Question:I have never had a dog before, but we are planning to buy one. Can anyone provide a list of items we need to buy before introducing the puppy to our house? We have no idea, other than food, what other things we should buy.
Answers:
- food & water bowls
- flat collar & leash (I recommend Lupine, they are guaranteed even if chewed: http://lupinepet.com/ )
-- id tag in case your pet gets lost
- grooming supplies, which vary based on your breed
-- dog shampoo
-- dog toothbrush
-- dog toothpaste
-- toenail clippers
-- bristle brush or slicker brush
-- comb (optional)
- toys
-- kong - http://www.kongcompany.com/
-- a squeaker toy
-- a chew toy
-- a cuddle toy
-- a tug toy
- treats
- crate
- bed
- pet stain cleaner for accidents in the house during housebreaking
- bitter apple spray to deter chewing (note: only about 50% of dogs actually respond to bitter apple spray. many of them actually LIKE the taste of it. in that case, use pepper instead.)
- quality pet food (see below)
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On choosing a dog food:
Read the ingredients on the food you buy. Go with a high quality dog food. (Or in your case, the puppy food counterpart of the brand you choose). A grain should not be in the first couple ingredients ingredient (corn and such are mainly fillers, dogs don't digest it well). Avoid foods that have a lot of "by products" listed.
Here is an article about byproducts:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?...
And an article on what ingredients to avoid:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?...
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Some GOOD foods are :
* Merrick - http://www.merrickpetcare.com/
* Solid Gold - http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/...
* Canidae - http://www.canidae.com/
* Timberwolf - http://timberwolforganics.com/
* Orijen - http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/o...
* Wellness - http://www.omhpet.com/wellness/...
* Chicken Soup brand - http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssou...
* Innova - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/innova.a...
* Innova EVO - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp...
Or check this website for good foods: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_...
(I recommend only feeding foods rated 4, 5, or 6 stars. Anything 3 stars or less, I would stay away from.)
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Stay away from grocery stores brands. They are low-quality foods chalk full of fillers, preservatives, dyes, etc.. (Grocery store foods are those like Beneful, Old Roy, Alpo, Pedigree, Purina, etc.)
Beware "premium" foods. "Premium" does not mean good nutritionally, and is not a nutritionally high quality food. It has the same types of ingredients as grocery store foods, just a bit better quality of those not-so-good ingredients. (Premium foods are those like Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, etc..)
Another thing to be wary of: A lot of vets will recommend what they sell in their office. They get profit from the brands they keep on their shelves, that's why they push it. Truth is, vet schools don't focus a lot on nutrition. It's not saying that a vet is a bad vet because he recommends those foods, a lot of vets just are told "this is good food", so they pass the message along without proper nutrition knowledge. Also, some dog food brands (like Hills) support vet schools, so vets have heard of it from the time they start college, which makes them think it's good as well.
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When switching foods, do it gradually. I do this over about a two week timespan:
25% food A, 75% food B
50% food A, 50% food B
75% food A, 25% food B
100% food A
You are best off to go to a pet store and ask a sales person there. Some of the stuff is difficult to describe. Better yet, go to...http://www.petcetera.ca/page118.htm. You might find some help there
start with a bowl for food and one for water, a crate-so you can potty train the puppy and keep her contained when you are gone. Get the best brand puppy food you can afford, no cheap brands with fillers. A dog collar and leash. A blanket and/or dog pillow (old ones from around the house are fine) Lots of chew toys, don't get the cheap ones that will get chewed up in a day. Make a vet appointment right away so the puppy can get checked out. go to the library and check out a book on raising puppies if you don't want to buy one.
first id suggest adopting rather than buying..
matters on the breed of dog.. smaller dog. larger dog.
you'll need food and water dishes.. stainless steel are best.. dog cant chew up and more sanitary.. if your getting a puppy.. you'll prolly need training pads .. to teach it to potty train.. toys.. a dog bed.. or a crate..
