New puppy - what do we need?

mico62

Our new pup will be ready to come home next weekend. So far we've ordered a crate (recommended by the breeder to get one) but what else do we need and what's a waste of money?

Last time I had a pup there was no such thing as crates or puppy pads

3v3

The snip; microchipping.

Fire_Fox

Pet insurance. What breed have you chosen or is it a rescue? It's worth running a search, there are a million great threads on puppy equipment and training.

rising_from_the_ashes

How exciting!

Personally, I'm not a fan of crates and wouldn't have one (I appreciate some people say pups feel safe and secure in them - IMHO, this is just as easily achieved in a "normal" dog bed).


The obvious things are:

• Food - find out what the breeder's feeding and get the same thing - by all means change later if you're not keen on it (mix the new food with the old one - gradually increasing the new one and reducing the old one until swapped over)
• Something to store the food in (more economical to buy bigger bags - have a look at £shops as they do various size storage boxes & much cheaper than places like PAH)
• Food & water bowls
• Toys
• Bedding (I use a single 4 tog duvet - very easy to wash/dry and you can pick up covers at charity shops very cheaply)
• Collar & lead
• Insurance (should have 6 weeks from the breeder)
• Old towels for drying him/her when they've been out and about (obviously not until jabs have been done)
• Newspapers for house-training (depending on how you're going to "do" this)
• Clicker - very useful to help with training
• Puppy treats - can be helpful for training by rewarding good behaviour)

Wishing you many happy years together.:D

Caroline_a

3v3 wrote: »

The snip; microchipping.

Far too young to get a pup neutered... has the breeder microchipped the pup - many do these days. I would book a vet check in for him.

You'll need a puppy collar to get him used to wearing one, I also use a house lead and use that to take him out - it's longer and thinner than a normal lead. You will need a crate liner/soft bed to go in the crate, water bowl, food bowl (stainless steel is best), a soft brush, puppy food (the breeder may provide you with some, but don't change it suddenly), toys, and some method of carrying the pup in the car that confines him and keeps him safe.

Hope that helps.

Rev

Wormers, decent stuff, drontal, milbemax etc. Worming for pups is every two weeks till twelve weeks I believe, then montly till 3 months, then every three months. I could be wrong, I'm sure someone will correct me if I am.

Puppy pads are a waste of time IMO. Take pup out after playing, eating, sleeping and just about every thing else. Praise like crazy and give a treat when pup goes outside.

Bowls, toys, lots of toys lol, bedding, harness, lead. Puppy classes are great when pup is old enough, for socialisation and basic training.

Good food. Whatever the breeder is feeding at first, if its decent stick with it. If not, swap. Rule of thumb is, if you can buy it in a supermarket, it's crap. Stick to good brands like Arden Grange, fish4dogs, burns mini bits, barking heads, natural dog food company etc.

Insurance.

Clicker is great for training.

Tasty treats for training .

Get as much sleep as you can now, you'll be up doing toilet runs for a few weeks at least lol.

And most importantly, post pics when you get pup home lol.

jetta_wales

A pen is a nicer alternative to a crate if you really need something like that. I don't like crates at all either. We were recommended to use one too so did for a while when our two were tiny but when we had pups ourselves we only ever used the crate once when going to stay with family and the crate we do have is massive and the pups tiny. Many buy crates that are far too small but really a pen is a much nicer alternative to any crate. We have the medium sized version of this (as our dogs are small. Not going to suit a large breed for long of course.

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/runs_fencing/pens_with_racks/95235

They sleep on our bed now though

Shepherd1

Lots of patience and lots of energy.

Enjoy your puppy

estelle123

The most important thing is love........