, and they want to put everything into their mouths.
Poisonous household items
Make sure all poisonous household items are securely stored out of the puppy's reach.
Place all household cleaners, insecticides, fertilizers, mothballs, antifreeze, insect poisons, rat poisons and other items in cabinets or on high shelves. Remember, as your new puppy grows, he will be able to explore higher places and be tempted to jump up on shelves.
Check your plants
Many plants in and around your house can be harmful to your pup. Did you know that the pits of apricots and peaches, as well as spinach and tomato vines, can make your puppy sick and, in large dosages, can even be fatal? For a more complete list of plants that are dangerous to dogs, consult your veterinarian.

Get down on all fours and look around. Are there any dangling electric cords, loose nails, plastic bags or other tempting objects that will be in puppy's reach? If there are, be sure to put them away immediately.
Keep your toilet lid down
Puppies are often tempted to play in toilet bowl water. This can be a hard habit to break and toilet cleanser may be harmful if swallowed.
Some Additional Tips
Never leave your puppy unsupervised inside or outside, and keep him off balconies, upper porches and high decks where he can slip through openings and fall.
Unplug, remove or cover any electrical cords in your puppy's confinement area. It is also a good idea to cover electrical outlets, when they are not in use.
Keep buttons, string, sewing needles, pins and other sharp objects out of your puppy's reach.
Tying ribbons around your puppy's neck could choke him if the ribbon gets caught on a fence or other object.

A good rule to follow is that anything that is not safe for children is not safe for pets
That's shocking- Young animals love to chew when they're teething. Keep electrical wires out of reach, or use a pet-repellent spray.

 

Please put your pup in an environment it can't destroy. Puppies are too immature to handle temptations. Depending on the breed, most dogs begin to gain the maturity to handle short stints with mild temptations when they're about 6 months old. Consider the analogy with a baby, where you keep it in a crib, stroller, or pen if you are not holding it.
It is essential to puppy-proof your home. You should think of it in the same way as child-proofing your house but be more thorough about it. Puppies are smaller and more active than babies and have sharp teeth and claws. Things of especial concern are electric wires. If you can get through the puppy stages without having your pup get a shock from chewing a wire you are doing a great job! When puppy proofing your home, get down on your hands and knees (or lower if possible) and consider things from this angle. What looks enticing, what is breakable, what is sharp, etc. The most important things are watching the puppy and, of course, crating it or otherwise restraining it when you can't watch it.

 

Another step in puppy proofing is house proofing the puppy. Teach it what is and isn't chewable. The single most effective way to do this is by having a ready supply of chewable items on hand. When the puppy starts to chew on an unacceptable item (be it a chair, rug, or human hand), remove the item from the puppy's mouth with a stern, "NO!" and replace it with a chew toy and praise the puppy for playing with the toy. If you are consistent about this, the puppy will get the idea that only the things you give it are to be chewed on! Don't stint on the praise, and keep the "No!" to a single calm, sharp noise -- don't yell or scream the word.
There are some products that can help make items unpalatable and thus aid in your training. Bitter Apple and Bitter Orange (available at most pet stores) impart a bitter taste to many things without staining, etc. You should not depend on these products to keep your puppy safe, but use them as a training aid.

 

Teething
Around 4 to 5 months of age, puppies will start to get their permanent teeth. There are several things you can do, both to ease the pain and control the chewing.
Make some chicken soup (low sodium variety or make it yourself) ice cubes and give them to the puppy.
Soak a clean rag in water, wring it out and then freeze it (rolling it up helps) and give it to your puppy to chew on.
Soften the kibble a bit with water.
Discourage biting on your arm or hand for comfort.
Puppies lose their teeth in a distinct pattern: first the small front teeth come out. Then the premolars just behind the canines. Then the molars in the back come out (and you'll see adult molars behind those erupting as well). Finally the canine teeth come out. Sometimes the adult canines erupt before the baby canines have come all the way out.
During this time, some discomfort, including bleeding gums is to be expected. Your puppy will want to chew more during this period of time, but it may also be too painful to do so (hence the suggestions above). You will probably find few if any of the teeth your puppy loses, as puppies typically swallow them.