Why not buy a book or two on dogs? Your local pet store will certainly have them. If you have never owned a dog before, you have a LOT to learn and a the time to start studying is now before you bring home a puppy.
Food and water dish,chew bone,shampoo,bed,pet cage,gate for the doorway if you wish to keep it out of the living room etc!some treats when they go potty outside as a reward.
I recommend crate training- so you will need a crate that will be big enough for whatever size dog you get to stay in when it's full grown.
You will need 2 bowls- again the size depends on the size of the full grown dog--and make them stainless steel- they keep the water cold, and are easier to keep germ free and bacteria free.
A leash and collar--again based on the size of the PUPPY because the collar has to fit correctly- or maybe a harness since Vet's suggest they are better for training and don't hurt the puppy's neck.
toys--chew toys especially- and NO RAWHIDES- they are dangerous for dogs and puppies.so get the 3 in 1 pack of chewable dog bones- they look like plastic but they're not and they are for each stage of chewing for the puppy.
Love- lots and lots of love and patience---and a good Vet- because the puppy will need to see a vet immediately to start deworming (all puppies have worms).
May I suggest petfinder.com---it is a nationwide site that advertises pets that people have abandoned--and they do have puppies.....I just got a puppy 8 mos old, for $100 a cockapoo that was found on the side of a busy highway.you will still be getting a friend but one that will be eternally grateful to you for saving his/her life.
-Food
-Water bowl
-Food Bowl
-Collar
-Leash
-Name tags
-Toys
-Chewing toys (he/she will be teething. make sure they are 100% ddigestible)
-Chewing repellent
-Baby Gates (You want to keep him/her confided to an area so he doesn't pee every where)
-Crate (don't put bedding in it until he doesn't pee in it and use a divider if he is too small for the crate but will get bigger. if its too big he will use one side as a bathroom)
-Training pads (if you want, i haven't had any success with them)
-Treats
-Stain remover (for accidents. make sure it is made for dogs)
and that's about it. Congrats on the new puppy!
buy it some toys and all the needs it NEEDS! lol
Well, you need the following:
-puppy food
-lots and lots of toys
-collar
-leash
-dog bed
-a name
-a liscence tag (goes on collar)
(should include name, home address, and phone number)
-doggy biscuits
-wee wee pads(if he/she is not yet potty trained)
-crate (you may want to start him/her in a crate at night because many puppies will go potty at night in your home. when she/he is potty trained to go wee wee outside you can leave him/her out of the crate
-food dish
-water dish
for an idea about how much $ this will be, check out either:
www.petco.com or www.petsmart.com
i usually shop at these places.
~good luck with your new pup!
well there are some things you should know. first a puppy needs tons of attention and your time. they potty almost 20min to an hour after eating and drinking. be on the look out. you need to say every time you take he or she out to potty "let go puppy time to potty" and walk it to the door and open so they go out. when they are done you should praise the puppy for potty. go in and give them a treat. good treats are like the alpo brand bone shaped cookie. make sure you look on line at ASPCA web site for recalled food and treats. do not buy pup corn treats they were on the list. I buy only pedigree food i do not buy purina due to a problem i encountered with the food having rat hair in it. From the plant it was processed in. Remember check the recall list some exspensive foods were recalled. Do not buy Ol Roy it makes the doo doo stinky i found. My dogs are very healthy eating pedigree. You need to get a collar and leash. I like the harness to walk the dog with you have more control or you pet. i don't like the retractable leashes you do not have full control and the lead line is very thin. my dog popped ours. i like the longest leash the stores sell. your puppy will still get some good distance between you for bath room trips. get it a kennel. they recommend a small one but i bought the largest one for grace and she was fine. she loves it. she is 2 now. my other dog was not raised with kennel and i see diffrence in behaviors. the kennel is a blessing. don't buy the metal ones get the big plastic ones. Walmart or petsmart. i got a bed in there for her. she has toys. at first they chew every thing. so get toys the puppy can not tear up. do not buy any real bones. the vet says they can build up in the intestines or gut and cause high vet bills. make sure you leave nothing in reach of the puppy or it WILL GET CHEWED. The stainless steel bowls are best for sanitary reasons. i got mine half off at marshalls. instead of buying a puppy guide do order the free one purina gives. i know i said purina. hey i never had problems with their cat food. buy yeah they send you a puppy care booklet and a calendar to chart the growth. the kit is nice. go to purina.com
make sure you watch puppy so you do not have accidents. i would take the bed out the kennel if i was in my room on the computer and let the puppy sleep on it while not in kennel so she likes it either way. people have many different ways to raise puppies. just do not leave anything out they can chew or you will be upset. they can tear a room apart in less than 15 min. trust me on that one. good luck. make sure you take puppy to vet within the first week of getting it. get all shots and tags for it. i have the pet insurance through bannfield at petsmart. it is well worth it. check in to it.
