Puppy - what's worth buying and what's not

greensalad

We pick up our new 9 week old puppy on Thursday, eek!

We got two cats as kittens last year and I feel I spent too much money on things that didn't get used. But then there were items I bought at a later date that ended up being really useful... so curious to what people think is worth buying?

We're being given a crate from a friend and also a metal play pen in case we need it, so that will be useful.

I've bought vetbed instead of a full proper bed for the crate, as I use it already for the cats and find it really useful and easy. Plus very easy to wash (I've bought two pieces so I can wash regularly). The puppy is a sheltie so I don't think they'll be too cold. 

I've bought a very cheap flat-ended training lead, and a very cheap collar and standard nylon lead. Not going for a fancy harness or anything for a little while until they're more active as they'll outgrow.

I've bought basic bowls and basic puppy chew toys (a kong, a chewy stick, and a small soft toy). I've also bought a metal comb and we already have a slicker brush. Oh and puppy pads and poo bags!

Is there anything else that's really useful? My things I'm considering are:

• A second bed for using when they're not in the crate, something very cheap because they will outgrow it
• Food enrichment mat. We will use the cat bowls for now, but considering if they should have something to enrich when eating kibble
• Travel related stuff like a travel water bowl & bottle, soft travel crate etc. We live quite far away from other friends with dogs so we are hoping once he is fully vaxxed we can do some socialisation drop-ins with friends. 

MikeJXE

The most useful item for your new puppy is YOU 

You need to discover how to train it, house train, association with other dogs, leash  training, walk with you not yards in front straining on the leash 

What breed is it ? 

greensalad

Shetland Sheepdog.

I have purchased a book by Steve Mann that I'm working through. I'm also joined up to the ZigZag app which has daily lessons and has been really useful (even just with their pre-puppy checklist and articles). 

I've also signed up to 7 weeks of local group puppy classes by a well rated trainer who is part of the Institute of Modern Dog trainers (of which Steve Mann is the founder, I discovered after purchasing his book!), they start in May once a week for an hour with apparently lots of homework and options for extended classes... 

When he is older I'm interested in trying out some agility. Possibly just some fun in the garden, nothing serious, but as something helpful to keep him learning.

MikeJXE

Well done you 

Both you and your dog will appreciate proper training 

elsien

Clicker for clicker training. 

Something to carry him in so that you can take him out and start acclimatising him to the big wide world before he’s had his vaccinations and can walk.

greensalad

elsien said:

Clicker for clicker training. 

Something to carry him in so that you can take him out and start acclimatising him to the big wide world before he’s had his vaccinations and can walk.

My friend said he started with a puppy sling which makes me laugh. But he said it helped for early going to cafés and whatnot so maybe it’s what I need to do! Do you think just carrying him with a lead would be OK though?

We have a farm shop and a garden centre nearby that allow dogs and are usually quiet in the week so I think that would be a good start while we await his second jab at the end of the month. 

elsien

Friend did a home made sling across the front. Dog has the comfort of closeness to you but can see what is going on. You don’t necessarily need to go to specific places, just out and about.

SensibleSarah

greensalad said:

My friend said he started with a puppy sling which makes me laugh. But he said it helped for early going to cafés and whatnot so maybe it’s what I need to do! Do you think just carrying him with a lead would be OK though?

We have a farm shop and a garden centre nearby that allow dogs and are usually quiet in the week so I think that would be a good start while we await his second jab at the end of the month. 

It's much easier to be hands free if you can be, so a sling or a dog bag (often come up on FB marketplace near me) might be a better option - you can always resell once no longer needed. In-arms is probably fine if you're with someone else though. 

While clicker training is great - I always opt to skip the clicker itself and go for a word instead as can be more consistent with it and don't need to remember to always have a clicker close at hand. I use a long YESSSS sound to mark a behaviour I want. 

I'd highly recommend a Facebook group called Canine Enrichment (and a book by the same name by Shay Kelly), which has some brilliant ideas to help you and your pup live your best life. There are lots of free or really cheap enrichment actitivies you can do to help your Sheltie use his brain, which will help use up some energy, have fun and build a great bond. 

