First 48hrs with New Puppy – Shopping List
Introduction
The first 48hrs with your new puppy are critical in getting them acclimated to your home, family, and other pets. While the most important things to acclimate the puppy are more so intangible (feeling safe, proper introductions to other pets and family members, etc.), there are quite a few items that you will need either right away or very soon after bringing your new puppy home and the following are the top ten picks by K9 Chronicles of what you should have on your new puppy shopping list* in order of priority:
Purina Pro Plan Puppy is clinically backed and nutritionally solid which is what you want especially for a new puppy. You may want to experiment with different foods on a go forward basis to see what your new puppy does best with but Purina is the go to brand for many top breeders and what I have started my dogs on.
Wire Crate
Now I know various people have different feelings on crating but it is best to crate train your dog early which directly coincides with potty training. Let your puppy out to do their business and play, crate for 1+ hours (depending on age), let them directly outside, rinse and repeat. Puppies do not want to pee on themselves so make sure the crate is large enough to be comfortable but not large enough to have a designated pee area that they can avoid. If you’re trying to save a few dollars, check Facebook marketplace for used crates – your new pup won’t care if they have a cheap crate for a while.
Leash
We recommend the 6 foot nylon leash with the D ring. These are cheap, last forever, and work for all breeds small to large, so you don’t have worry about your puppy outgrowing them. I wouldn’t mess with fancy retractable leashes or even long leashes for new puppies. Six feet is plenty to begin training them to walk on leash.
Collar
This is your puppy’s first collar, so we recommend the cheapest decent collar on Amazon. You can feel free to splurge on their collar when they are full grown but since this is something that will only last a few months, pick cheap.
Treats – Pup-Peroni
Puppies will usually do anything for food of any kind so feel free to train them using kibble….but Pup-Peroni is so much better smelling and much higher value to dogs. Use these to reinforce higher value commands such as the recall. Having something tasty on hand to reward your new canine is essential for great training and Pup-Peroni is definitely that.
Paper Towels
Trust me on this – paper towels and tons of them are essential. Don’t mess with puppy pads. I feel like those encourage peeing in the house. You will need paper towels for the accidents and just general messiness of raising a puppy.
You will want something to wash your pup with and I have found that the shampoos for sensitive skin tend to do better for my dogs.
Kong Toys
Kongs are a very versatile, tough toy. I use them a lot to freeze peanut butter or dog food into them to give my dog a task to do that takes a while. They can also be used for fetch or a chew toy and basically never break so these are the top pick for first toys.
Elevated Bed
An elevated bed is more of a want than a need but I have found it to be a great training to teach your dog the “place” command which allows them to be in the middle of the household, not crated, but they must remain on their designated spot which also happens to be pretty comfortable and is a great alternative to lounging on the floor.
Teething Toy
Puppies tend to find whatever is available to help them with their teething so I recommend trying a product specifically for that. It may also help to buy some softer toys that allow the puppy teeth to get stuck. Either way, puppies will find something to help with their teething and preferably that wouldn’t be the couch.
Conclusion
You can certainly go crazy and spend several thousand dollars on training and e-collars and wireless fences but the above list is all the essentials you will likely need in the first few months of owning your puppy. The list was developed through a ton of trial and error and spending too much money on things that my dog doesn’t want to can’t use so learn from my experiences.
*K9chronicles.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
