Preparing for Your New Arrival

In part one of this series, I covered the ins and outs of choosing your new puppy. Now, lets discuss what to do once you have placed your deposit with a breeder/ decided to go to the shelter/ or arranged to procure your fuzzy bundle in some other way, its time to get to the nitty gritty. What you need before Spot comes home!

Shopping Time

The first thing you will need to get is a crate. It can be any kind you want - plastic, wire, etc. but you will need a safe place to confine your puppy. Dogs are naturally den animals, so they feel secure in an enclosed space that is just theirs. Most dog people I know prefer wire crates so the pooch can see whats happening around the house and doesn’t feel isolated. Make sure to buy it for the size your puppy will be full grown, not for his current size. You can get a divider to make it the proper size for Spot and as he grows, expand the room he has in the crate. It should be big enough for the dog to stand, turn around and lay down. Any bigger, he will wee in the crate. Being den animals, instinct keeps dogs from ‘going’ in their den. Except for my first pup, Louis, who weed and pooed in his crate…I hope you have better luck with the crate training then I did!

Next, make sure you have some sort of bedding material. Sheepskin or fleece is great and its available cheaply at most pet stores. If you want to, the sky is the limit as far as styles, materials and prices. Just beware, if you get stylin’, there is a fairly good chance your new pup will wee all over your new cashmere dog blanket. Make sure you get something washable and soft! Hint: Bolsters around the corners are a favorite for puppies who enjoy snuggling.

Food and water dishes are next on the shopping list. There are some super awesome designs out there, but for the sake of hygiene, stick with stainless steel. You can scrub it clean and unlike porous materials, stainless steel gets completely bacteria free. Bacteria and puppies don’t mix, so even though that super cute handmade porcelain bowl would look smashing with your decor, stick with the stainless. Actually, some companies are making some cute stainless steel bowls and you can always get a feeder that has stainless bowls that pop in and out for easy cleaning. Style problem solved!

Next - the all important identification! Even if you haven’t decided on a name, have a dog tag engraved at a pet store with your telephone number in case the little guy gets loose. You can make you pup a special tag with all kinds of bells and whistles after he settles in. If you know how big your pooch is going to be, you can get a collar and leash too. I like the heavy duty nylon or leather ones because they are sturdy and inexpensive. After Spot has declared his personality to you, investing in that statement collar isn’t a bad idea.

My most favorite part of pre-puppy shopping (and post-puppy, for that matter) is for toys!!! My advice is to check out the online pet wholesalers - do a Google search - and you can get way more bang for your buck. If your new puppy is going to be under the age of a year, you are going to want to focus on tasty chewy toys. Avoid pressed rawhide, meaty chews that are chemically preserved and anything that can easily be destroyed. Stuffed toys with squeakies are always a big hit, but make sure you play with your new puppy and the stuffies and puppies can rip out the internal squeaker and choke. Stick with toys geared towards puppies.

Finally - what I find to be the most interesting and important topic. What to feed? I’ll cover this in more depth later, but you will need to make sure you have whatever the breeder or shelter is feeding on hand. It is not a good idea to switch dog foods within the first two weeks. The anxiety and stress of a new home is enough to overwhelm a pup, so keep his diet the same as he settles in. As far as what to look for in a nutritious diet, I will cover that in a future part of this series. In the meantime, make sure you have healthy, natural treats on hand to reward the pup and begin potty training. I prefer a protein based treat, like Halo Liv a Littles or Stella and Chewy’s Carnivore Crunch . The high protein content and low fat will keep your pooch healthy while promoting good behavior!

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