Checklist for new puppy | Must have items

Preparing to bring home your puppy is very exciting! You may be wondering what type of puppy stuff you should have on hand for your pups arrival. Here is our checklist for new puppy.

We tried to keep this list paired down to the basic necessities of puppy stuff. We hope that it helps set you and your new puppy up for success.

Food and water Dishes

We use stainless steel food and water dishes for all of our dogs. We prefer the bowls with non-slip grip on the bottom. This helps stop the bowl from sliding around when your puppy is trying to eat or drink. Dishes made from plastic and other materials can harbor bacteria, and cause puppy acne.

Puppy Collar

Collars are available in a range of different styles and materials. We love the biothane collars. They are odor resistant, so they don’t get as smelly as the nylon collars. Another advantage of using the biothane collars is that they don’t get drenched if your pup goes for a swim. A collar would be a perfect addition to your puppy stuff and come in handy when you pick up your new puppy, as they will need to potty on the way home if you have a long road trip.

Puppy Leash

Another important piece of equipment on our list. When you think new checklist for new puppy, this should be another item at the top of your list. Choose a leash that isn’t too heavy for a small puppy. We really like the nylon leashes as they are light, but very strong. A good length for a puppy leash is about 5 – 6 feet. Avoid retractable leashes. They can be dangerous.

Puppy Food should be at the top of your new puppy checklist

This one is kind of obvious! You will definitely need this on your new puppy checklist. Choose an age appropriate food. Food with a small kibble size is best so your puppy can eat it easily. Always remember to check with your trusted breeder to find out what they have been feeding your puppy. They know their dogs best, and often know what food is best for the specific breed of dog you are adopting. It is very important not to immediately change their food, as this may cause your puppy to become sick. We feed our puppies Diamond Puppy Food, and so far we have been happy with the quality.

Puppy Crate

Choose a crate that is big enough for your new puppy to stand and turn around in. The crate should also have enough room for your puppy to lay down comfortably. You don’t want too much extra room in the crate, or your pup may decide to use one end as a bathroom. Purchase an inexpensive crate at first because your puppy will outgrow it very quickly.

Related Post: How to crate train a puppy

Urine Odor Remover

Puppies tend to like to potty where they have done their business before. This is why it’s important to clean up accidents thoroughly with either vinegar or a urine odor remover such as Nature’s Miracle or OdoBan.

You can also read our Top 5 amazing puppy potty training tips that really work for some more great advice.

Nail trimmer or Dremel tool

Most breeders will have already trimmed their puppies nails a few times before you bring them home. However, a nail trimming tool or a Dremel tool is definitely something you want to have in your arsenal of puppy stuff as puppy nails grow very quickly. It’s also a good idea to get your puppy accustomed to having it’s nails groomed to prevent resistance to nail trimming in the future.

We like to use a nail trimmer with a safety, as this helps us know how far back to trim the nail. When our puppies are really small, we use human toenail clippers. This seems to work the best for us. Once the puppys nails become thicker we transition to the dog nail trimmers.

Training Treats

There will be much to teach your new puppy, especially in the first year of its life. If you are planning to use a reward based system for training your puppy, quality training treats can be very handy to have. When we train our puppies we like to use Full Moon all natural duck training treats. Just remember not to overdo it. You can also use their meal as a reward. When our puppies are small, I like to put 1/2 of their meal in my treat bag, and dole this out for training and good behavior throughout the day.

Toys for mental stimulation

Our favorite toy for mental stimulation is the puppy Kong. We use several different recipes to fill our Kongs, then freeze them. Our pups love frozen Kongs, especially on hot days. As an added bonus, the Kong being frozen keeps the pups busy even longer.

Kongs are also great for times that you need to crate your puppy.

Related Post: Be sure to check out our Crate Training your puppy advice.

Puppy Chews concludes our new puppy checklist

Puppies need to chew! Having some appropriate items for your puppy to chew on just may save that new pair of shoes. We love Pork Chomp chews for our puppies and dogs. They are rawhide free and last longer than some of the other brands we have tried.

Now that you have your new puppy checklist, you can relax and enjoy bonding with your new furry family member.

We hope that our new puppy checklist has been helpful.

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