Getting a new puppy is one of life's most amazing experiences but it can be daunting and nerve racking. I'm lucky as part of my job that I visit clients houses for a pre puppy session. During this session we chat about all things puppy, we go through each area of puppy owning and my job is to make sure that my client is ready for the adventure. Preparation is vital, you want to make sure that you have everything in place before the puppy arrives home. This can include buying everything that you need, finding a great dog trainer to deciding on what to feed your puppy. For your one stop puppy shopping list then you've come to the right place. Please note everything listed is what I like and I'm happy to recommend, shop around and find what is best suited to you.
Play Pen
I recommend a play pen to all of my clients, play pen's can be set up around your dogs crate, think of it as their own bedroom. It is the perfect place to pop your puppy when you cannot give them 100% supervision. Remember always remove your dogs collar before leaving them in their crate or play pen. Link to buy: Play Pen
Crate
To crate train or not to crate train, that is completely up to you. When shopping for a crate, don't buy one that will fit your dog when they are fully grown, buy an appropriate size for your puppy. The puppy should have enough room to stretch out, stand up, turn around but not enough room to have their friends over for a puppy sleep over. Don't forget the crate bed too. Link to buy: Crate
Dog Bed
Even if you choose to crate train, I also like having a second bed that the puppy can access at times that they are out of their pen. I also love teaching the 'Go To Bed' cue to keep your puppy in one place. When buying a bed think about the dog that you are getting, it's tempting to buy the bed to fit in with our home decor but will your puppy find it comfortable.
Baby Gate Baby gates can be a great management solution. Perfect to stop your puppy being able to follow you from room to room and a great solution if you aren't going to use a play pen. Think about the size and breed of your puppy, you may want to buy a taller baby gate as some puppy's are crafty climbers and jumpers.
Bowls I prefer ceramic bowls, they are much harder to dip over or move around. A simple stainless steel water bowl is perfect. Link to buy: Food Bowl & Water bowl
Food Food is a hot topic in the dog world, the burning question is what is the best food to feed your dog? Raw, Dry, Gently cooked?! Luckily there is plenty of options out there, whatever you decide, do your research and find a good quality food.
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Treats
I recommend using a variety of treats for rewarding your new puppy. Whichever treats I use, I always break them up into smaller pieces, you will find that many puppy treats are rather large, break the treats into pea size bites. Just like food, it's important to use good quality treats.
Link to buy: (1) (2) (3) (4) Rosewood Heat Pad A super soft cushion that you can heat up in the microwave to give your puppy instant comfort. Link to buy: Heat Pad
Collar, Harness & Lead I recommend buying a light weight collar and lead to start you off, it's important to introduce your puppy to equipment that is as comfortable as possible. A harness is a must for lead walking. Link to buy: Lead and collar & Harness
Puppy Toilet Training Pads
A must have if you live in a flat and don't have a garden.
Link to buy: Toilet Pads
Poo Bags Don't get caught short and stock up on plenty poo bags. I like the Ecovibe biodegradable poo bags. Link to buy: Poo Bags
Toys Buy a variety of toys that offer your dog multi sensory elements. Think about different sounds and textures. Please double check toys and chews for age recommendations before purchasing them and throw out any toys that start to break or could be dangerous. Link to buy: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)
Puppy Shampoo
You must use a shampoo designed for puppies, human shampoo can be too strong a dogs skin.
Link to buy: Puppy Shampoo
Brush
I recommend buying a puppy brush to start you off, grooming can be an important part of life for many dogs so it's best to start the experience off as positively as possible.
Link to buy: Brush
Kongs, Toppl & Licki Mats
No puppy owner should be without Kongs, Licki Mats or a Toppl. Keep your puppy busy with an interactive food toy.
Link to buy: Kong Licki Mat Toppl
Identification Tag Link to buy: ID Tag
To book a pre puppy session, please get in touch. A pre puppy session can be done in person or over Skype. Contact Jemma
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