 

Housetraining
If the dog makes a mess in the house - slap YOURSELF. You didn't do your job, and that's in no way the dog's fault. You let him down. If you can't keep supervise him without help, tether him to you. That way he can't "wander off".
--Mary Healy
The idea is to take advantage of a rule of dog behavior: a dog will not generally eliminate where it sleeps. Exceptions to this rule are:
Dogs that are in crates that are too large (so the dog can eliminate at one end and sleep at the other end).

Dogs that have lived in small cages in pet stores during critical phases of development and have had to learn to eliminate in the cage.
Dogs that have blankets or other soft, absorbent items in the crate with them.
Dogs that are left for too long in the crate and cannot hold it any longer.
If the crate is too big (because you got an adult size one), you can partition the crate off with pegboard wired to the sides to make the crate the correct size, and move it back as your puppy grows. RC Steele also sells crate dividers.
To house train a dog using a crate, establish a schedule where the dog is either outside or in its crate when it feels the need to eliminate.

Using a mild correction (saying "No" in a firm, even tone) when the dog eliminates inside and exuberant, wild praise when the dog eliminates outside will eventually teach the dog that it is better to go outside than in. Some owners correct more severely inside, but this is extremely detrimental to the character of puppies. To make the dog notice the difference between eliminating inside and outside, you must praise more outside rather than correcting more inside.
The crate is crucial because the dog will "hold it" while in the crate, so it is likely to have to eliminate when it is taken out. Since you know when your dog has to eliminate, you take it out and it eliminates immediately, and is praised immediately. Doing this consistently is ideal reinforcement for the behavior of going out to eliminate. In addition, the dog is always supervised in the house, so the dog is always corrected for eliminating indoors. This strengthens the inhibition against eliminating inside.
In general, consistency is MUCH more important than severe corrections when training a dog. Before a dog understands what you want, severe corrections are not useful and can be quite DETRIMENTAL. Crating allows the owner to have total control over the dog in order to achieve consistency. Hopefully, this will prevent the need (and the desire) to use more severe corrections.

Housetraining is relatively simple with puppies. The most important thing to understand is that it takes time. Young puppies cannot wait to go to the bathroom. When they have to go, they have to go NOW. Therefore, until they are about four or five months old, you can only encourage good behavior and try to prevent bad behavior. This is accomplished by the following regime.
First rule of housetraining: puppies have to go to the bathroom immediately upon waking up.
Second rule of housetraining: puppies have to go to the bathroom immediately after eating.
With these two rules goes the indisputable fact that until a puppy is housetrained, you MUST confine them or watch them to prevent accidents.

This means that the puppy should have a place to sleep where it cannot get out. Understand that a puppy cannot go all night without eliminating, so when it cries in the night, you must get up and take it out and wait until it goes. Then enthusiastically praise it and put it back to bed. In the morning, take it out again and let it do its stuff and praise it. After it is fed and after it wakes up at any point, take it out to eliminate.
Make it aware that this is not play time, but understand that puppies get pretty excited about things like grass and snails and leaves and forget what they came outside to do! Use the same spot each time if you can, the smell will help the puppy remember what it is to do, especially after 12 weeks of age.

To make life easier for you later on, use a key phrase just when the puppy starts to eliminate. Try "hurry up," "do it," or some similar phrase (pick one and use it). The puppy will begin to eliminate on command, and this can be especially useful later, such as making sure the dog eliminates before a car ride or a walk in the park.

