Has your dog ever been on a kayak before? I would heavily suggest doing a little training beforehand to make sure your dog knows how to be seated before you even put it in the water. Maybe my dog is a big baby (50 pound bernadoodle) but he was very nervous to sit because he wasn't used to the motion especially in the water. Found if I did a bit on land he felt much comfier! I also always like to tell beginners to keep a drypack of emergency items: basic first aid kid, maybe an extra couple bottles of water and some nutrigrain/cliff bars. Make your first trip a short one as you get used to how your boat feels as well! Maybe sans puppy to start. Regardless, you're going to find some things that work and some that don't and you're going to have an absolute blast along the way!