Products I Recommend ...
Bringing home a new puppy can be overwhelming especially when you go to the pet store and are faced with the many choices. There are so many different products it is hard to know which one is the right one. Which ones do you actually need for your new puppy? I have put together a list of product that I recommend with links to them to help you out at the bottom of the page. I am not an Amazon affiliate this is just a list to help you out. This can give you an idea on what to have on hand when your puppy comes home. I find it fun to shop for a new puppy myself but after talking to others I realized that not everyone is like me. I love the thrill of researching the best product for my new puppy and what works best for our household. I hope this list is a help to you when you are out shopping. You can get everything at once and have it when you bring your new puppy home or you can just get the basics and slowly add to your supplies on an as needed basis.
THE BASIC PUPPY SUPPLIES…
Puppy Safe Play Area
If you are interesting in setting up a safe puppy play area in your home you want to make sure you have an area that is easily cleaned. No carpet! If you only have carpet you can go to Lowes or Home Depot and get a piece of linoleum remnant to lay down over your carpet.
You can set it up in a main room like a family room or living room you or you can set this up without the fence in a small room like a bathroom or something similar. This is the place that the puppy goes if you can’t be actively watching the puppy. Some people prefer to go straight to crate training vs continuing to use the litter box. I do not recommend this set up unless you still have the litter box available for them to use. I like to use this set up until the puppy is completely house trained. This gives peace of mind that the puppy is not getting into trouble and creating bad habits that you will have to undo later. I also like this set up because if you leave the crate door open at night that means you don’t have to get up with the puppy multiple times a night as it is potty training.
The litter box I use is from Petco. It is a Large Dog Litter Box the Brand is So Phresh. You can also use a plastic underbed storage container.
I recommend using So Phresh Dog Litter with Oder Control Paper Pellets for the Litter Box. This is also found at Petco.
I like the IRIS 8 panel 34” Pet Playpen because it doesn’t scratch my floors. But it is bulkier to store once you are done with it. Any type of enclosure similar to this will work. I do recommend buying at least a 34” because even the small puppies can learn to climb out quickly if it is shorter.
Wire crate with a divider.
Some people feel that you shouldn’t use a crate because they feel that it is mean to the puppy. As long as it is never used as a punishment and used correctly most dogs actually love their crates. A crate is a place that they can go to relax. It is like their den would be in the wild. A crate is a wonderful potty training tool as well. Dogs do not like to soil where they sleep. The crate should be large enough for the puppy or dog to stand up without having to hunch, lie on its side with legs outstretched, and turn around with ease. But it shouldn’t be any bigger during the potty training process. If it is then the puppy will simply use one end for its bed and the other for the bathroom. This is where the divider comes in handy. You can buy a large crate but it can grow with the puppy until you don’t need the divider any longer. For standards I recommend getting a 42” crate and for miniatures a 24” and toy size a 18”. They will want to potty the minute they come out so this will become a wonderful opportunity for a potty training lesson. Every time they come out of the crate they immediately go to the potty spot and do their business. You then reward them with a treat or just getting excited and praising them works too.
Crate Mat or Bed
I don’t recommend putting a puppy bed in the crate until they are crate trained because it is important that it stays clean and doesn’t ever smell like pee. But it is important to make it comfortable for them. For the first few weeks I just use old towels or old baby blankets in the bottom of the crate. That way if they do have an accident in the crate it is easy to pull it out and toss a fresh one in. Once they are fully crate trained then you can get a bed to put in the bottom of the crate. I just plan to change it out and put a fresh one in every morning for the first few week so that no accident is missed and they are sleeping on a dirty bed.
Shampoo and Conditioner
The shampoo and conditioner that I used to use has been discontinued. I have not found one that I absolutely love yet. I will update when I do.
Collars and Leashes
I like to buy my collars and leashes from Lupinepet linked here because they have a guarantee that they will replace even if chewed. Puppies do chew so this is pretty cool to me. There are many different types of collars and it just depends on your personal preference on style.
Harness - I don’t typically recommend a harness as we want to train all dogs to not pull on a leash from the very beginning and a harness can encourage pulling. But if you want to go ahead with a harness I do recommend on that the leash clips on at the chest instead of their back. This means that if the puppy starts to pull it will just be turned around in a circle instead of leaning into the harness like a sled dog.
Basic Slip Lead - I recommend having a few of these around. I like to have one in my car or maybe hanging beside the front door for the moment that nobody wants to happen but is usually does. Someone opens the door and the dog slips out without the collar. Its nice to have around because it works for both a collar and a leash.
Nylon leash - Just a basic nylon leash is good. Its all a matter of personal preference here. Whatever you prefer to hold.
Leather training leash - Especially for a standard puppy I recommend getting a 6 ft leather training leash. They are wonderful and last a long time.
Food and Water Bowls
I like to get the stainless steel no tip water bowls right from the beginning so your puppy never learns how fun it is to play in their water and dump it.
Another food and water bowl set that I have that I really like it is the Neater Feeders
Dog Food
There is a lot of controversy over which is the best dog food out there. I have done a lot of research myself and I have currently settled on Kirkland’s Signature Nature’s Domain Puppy Formula. It is the blue bag with the husky on the front. You can buy this from Costco or Amazon. Please double check before buying any food to make sure this is what your puppy is currently eating as there has been supply issues sometimes so we have sometimes used other kinds.
Chew Toys
Puppies will chew! You can either provide them with acceptable things to chew on or they will find their own. I like to keep a basket of toys in the living room so that if I see them starting to chew on something I would rather they didn’t I can just grab one of theirs and trade them. I also try to keep at least one toy or bone in their crate.
Elk Antlers
My #1 recommended bone or chew toy is elk antlers. Antlers Last Forever! They are spendy but So Worth it because they last for months! Antler chews are natural, healthy, odor-free and long-lasting chew toys that will help keep your dog busy and out of trouble and will help to keep his teeth clean. I don't recommend rawhide bones because they can get soft and splinter when the puppies chew on them. I used to get cow hoofs for our dogs because they would just slowly wear away at them. But the SMELL! I couldn’t seem to find any that didn’t smell awful as soon as they started chewing on them. And then their breath was horrible too! When I was pregnant and super nauseated I said enough was enough and banned them from the house. I really wanted to find a better alternative and was thrilled when I stumbled on the Elk Antlers. They are definitely a must have at our house. I would buy the split antlers for the first time to show them how yummy they are. They like chewing on the marrow best. After that I would just get the whole antlers as they last longer. I get mine from michiganantlerart.com
Himalayan Dog Chew
The Himalayan chew is a combination of cow and goat cheeses, which is smoked for 7 months to produce a very hard chew which softens with puppy slobber. It does not stain, smell, or splinter. The only potential risk is a choking hazard as the chew gets small (what bone doesn’t have this risk?). I learned a neat trick from a blog not long ago that I thought I would pass on.
DON’T throw away the treat. When it gets so small you worry about choking, take it away and let it dry then microwave it for 10-15 seconds. The small chunck will get 3+ times larger, and will be less dense as a result. Now it is safe again to give to your pet as a quick treat. This way there is no waste, and your pet enjoys every last bit of it.
Rope toys
I like to have a few different types of rope toys available
I like Kong Brand Toys as well.
It is fun to go to Petsmart to Petco and look around at their toys and pick up a few of your favorites to try out. We keep a variety of different toys at all times and one will be a favorite for awhile than another. So like to have a lot of different options on hand so they don’t get bored and start chewing on my furniture.
