Did you just decide to bring a new puppy into your home? Well here is a list of things you may not realize you need for the new addition to the family. Whether you know it or not you have a new baby that needs to be fed, played with, trained, and even clothed. So I have made things a little easier for you by putting everything in one place so you can shop for your new fur baby from my website and in the comfort of your own home. I am a proud pet owner and I am now raising a puppy for the fourth time! And even I didn't remember everything I needed in the beginning. So scroll down and I have listed some must haves along with an explanation for why you need it!
1. PEE PEE PADS
Ok so the first thing you need to make sure you have is a pack of pee pee pads because your puppy is not trained yet and he/she will have to pee and if you do not have a designated spot for your baby to pee...well I think you know what is going to happen so just think of it as a pamper like when you have a baby. The baby will pee and does not know to go to the toilet yet. So until then you will place a pee pee pad in a designated spot and that is where you will train your puppy to go until he/she is old enough to be trained to go out side.
2. DOG CRATE
The crate is very important because this is how you protect your puppy from hurting their self by eating something harmful or going into a place that has items in it that cut harm them or fall on them. Just think of the crate as you would a crib for an infant. You will make the crate a comfortable place for them that they associate with safety and where they will sleep. The crate is not to be used as a jail. It is supposed to be a warm, cozy, familiar place for them to call home inside your home. When I tell my dog to go in her crate I say "Go in your house" and inside her house is her bed, a blanket, and her favorite toy. The crate is not a punishment...it is a safety net. Unless your dog is a small breed...I recommend buying the largest size crate because your puppy is going to grow larger and can grow up to an adult dog with the same crate. I have two crates for my dog because if I want to go to another floor of the house I will have a similar set up for my dog so she can be with me without me having to drag the crate up and down the steps but that's just me. So you can just start off with at least one crate.
3. DOG BED
4. DOG TOYS
STUFFED ANIMALS
You will be so tempted to buy every cute little stuffed animal on the planet for your puppy but there are some things you need to consider when purchasing toys for your puppy. The stuffing is very dangerous for a dog as they cannot process this material if it is eaten. The dog will tear up the toy. it is their instinct. Most toys have a squeaker inside it and the dog tears up the toy to get to it. If you do not have the patience to collect the stuffing and dispose of it as they are trying to get to the squeaker then I strongly suggest stuffingless toys. I have purchased one for my dog and I was so relieved that I did not have to worry about my dog eating stuffing but I did have to keep an eye on the squeakers.
TEETHING TOYS
Your new puppy will be growing in some teeth. This means that your cute little cuddly puppy will try to chew everything under the sun including your shoes, slippers, bed posts, table legs, rugs...you name it. Unless!...you buy some teething toys for your puppy! And guess what? You will have to teach your puppy to use it by taking away the thing you don't want them to chew and redirecting them to chew the toy you bought for them. Here are a few toys I recommend that are safe for your teething puppy. I also want to recommend these products because they have a reputation for having toys so durable that your dog may not ever be able to tear it up.
5. HARNESS
As a true dog lover I highly recommend a soft adjustable harness for your puppy. The reason for this is because in the past I found it hard to keep my puppy from pulling back and slipping her head out of her collar and taking off into the wilderness to chase a rabbit. So I figured out that she needed a harness. The soft harness is great because it hugs the body and it is adjustable with velcro fasteners. I ended up getting the soft harness because the other adjustable strap harness actually chaffed my dog under her leg pits so when I came across a soft harness I was ecstatic. I have listed several harnesses below. I actually use this harness for my Chihuahua and I used it for my Boxer when she was a smaller. I swear by them as far as comfort for your friend. Your dog can't turn around and say "Hey! This thing is too tight! It's hurting my leg pits!" but if you really bond with your dog and get in tune with them... you can tell when your dog is in some sort of discomfort. I felt bad when I realized that my previous dog suffered from her harness. I changed it right away so it wasn't long but can you imagine? These harnesses are similar to the ones I had for my dog. From experience I am telling you that it is better to use a harness to walk your puppy than a collar. You can control your dogs movements better with the harness and it will not choke them or put pressure on their neck.
These harnesses are similar to the ones I had for my dog.
6. COLLAR & LEASH
When selecting a collar for your dog think about safety as well. I have selected only the collars with a buckle. I recommend purchasing a collar that you have to use a buckle to tighten or loosen that way if it gets caught on something it tighten up and choke your dog. I still recommend using a harness even though your puppy has a collar. However the collar is good for show. Almost like a necklace. And if you find a pretty name tag for your dog it will really make your dog look distinguished. I even found some really nice decorated collars...some with matching leashes. If you see a style you like click on it. They have them in different colors
7. DOG TRAINING TREATS
You will need a treat of some sort to give your puppy as a reward for when they follow your commands. This is a big part of the training. Without a reward how will they know they have done something great? when choosing a treat for your puppy you have to be careful. I suggest you make sure the treats are for puppies. Make sure they are healthy treats, small, and moist. Small treats are better because you are using them to train your puppy. So you will be giving them a lot of treats so the smaller they are the better. This way your puppy won't get over fed with treats and get fat.
7. FOOD
I suggest you discuss what food is best for your breed of dog and the age of your dog with your veterinarian. A puppy should be on puppy for until it is considered an adult dog and some foods' formulas work better for certain breeds. There is a lot that comes into play like for example... What proteins are best for what breeds. So I am not going to recommend a particular food but I do suggest you discuss this with your veterinarian.
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