I recently invited a new puppy into my family. His name is Max and he is a 8 week old Papillon. Anytime you are considering getting a new pet, you must be ready for the responsibility.
Here is a list of the basic things you need:
Puppy food – Organic brands are very good and will help keep the hair around the nose and eyes of light colored dogs clean. Whatever you choose make sure you know what you will be feeding your puppy. Also, make sure you understand the daily amount you should be feeding him/her.
Treats- There are many different types of treats out there. Because my dog is quite small, (4lbs) I chose small treats. However, even though they were small little bones, they were much to big to give one to him each time he did his business. So now I chop them up into at least thirds so they can be used as a reward without over doing it. Also, for training you can use some of the puppy food in between meals. To avoid giving your puppy too much, you can measure out a daily amount in a cup and give him/her portions from the cup. Then, when you want to train, you can take a few pieces of food from the daily cup.
Food/Water bowls- Naturally your puppy needs to eat. It can be very tempting to pick out the cutest or most stylish bowls for your dog, but when working with a puppy simplicity is key. You want to find dishes that can easily be washed and will keep your dog from making too much of a mess while using them. Placemats for under the dishes is a way of marking the food spot and keeping your floor cleaner.
Training Pads/Newspaper- You can use newspaper while training your puppy. Although it is inexpensive, it can become messy because it does not absorb the urine fast. For a little bit of money you can purchase a pack of puppy training pads that are soft like carpet and absorb the urine instantly so it does not run into your puppy’s paws while going. Another option is to buy diapers. However, this will not help your puppy learn where he or she is allowed to go. If you do choose to use diapers, you can buy ones made for puppies or you can purchase regular baby diapers and cut holes in them for the tail.
Crate- Crate training your puppy is a very wise idea. It can greatly help in your potty training efforts. Using a crate is not mean. It goes with your puppy’s natural instinct to have its own den where he or she can feel safe. It helps you potty train by using the fact that dogs will not relieve themselves in an area where they must sleep. With that said, you must buy a crate that is just big enough for your puppy to lie in comfortably and be able to easily turn around and move. If you are not sure of the proper size for your puppy, someone at your local pet store should be able to help you select a crate that will be a good fit.
Carrier- You will want to purchase some type of carrier for your puppy. This will come in handy for trips in the car for vet appointments or any other time you need to transport your pup.
Toys- Toys are very important. Most likely your pup will be teething and if you want to keep that leather couch of yours in one piece, you will want to get puppy some chew toys. If you puppy gets bored, that is when he/she will move on to other things such as your furniture or shoes. You can buy lots of toys and rotate them and even keep some in the crate to keep your puppy busy.
These are some of the more important necessities that you will need to start a happy life with your puppy. Do not get too crazed with buying “cute” beds and dishes and other accessories. You must keep in mind that you are buying for a puppy and things will get ruined from being chewed. The last thing you want is to be angry at your puppy because he chewed the $80 blanket you bought. Good luck!