Personally, unless you live in a flat or don't have a private garden (i.e. known to be safe before he's had his jabs), I'd skip the puppy pads and go straight to just taking him out every hour, after waking, eating or playing to toilet out there. Teaching them to go indoors on a pad and then changing the rules to outside is often more confusing for them and can make it a much longer process than just going straight to outside toileting from day one. 

I'd also maybe rethink the harness by the time you're doing walks, just because it's so easy for pups to be injured if just on a collar - they get so excited and/or spooked and a harness gives a lot more security as well as helping prevent strain on the neck/windpipe etc. Most decent harnesses are adjustable so you might be able to get away with buying just one and adjusting for growth as you go. Just make sure you go for one that doesn't inhibit movement (like the Julius K9 style ones unfortunately do). 

Do you have a stairgate or something equivalent to help with cat and puppy intros and to make sure the cats can escape somewhere safe when they need some peace and quiet and to eat/use litter tray etc? My 2 dogs are certainly not pups, but I still have four stairgates I use on a daily basis to close off cat food, litter trays, the front door and the kitchen when I'm cooking. 

Good luck! 

born_again

Rather than a bed in crate, do you have a old quilt & cover? That is what ours sleep on, But being pampered & older that is on the sofa at night for them 😶‍🌫️. 
Food wise. Ours are on home cooked food. Veg's can be had cheap. Added to some meat of fish, cheap cuts. Veg gets lightly cooked. Batch this up & freeze so we always have plenty in. Add a bit of kibble or filler biscuits for some ruffage.

Above all just enjoy your new family member ❤️

Socialising we found that on their walks we meet a lot of other dogs so they naturally got used to them, while off the lead. But we are lucky having a good park/lake to walk round which does get a lot of other dog use.

sheramber

use a cardboard box on its side , with a piece of ver bed in it, for a bed to begin with.

Place it at the back of the crate so the pup can toilet outside the bed area.

As your pup grows you can increase the size of the box in necessary.

Ask the breeder to give you a piece of the pup's bedding home with you so that the pup has something that smells familiar. Many breeders do this.

If they don't, can you arrange to drop off a piece of vet bed for them to out  in the pup's bed and bring it home with the pup.

Don't buy anything until you need it. It is easy to get carried away.

Most of all enjoy your pup.

greensalad

born_again said:

Rather than a bed in crate, do you have a old quilt & cover? That is what ours sleep on, But being pampered & older that is on the sofa at night for them 😶‍🌫️. 
Food wise. Ours are on home cooked food. Veg's can be had cheap. Added to some meat of fish, cheap cuts. Veg gets lightly cooked. Batch this up & freeze so we always have plenty in. Add a bit of kibble or filler biscuits for some ruffage.

Above all just enjoy your new family member ❤️

Socialising we found that on their walks we meet a lot of other dogs so they naturally got used to them, while off the lead. But we are lucky having a good park/lake to walk round which does get a lot of other dog use.

I actually don't have a spare quilt! We moved house last year and got new of pretty much everything so I literally only have two very nice duvets and two very nice sets of bedsheets. The crate however has been given for free! I plan to use an old blanket I do have to cover it over (it's a bit stained and I've had it for a decade at least so not sad to pass it over to the dog). I also did buy a nice dog blanket, the one "treat" I've bought, everything else I've just gone for cheap and minimal.

Harness-wise the trainer we are going for recommends the dogs be in harnesses by the time they start classes and she recommends Perfect Fit which can apparently be extended so we should only need to buy an appropriate-sized main piece now and then you can add extenders? I had a look at their website and they seem good. I am just waiting until he actually arrives to figure out what size to order!

I'm hoping we can meet some dogs along the way, oddly I don't see a lot about. We are rural which you'd think led to more dogs, but we're also in a hamlet and amongst (ahem) quite a lot of pensioners who either don't have dogs or only take their elderly dogs once round the block. I have not that often seen dogs out in the countryside where we plan to take the dogs, though we do actually have a doggy sanctuary over the road but her dogs are in wheelchairs! I've been able to get some good spots where we can eventually let off-lead as other people walk their dogs there, but I've never actually seen them out...

Either way we have a lot of family with dogs so I think we'll just be visiting lots of people over the coming months and beyond!