New Puppy Checklist

 

New Puppy Checklist - When bringing a new puppy into your home there are several items that you will need to obtain. The following is a new puppy checklist to help you prepare and to make the transition easier.

 

Puppy Collar & Leash - buy these before you pick up your new puppy so that you can put the collar on your dog when you pick it up and will have something to grab onto if it squirms out of your hands. Buy a small sized collar to start with and don't try to buy one that will last it's lifetime. Refer to our article Puppy Leash & Collar Training for help in this area.

 

Food & Water Bowls - we recommend stainless steel or ceramic bowls as they are more sanitary and easier to clean. Plastic bowls can harbor bacteria that can cause acne and the plastic can also leach. If you don't have bowls when you get home use a couple of ceramic soup bowls for a temporary fix.

 

Crate - there are many positive reasons to consider Crate Training a Dog or Puppy as discussed our article on the topic. If you decide to go the crate training route choose a good quality crate, not some rickety thing from garage sale, and have it in place for when your new puppy arrives at home.

 

Choose a Good Quality Food - if the food your puppy had been on is of low quality don't be afraid to switch it immediately. Your dog will be better off in the long run an an immediate switch shouldn't be difficult as it has only been on dry food for a couple of weeks. Our article titled Best Dog Food will give you the basics on what to look for or avoid in a dog food.

 

Stain & Odor Products - these you will need for sure, no matter how much you hope that you won't.  The Dog Odor & Stains section of this site provides a range of products in this category. We prefer Nok-Out Odor Eliminator as it can be used for all kinds of dog odor or accident problems and it is also a broad spectrum disinfectant.

 

Puppy Training Pads - these can be used in the early going to start housetraining your puppy and as a place to go when you can't take the puppy outside. The Precision or Hartz Puppy Training Pads featured on this site work equally well. For small breed or housebound dogs there is also an indoor dog litter box system called Puppy Go Potty.

 

Chew Toys - everything goes in a puppy's mouth so be sure to provide plenty of toys and chews that you won't mind it chewing on. Our article Puppy Chewing Problems and Stopping Them will give you a good idea on what you are dealing with here.

 

Training Treats - it is never too early to start training your new puppy! For training choose a small sized treat low in calories that you can carry in your pocket. Most dogs are food motivated and you will use these treats as rewards, or occasionally bribes, in the training of your dog. You want to choose a small treat for this purpose as you don't want to give a large biscuit every time your dog responds correctly. Puppy Training Basic Commands will get you started with training.

 

Identification Tags - you will want to get an ID tag fairly quickly in case your puppy escapes on you. Many pet specialty stores can make or order them for you. Also you will want to register your dog with the local authority and those tags can identify your dog.

 

Beds - for the early going we recommend using an old blanket or towel that you won't mind if it gets chewed on. We suggest leaving the purchase of a good dog bed until after your puppy has gone through the chewing stage.

 

Those are the basic items you will need to get started on the right foot with your puppy. Most other items can be purchased later or as you need the, such as grooming tools, flea treatments, dog houses, etc., etc. One thing you might look for it you are a new dog owner in particular is a basic dog book. Good luck with your new puppy!

 

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