Canine Advice

Suggestions on what you need before getting a puppy?

Dog Bed - Recommend at least 2 cushions and 2 blankets. This gives them somewhere to settle, but the puppy may go to the toilet on these to start with, so make sure they are easy to wash. If your puppy chews his bed or keeps going to the toilet on it, make sure that the bed you have down is not encouraging this behaviour by being fluffy and highly padded, a soft matt and blanket in a crate of an evening may help this type of behaviour. 

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Crate - Get a crate you can use in both the house and car. Remember your puppy will grow quickly so make sure your buy a crate big enough for when they are fully grown. 

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Puppy Toys - Make sure you have a variety of toys as you want to stimulate your dog and different dogs have different preferences. Make sure that the toys are the right size for your puppy. To big and your puppy will not be able to carry and play with this easily. To small and it becomes a choking hazard. I would recommend a soft toy such as a teddy (make sure there are not small plastic sections such as teddies eyes or noes, ect), a rubbery toy such as a kong or rubber bone, a ball (make sure this is bigger than the size of your puppies mouth so it does not become a chocking hazard) and a robe toy. If your dog is a chewer or is heavy mouthed do not leave the toys on the floor especially soft toys as your puppy may rip or damage the toy which could lead to them choking or hurting themselves on the toy. If your puppy rips toy just bring the toys out when you are playing with your puppy and able to watch them with the toy. Toys help stimulate your puppy as well as helping them grow mentally and physically.  

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Puppy Chew Toy - Only give your puppy this when you are with them and able to watch them. Make sure they do not break the toy into smaller pieces or choke on the toy, for the best chew toys ask a qualified dog trainer or get advice from your vet. 

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Dog Food - Puppy food is different to general dog food, like a baby puppies need increased nutrients to give them the best start in life so make sure to buy high quality puppy food (this does not always mean the most expensive). The breeder will be feeding your puppy on a certain type of dog food, ask for the details of this food so that you can continue using this or something similar to it. For advice on high quality dog foods contact a qualified dog trainer or your local vet.

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Puppy Treats - Make sure these are small puppy treats as puppies will not be able to have adult dog treats at this age. When the puppy is young avoid giving it human food, even cooked meat as it can be difficult for your puppy to digest. 

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Puppy Lead and Collar - You will need a puppy lead and collar to start with as a dog collar will be to big for your puppy as well as it being very unforgettable on there developing throats. Make sure your puppies collar is made of a soft material and has a strong secure buckle. Do not use a chocker collar or lead on a puppy. In regards to the lead make sure the click on the lead which you use to click onto the collar is strong and secure but is not to big and heavy, especially with smaller dogs. I do not recommend having a retractor lead on young puppies. 

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Long Line - This is not mandatory but can be useful. A long line is a long-ish straight lead (no handle) which you put on your puppy during play in open areas that will be dragged along the floor by your puppy. The advantage of having this is that you can give your puppy some freedom to run around while still having a line on them which you can quickly grab if needed. This also helps the puppy get used to wearing a lead and collar. One way of creating a long Line is to buy a cheap fabric lead and cut the handle off so that a straight long line is created. 

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Poo Bags - You will need a lot of these and you may want a poo bag carrier as well.

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Treat Pouch - This is to aid puppy training. You want a pouch that you can use with a variety of different outfits and something that is easy to get treats out of. When training you want to easily pull out treats from this item without having to undo anything, however you also do not want the treats to easily fall out of this item either while training. If you have any questions about the best training treat bag most dog trainers can help you with this, however there are many different options available to buy online to meet your specific needs. 

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Clicker - This is a training aid and is not essential but helps your dog when training to understand the behaviour you require of them and when they have done something right. 

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Grooming - Talk to the breeder or a qualified dog trainer about the best type of brush to use for your dog. You do not want to use a course brush on a puppy however depending on the thickness and length of the hair this will depend on the best type of brush to use on your dog to prevent knots and remove loose hairs. 

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Cleaning - Make sure you use specific puppy shampoo and conditioner as you do not want to remove essential oils from your puppies coat. 

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Dog Bowl - Make sure the bowl suits your puppies current height, this may mean you will need to buy a bigger bowl as they get older. You do not want the puppy bowl to have a high lip because you want your puppies neck to go over the bowl easily without having to strain or rest its neck on the edge of the bowl when eating. 

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News Paper or Puppy Pads - This is to help protect your floor when your dogs go to the toilet inside. These can also aid as a training aid to teach your puppy where to go to the toilet. 

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Cleaning Supplies - Make sure you have cleaning supplies that can be used on a variety of different surfaces as initially your puppy may go to the toilet on a variety of different surfaces. Make sure that these cleaning products will remove the smell of urine because this will reduce the likelihood of your puppy wanting to go to the toilet in the same place again. 

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Stair Gate - This is optional but can be good to keep your puppy in a specific room or to stop them from going up the stairs. Puppies should not go up and down stairs as this is very bad for there joins. 

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Flee and Tick Treatment - Make sure the treatment can be used on a puppies. Contact your vet for recommendations and advice.