i was so excited to go shopping for my pup before i brought him home. its a little easier if you know the breed youre getting first, which you should decide on before buying a dog (in other words, definitely dont just decide you want a dog and then walk into some old pet store and pick the cutest puppy, baaaaad idea) anyways, for my dog I bought some food, though I also bought the same brand that he was being fed after i picked him up, and slowly eased the transition because a change in diet can be hard on their tummies...I bought his collar and two leases...one for training and one with lots of running room, i bought him a long lead for just roaming outside in the yard. his food and water bowls of course. nail clippers, hair trimmer (i have a schnauzer who I alternate between having professionally groomed, and doing it myself) shampoo, lots of toys both soft and fuzzy and strong and durable. treats, a DOG CRATE very important for training. its not cruel, a lot of first time dog owners dont really understand the idea. you have to buy one appropriate for your dogs size as they are NOW not as they will be full grown. youll probably have to buy another one later. but you have to make sure you buy one thats small enough for him NOT to relieve himself in the crate, otherwise the training purposes of the crate will go right out the window. Good luck! its fun, and challenging to own a new dog
Supplies for your first new puppy:
- dog crate [optional]
- doggie bed [optional]
puppy pads for house training
rug stain remover for house training
fabreeze to get rid of odor after rug cleaning
collar or harness (harness better)
ID tag with your phone # for collar
leash
runner for outside so dog can be on 15'-20'
wire off runner if you don't have fenced yard
good quality PUPPY food - dry
food dish and water dish
cheap hot pepper sauce from grocery to use
instead of "bitter apple" to spray on things
and prevent puppy chewing
baby gate to restrict dog to specific room
training treats to use for training puppy
clicker and clicker book for training [optional]
books:
book(s) on the puppy's breed(s)
basic book on puppy care and training
book on puppy health care
grooming supplies:
- - rake for long hair dog
- - slicker brush
- - comb
- - flea comb (for later on)
- - matting comb for long hair dog
- - nail clipper
health care:
- - name, address & phone # of vet
- - vaccines if you're going to do your own shots
- - worming medicine (like D-Worm chewables)
- - ear cleaning pads
- - Sulfadene Shampoo
- - Doggie Shampoo
- - Doggie toothbrush & toothpaste
- - flea/tick treatments for when pup is old enough
some doggie toys:
- - tug of war rope
- - ball
- - kong toy
Finally, take an old sock and stuff it full of socks to make a "litter mate" for your pup to snuggle up with at night. Puppies miss their litter mates when they leave their mama and may howl or cry at night. The stuffed sock can be snuggled up to and they sleep better feeling like they have a litter mate to snuggle up to.
a bed, a leash, a collar, love, a dog house, food, water ,water bowl, n food bowl ,toys,bones,and attention
-food and water dishes. -grooming supplies(comb, brushes,shampoo,things like that.) -a collar with an imfo card. (you might also need a flee collar.) -a bed Thats about all that I can think of right now.Her's a web site that might help www/PetsMart.com I hope it helps, and good luck with your new puppy! -
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