Hello everyone I have a list here of the items we are going to purchase before our pup arrives on the 25th November. Have i missed anything or could you recommend anything else? vetbed crate 42" with divider - not sure whether to put a comfy bed in this or not? or just use vetbed Any suggestions on a good sturdy crate - quite like ellie bo Food eukanuba puppy carry sling to get out and about as much as possible prior to being able to go out for walks Lead/collar will wait till collection as don't know her size as yet puppy pads and pad kit for indoor use brush ??? fabric crate for journey and first few nights toys - soft toys, chew toys for cleaning teeth and teething toys slow feeder bowl My mind has now gone blank.........
Ellie Bo crates are good. I always give them a comfy bed and have a spare in case of needing to wash one. I find lots of small puppy chew toys I can keep in my pockets very useful for putting in crocapup mouths in place of my hands/ankles .
Harness - far better than a collar, especially at the early stage. Mesh ones like Puppia are perfect - or you can get similar design for a fraction of the price on Amazon. Finger toothbrush - you want to be actually brushing her teeth, not just relying on toys. Water bowl - make it heavy so she can't tip it. Mason Cash ones are good. Simple Solution for cleaning up accidents. Clicker if you want to clicker train. I wouldn't bother with a fabric crate. TCP for nursing your wounds.
I think the Ellie Bo crates have two doors, one in the short side and one in the long side, as my current crates do (not sure which make they are). These are much preferable to those with only one door. Our original crates only had a door at one end - the narrower side - making it more difficult to clean or tend to a post-operative/unwell dog... or the puppy that's dashed into its crate to hide something it shouldn't have!
And TLC for nursing your emotional wounds Puppies are adorable but it is a rough couple of weeks/months. A shoulder to cry on and a good support structure with unconditional positive regard is important.
We bought our pup home in a low sided cardboard box with newspaper in one end (for accidents) and blankets at the other (for snuggling). I sat in the back and she ended up on my lap but at one point tried to go to the loo so having a spot to put her in - like the box - if that happens is a good idea. We bought a fabric crate to bring her home in but it was so large it was impractical, she slept in it for a few nights at a later date but that was it. I wouldn't worry too much with a nice bed either, everything will get chewed for a while. If you want a bed get a hard plastic, easy clean hard to chew type, no guarantee she will sleep in it though. Get a crate for her full adult size(large) with a divider or pad it out with bedding, we got one too small and in a few months it was no good for her, Pets at Home own brand have been good for us but I can't compare them with anyone else. I used a shoulder bag to carry her in - large travel kind that I already had - you only need it for a little while, however, those last few weeks are tricky as they get really heavy. Personally I wouldn't bother with puppy pads as they make housetraining harder in my opinion. Also I bought some and put them in a spot I wanted her to go, she just ignored them and went somewhere else. Slow feeder bowl is a really good idea, I got one after ours nearly choked because of eating too fast. Harness much better for a pulling pup than a collar, although you need a collar for her ID badge. Puppy toys from Wilkos are good, cheap and have lasted really well, Maisy is 7 months now and they are still in one piece, mostly. You will also need treats for rewarding and training, a pen or stairgate to restrict access, clever toys to keep her mind occupied when she is not allowed out yet - I used (and still do) a flirt pole (on Amazon) to play with her, loads of exercise with minimum human effort. Towels for wet days, puppy shampoo and a bath or big plastic tub. Get the garden secured and say goodbye to your flowerbeds for at least a year. And lots of poo bags!
I have tags attached to my dogs' harnesses so they don't have to wear both. No-one has mentioned Kongs yet. Get lots. Size Medium to start with, but you'll need Large eventually. My lot still use both sizes. I'm about to retire some and buy 12 more. I have some puppy ones that I bought for my first dogs, who are now three years old!
Yes Kongs are essential, I got a puppy one which was ok for a while until Maisy got bigger, then medium which I still use but I also have some large for at night.
The puppy ones still come in the same sizes as the red ones, they're just a different colour and made of softer rubber. So a medium puppy kong will be blue or pink, but the same size as a medium adult one. I fell foul of this when upgrading to adult kongs. I just assumed that the adult medium would be bigger than the puppy medium.
Kongs - check. Already got 7 large and 4 small. Flirt pole - check So need crate and bedding. Thinking of getting a vetbed Thanks everyone
Old towel (or two). For drying her off and playing the towel game (i.e. gentle-wrestling-and-tummy-rubbing-and-drying-off-and-shoving-bits-in-her-mouth-instead-of-your-flesh). Also, a quick dry towel for when she really gets wet, I use Aquasorb (you can get on amazon) - very worthwhile purchase I think. Vetbed is the best thing EVER. And it would be good to have in car when you pick her up, put it on your knee and then if she has any accidents...well, no harm done.
I would get three. They wash easily and make great mats too Our house is Vet bed city lol (baby Mollie)