Don't let the puppy loose in the house unless it has just gone outside, and/or you are watching it extremely closely for signs that it has to go. The key to housetraining is preventing accidents. If no accidents occur (ha!), then the dog never learns it has an option other than going outside. When you are at home, rather than leave the pup in the crate, you can "tether" the puppy to you -- use a six foot long leash and tie it to your belt. That way he can't get out of your site in the house and go in the wrong place.
Crying at Night

Your puppy wants to be with the rest of the "pack" at bedtime. This behavior is highly adaptive from the standpoint of dog behavior. When a puppy becomes separated from its pack it will whine, thereby allowing it to be found and returned to the rest of the group. This is why so many books on puppies and dog behavior strongly recommend that you allow your puppy/dog to sleep with you in your room to reduce the liklihood of crying at night.

Try moving the crate into your bedroom. If your puppy whines, first make sure it doesn't have to go outside to eliminate. This means getting up and taking it outside. If it whines again, or doesn't need to go outside, bang your hand on the crate door and say something like "NO, SLEEP" or "NO, QUIET". If the puppy continues to whine, try giving it a toy or chew toy and then simply ignore any continued whining. If you don't reinforce the whining by comforting it (other than to take it outside -- which is OK), it will eventually learn to settle down. Also, be sure to have a vigorous play session JUST BEFORE you are going to go to bed. This should poop it out and it will sleep much more soundly.

Alternatively, you can designate a spot for your puppy on the bedroom floor. Keep the door closed or put a leash on it to keep it close to the bed. When it whines or moves about, take it out to eliminate. Otherwise, as above, say "NO, SLEEP."

Puppies that cannot sleep in the bedroom for whatever reason may be comforted by a ticking clock nearby, and a t-shirt of yours from the laundry.

 

Rapid panting, hot skin, twitching muscles, a dazed look. Wrap them in a towel soaked with cool, not cold, water. In severe cases, place them in the bathtub. Heatstroke can be fatal. See your vet as soon as possible.

NEVER, EVER leave your pet in a PARKED CAR- Not even if you crack the windows or park in the shade. On a 70F day, the car temperature can rise above 150F in minutes. It's EXTREMELY dangerous. And the Number One cause of heatstroke. Keep Vaccinations up-to-date- This is the time when most pets come in contact with other animals, at parks, campgrounds, etc. Always provide Plenty of Fresh Water- Dogs can only sweat through the pads of their feet and by panting. Evaporation from the wet surfaces of their mouth and nose helps lower body temperature. Stop External Parasites Before They Bite- Fleas, ticks and ear mites thrive in warm, humid environments. See your vet for a preventative program. Also avoid Internal Parasites- Be sure your dog has been heartworm tested and is on a preventative program. Watch for Hot Pavement and Beaches- Sensitive paws burn easily. Find a COOL Spot- For indoor pets, keep the air circulating with a child-proof fan or air conditioner. Provide shade for outdoor pets. And a gentle sprinkle from a hose is always appreciated. The Streets Aren't Safe- Don't let your pet roam. Just in case-make sure your pet is licensed. Veterinarians see twice as many fight injuries and bite wounds in summer. And, of course, your pet is no match for a car. The Yard isn't always Safe, Either- Be cautious of pesticides and herbicides. Read the precautions for lawn chemicals carefully and keep pets away from newly treated lawns. If pets come in contact with chemicals, wash their feet, abdomen and chest thoroughly, then contact your vet. Brush after Every Heel- Frequent brushing provides early warning of parasites and skin infections by lifting the coat, permitting a view of the skin below. It's Allergy Season- People sneeze. Pets scratch. Common pet allergies include pollen, grass and weeds. If your pet scratches excessively or chews its paws, take it to the vet for an exam. Watch the Exercise and Diet- Don't encourage exercise during the hottest part of the day. And let them eat less. Overeating can lead to overheating. Not Every Dog Paddles Well- Animals in the water for the first time should be eased in, never thrown or chased in. Don't let them drink from pools, streams or the ocean. And, if they swim, rinse them off. Salt and minerals can damage a dog's coat.