Congratulations on your new arrival! New puppy breath, sweet cuddles, ah, those are the days! Nothing feels as good as those first few days home with your new puppy. Hard, yes, but so good! Many years and puppies later, if I could tell my younger, newbie-mom self what new puppy essentials to get, this is what I would tell her.
First Night
The first few nights with your puppy home are usually the most challenging. This is likely the first night the puppy is away from his/her mother and litter mates which causes some stress and anxiety. Most breeders will send you home with a blanket with the mom’s scent, which makes it easier for your puppy to adjust.
Create training your puppy from the beginning is one of the best things you can do. When selecting your puppy crate, make sure you choose just the right size. Not too big and not too small, you know? Like goldilocks!
Nap & Walk
Napper Bed | Collar | ID Tag | Leash | Poop Bag Holder
One of the best beds we have found are the napper beds by Jax & Bones. They are cute, comfy and completely machine washable! You simply remove all of the inserts and throw all of the fabric in your washer. It looks like new every time.
When it comes to collars, they are so many options to choose from and we just happen to collect many of them. We love changing the dog collars every time we bathe them. It gives them a whole new look and we keep the collars in good shape by rotating them. Our favorite ID tags are from Two Tails Pet Company.
Like collars, we own many leashes. They are all beautiful and useful in their own way. Time and time again we keep going back to our marine rope leash. It’s chic and adjustable. And let’s not forget about the poop bag holder to attach to your leash. Especially when they are puppies, these will come in handy.
Eat & Drink
Food Bowl | Toothbrush | Toothpaste | Water Bottle | Lick Mat
We use and recommend food grade stainless steel bowls for your pup’s food and water. We wrote about why we specifically select stainless steel bowls in our Top 5 Puppy Must Haves article.
Getting your puppy used to getting his mouth touched and his teeth cleaned starts from a young age. The more they are handled now, the less they will mind as they get older. A finger toothbrush is easy to use and exactly what you will need. You can, if you want to, start using toothpaste. Although it is not essential.
Now let’s talk about lick mats. We have loved them ever since we found them. The first year we found them we actually gifted them to lots of our dog mom friends. These can keep your puppy entertained for a very long time. You can spread plain yogurt over them, add some treats, and freeze it for a few hours before serving them to your pup. You can thank us later!
Grooming
Puppy Shampoo | Slicker Brushes | Metal Comb | Ear Cleaner | Towel | Force Dryer
A tearless puppy shampoo is really all you need when they are little. If you have a long haired dog, such as goldens, goldendoodles, labradoodles, etc., you will need slicker brushes and a metal comb. Like teethbrushing, hair brushing from when they are puppies is crucial. If done daily and kindly, they grow to love this time with you. One of our dogs, Levi, comes to me as soon as he sees the brushes out. He thoroughly enjoys our one-on-one time.
A natural ear cleaner is good to have. We have one that we have used for years and swear by. I will link it for you above.
When we had American Bulldogs and Boxers, we didn’t have a force dryer. They were usually toweled dried and let to air dry. Since getting our doodles, we are big force dryer fans. Does it take longer to groom? Yes, but they are fully dried and fluffy when we are done. We have found that fluff drying their hair makes them keep knot free for longer. So if you have a long-haired dog, get one! We promise you won’t regret it.
Play & Treats
The sky is the limit in this section, but I’ll simply mention here some of our favorites. What you choose will highly depend on your dog. We have one that loves to play tug-of-war and retrieves, the other is just not very interested in toys. She prefers chew treats, running, and snuggles.
We love Chuchit! balls, Cotton Rope Toys, Kong Classic Flyer, and thinking toys like the Nina Ottosson smart puzzle.
Same goes with treats. There are many different value treats you should have on hand. Use higher value treats for more difficult training sessions. Chew treats can keep puppies entertained for a while. We love dehydrated turkey or chicken necks as well as Himalayan Dog Chews as dog chews. They are non-toxic, all natural, and single ingredient.
Bonus & Links
If your puppy has an accident in the house, as likely that he will, after all he is just a puppy. It’s good to have an enzyme activated odor eliminator. This completely kills the scent so your pup doesn’t keep going back to the same spot over and over again to do his business.
Ah, the potty bells. Such a controversial topic in the dog training world. Some people love them, others think that dogs take complete advantage of them. I’m right smack in the middle. We have one, but only one of our dogs will use it. She uses it when she needs to go potty but also when she wants to go hunt lizards. Do I like that? No, but I like knowing when she needs to go outside from any room in the house.
