The big list of everything you need to bring home your new dog:
Disclaimer: There are links in the pictures to the actual products on Amazon so it's easy to find. I haven't figured out how to do that thing bloggers do to get paid for them so you can rest assured these are actual products I swear by!
Picture this. You spent hours and days and months and maybe even years searching for the perfect pup to join your family. You paid the deposit, scheduled the day you're taking her home but now here we are and you have zero idea what she needs to be successful in her new home. Okay this was literally me 3 months ago. We were set and ready to pick up our 10 week old puppy (Hey Sunny girl!) but I was relatively new to being a dog owner. Like, I grew up with a dog but I was just a kid when we brought her home. I didn’t think about the prep work involved, all I knew was we had a puppy to play with! So I was the guinea pig for you! I bought a bunch of stuff (I spent a lot of money carelessly) and thought I was ready. In reality we used maybe half of it and was back at Petco and on Amazon everyday buying things I actually needed for her. In this post I’m going to give you a new puppy checklist of absolute necessities (applicable to doggies of all ages but my brain says every dog is a puppy), a list of nice to have items, a list of things that were absolutely non necessities (but are cute and I’m happy I purchased), and a list of Sunny’s favorites! Hopefully having a comprehensive list will save you some money AND time! I learned quickly that having this 4 legged baby around made getting anything done just a little trickier!
The necessities:
As much as Sunny wants me to talk about food first, really the best thing to get working on before you even get your dog is Veterinary care. Do some research, talk to your neighbors, friends, family, read google reviews, ask in your neighborhood facebook page, get yourself a good Vet. I’ve never experienced a bad Vet but you definitely want to find someone who you and your dog will connect with well. Our Vet Dr. Rotolo at ADAvet in Massachusetts will literally lay on the floor with Sunny to do her exams. She plays with her, kisses her, tells her how beautiful she is and makes me feel so unbelievably comfortable. When we were getting Sunny I had to call a few places to get her a new puppy visit, so I recommend calling and getting an appointment as soon as you have your take home date. You’re new dog may need vaccines, they may have some underlying conditions (parasites are super common in puppies and rescue dogs), and you may be like me and have a million and one questions about your new baby! Having a great Vet is step 1, they are a wealth of knowledge and will help set you and your dog up for a lifetime of health and wellness.
Okay okay Sunny I got it, let's talk food. We have a very food motivated dog and she told me that this is the most important thing in the world. It’s SUPER common for dogs to be nervous going into a new home. New people, new smells, maybe even new dogs! It’s also not crazy to think that your new puppy has never been in a car before! All these things may cause some tummy trouble. You may encounter some loose poops from the stress of this really big transition. It’s smart to talk to the people that are caring for your dog before you bring them home. The amazing people who work in the shelter or the dog's breeder knows them best (for now, it’s a quick transition into dog parenthood and in a very short amount of time you'll know your dog like the back of your hand), I highly recommend asking them what kind of food they are feeding the dog and grab a bag to have on hand. It’s okay if you want to eventually switch their food up (pending any allergies/sensitivities) but do it slowly and incrementally. I found success in starting by giving her the food she was used to, then after a few weeks I slowly added a little bit of the new food into the mix, and increased it over time until she was fully on the new food. Having a food your new dog is used to will help decrease some of that anxiety and subsequently help their tummies.
These necessities might be a no-brainer but still important to note! Make sure you have a proper fitting collar (ask the rescue or breeder if you're not 100% sure on size), a size appropriate leash, a food bowl, and a water bowl. I’d bring a roll of paper towels, and an enzyme formula spray cleaner. The enzyme formula is important. Pee and poop accidents with a new dog (any age) are common and the enzymes in these cleansers help remove the smell from the surfaces to help discourage them from using the bathroom in the same spot.
Non Necessities but real good to have:
Okay, these are non necessities but in my experience are great things that you can do to make yourself and your new pup feel better. I really REALLY recommend crate training. There are countless benefits to crate training, enough for a whole separate blog post (coming soon), but here's my crate training elevator pitch: It gives your dog a sense of security, it keeps them safe, it helps with potty training and most importantly it gives you the peace of mind that when you’re not able to watch their every move (which you HAVE to with a puppy and really should with any new dog). We have a Bernese Mountain Dog and as much as the breed LOVES to be with their humans sometimes she just needs some personal time (Sunny time), having her crate is a great escape when she needs it. Make their crate homey and cozy. Throw in some blankets, a toy (one they can't destroy you don't want to come back to your pup's belly full of stuffing from a soft toy), and maybe even a bed that fits inside, this will help them associate their crate with a place they want to be. Don’t let the kids play inside the crate, never use it as a punishment and always keep crate training super positive!
