Welcoming a new furry family member is a very exciting time, but can also be very overwhelming for some first time pawrents! We have created our top 10 must have items for new pups to take the stress out of shopping for you, and to make sure you pup is comfortable and well set up for the transition into their new home!
1. Bowls
It may not be the first thing that us humans think of, but high on a puppy’s priorities list is “where’s my food human!”. When picking out food dishes, consider a design that is small enough that their young bodies will be able to reach into, but big enough that it will be able to fit food for their adult sized diet. For water bowls, we recommend finding one that is big enough to fit enough water for 24 - 48 hours (juuust incase you forget to top it up on your mad rush out the door to work one day!) and has a solid base so it’s not easy for your pup to tip over by accident! Check out our range of bowls HERE
2. (Safe) Puppy Toys
Dogs love and need to chew, but when you add in puppy teething to the mix, well let’s just say if you're not prepared you may end up with an ankle-biting land-shark on your hands! So it’s important to have some puppy-safe chewing items on hand to redirect your pup to when they decide to take a chunk out of your rug or favourite pair of shoes! We suggest soft rubber based toys, such as our Zippy Paws Puppy Teetherz range, our West Paw range, and soft toys that have minimal to no stuffing, such as our Zippy Paws Z-Stitch range, Donutz or rope tug-toys. Double-layered and double stitched toys such as Outback Tails or Tuffy Toys are a fantastic option for puppies as it doesn’t take long for those needle sharp teeth to rip through a soft toy so the extra reinforcements help playtime last longer!
Long-lasting edible chews are also a great option to distract your pup and allow a healthy chewing outlet. When looking for a chew, the general rule of thumb is if it hurts to hit on your knee cap - it is too hard or heavy for your puppy's teeth. Bone marrow, bully sticks or collagen sticks are great examples of puppy safe chews as they’re light-weight with a slight softness to keep those puppy teeth safe whilst providing long-lasting enjoyment.
Always ensure chewing items are the correct size for your pup’s age/weight, supervised and are removed if showing signs of deterioration.
3. Clean Up
Toilet training is a process. It is normal for puppies to have accidents in the house while they are learning, so you will need the basics for cleaning and preventing further accidents! Training pee pads are a great tool to reduce clean ups and enzymatic wee cleaners are a must for getting rid of those accidents to prevent incidents. Not to take the piss, but a wee in the house is more than just a wee! The pheromones released during urination marks the spot as a scent signal for your pup to return to and wee again. Wee cleaners use odour-neutralising enzymes to not only remove smell and stain, but to also remove the pheromones so your dog isn’t drawn to that spot to do their business again. Now that you’ve got number 1’s sorted, don’t forget the number 2’s and stock up on poop bags while you're in clean up mode and you're set for all kinds of accidents!
4. Puppy Collar
Picking out a collar can be the most fun part of shopping for your new pup! We recommend picking something that will suit your pup’s personality and coat, but also gives them some growing room - because like humans, those babies grow FAST!
5. Puppy Lead
A standard length 1.2 to 1.5m leash is a great start for a puppy and often comes in a matching pattern to your collar or harness. Adorbs! Other good options are long line ”training” leashes and retractable leashes which are a great tool to teach recall as they can give your pup a little freedom to roam but still allow you to have control.
6. ID Tag
An essential to ensure no matter where they wander to, they can find their way home safely! ID tags are little disks that hang off your dog’s collar and are engraved with your dog's name plus your contact details. This ensures that if your pup escapes or gets lost, whoever finds them can contact you and return your pup safely home. Make sure their microchip is also registered with your local council, who will link it to your details too!
7. Treats & Training Bag
If you want any success with training, treat rewards are generally a necessity. We love small, bite sized pieces so your pup can eat quickly and continue learning. A training bag holds the treats for you to make it easy to reward quickly in the moment and on the go. Making sure all good behaviour gets rewarded as quickly as possible is important so they link the reward to the behaviour. Our fave training treats at the moment include Good Dog Rewards, Crumble, Nibbles and Bell & Bone’s Training Rewards. Check out our top picks here.
8. Bath Time
Puppies love to get dirty, and don’t care in the slightest if they are a bit smelly! Having doggie-safe shampoo and conditioner on hand for when it gets too strong is a must. It’s important though to not over wash your dog, as they lose essential oils for their skin and coat. So dog wipes are an awesome way to spot-clean small messes or dirty paws in between baths.
9. Brushing
Grooming is an important part of caring for a dog. Depending on your pup’s breed and coat type, the amount and type of brushing you will need to do varies. Visit us in store for our recommendations or check out our top 10 tips for grooming here.
10. Beds
All dogs love to sleep. But puppies even more so, as their little bodies go through their growth spurt. There are all different shape and size beds available, depending on breed, time of year and your home decor. Our biggest piece of advice is to make sure everything is easily washable. Both the covers and the inserts. And in those early weeks, old towels and blankets are your best friends!