A bed is really a nice thing to have especially if you don’t want your dog on the furniture. They want to be with you and they want to be cozy too! Give them spaces where they can be near you and also comfortable. We have a bed for every room that we want her to be in with us, bedroom, living room, and even the kitchen (Sunny may or may not be food motivated because I am too, it's unclear)
Get yourself some good hygiene tools and a routine going. Dogs need their teeth brushed twice a day just like humans. We use Arm and Hammer toothpaste and so does Sunny (puppy formula). We also love Whimzees, they're basically little chews for dogs that are fully digestible, the ridges in the chew help get rid of plaque and tarter on their teeth and Sunny loves the taste! It’s really important to use the right Whimzee for your dogs age and size, puppy teeth are softer than adult teeth (and oddly sharper, they're like little shark teeth, watch your fingers) so they make Whimzees that are specifically designed to make sure they can chew them and not get hurt.
Another hygiene tip is to get yourself a brush for their hair or fur. They make different styles depending on your dog’s coat. I made it a point to bring Sunny to the groomer we wanted to use early on so that she gets used to this being part of her routine. It’s not a necessity but dogs sometimes get anxious getting groomed so the earlier you can get them in and get them used to it the easier it is on them (and the groomer!)
See if the breeder or shelter will send you home with something that smells like their old home! I worked in daycare forever and found that new babies that were not used to being away from mom benefited greatly by having a tee shirt or blanket that smelled like their mom or their home. In breeder situations these puppies know nothing other than being with their littermates, so having a blanket or towel even that smells like their brothers and sisters might really help that transition.
(We didn't get anything from the breeder so I threw my sports bra in with her at night so she had something that smelled familiar)
Okay, toys. All dogs are different, we're 3 months in and still figuring out what toys she likes. Best advice is to grab a few different ones, different styles like a ball, a stuffed toy, a rope toy, a rubber chewy toy, and just see what they like! So far Sunny LOVES her stuffed alligator, she likes things that squeak like her chuck it ball, and rope toys for tug of war, although any toy is a tug of war toy if you believe hard enough! If your dog is a shredder, you know, he likes to destroy a toy, rip the stuffing out type, I really like the Kong brand. The outside of the kong brand toys are typically a little tougher. Puppies LOVE to chew on things, partly due to the fact that they are babies with teeth, teeth that will fall out, they're basically teething for the first like 6 months or so. Unless you want them destroying your furniture or shoes, get some teething toys. Nyla Bone and Kong make some great puppy specific toys that have little bumps and ridges that feel good on their gums! *Pro tip: Sunny LOVES a frozen carrot. I soak them in dog safe chicken broth and stick them in the freezer for a few hours and she goes crazy for them.* Again, puppy teething requires its own blog post that will be coming soon!
Last but not least, treats! This is one that will be pretty dog specific but I went for treats with very few ingredients. Pupford sells a line of freeze dried treats that Sunny loves and are basically just freeze dried meat. We use the chicken, beef liver and salmon ones. They're small treats that are great for training because they have less than 1 calorie per treat. The Charlie Bear beef liver treats are great too, they look like oyster crackers! Most of the treats out there are great, just be an informed dog parent, read the labels, and never supplement treats for a balanced diet.
The stuff you really don't need but I love:
I want to wrap up with some fun things that you absolutely do not need but I love having for Sunny. Amazon is great for finding these super cute bandanas. She has a few and I have a few that have matching scrunchies too! Honestly, they're just cute.
Like I said, bathroom accidents are inevitable and we had a few on the rug or her bed and this laundry additive from Nature's Miracle removed the pee smell completely. You add a small amount into your wash with detergent and let the washer do the rest. I’d do a sniff test on the washed item before throwing in the dryer. Once it's dry it's harder to get the smell out.
We got her this cool elevated bed for when we are outside and I love it. Although I could care less whether she lays in the dirt (my philosophy is a dirty dog is a happy dog) this bed helps keep her off the ground. We bought it because we spend our winters in Florida, and with her heavy black coat, it helps air get underneath and keeps her cool.
I love this Arm and Hammer foaming waterless deodorizer. The heavy black coat holds on to the stinky dog smell and this is an easy way to get her smelling better between baths.
Now that I’m writing this, I'm realizing we're an Arm and Hammer family. These poop bags are fresh scented and have handles that are easy to tie up and are pretty sturdy when it comes to picking up your dog's mess.
Lastly but certainly not least, this leash is an absolute LIFE SAVER, might be my all time favorite product. If you’ve read my About Me page you know that I only have one arm that works. This leash goes around my waist and keeps her safe and secure without having to hold her leash with my hand. It makes picking up poop, or on leash training worlds easier. Honestly this makes dog walking hands free, you always have to be watching but i can now bring a cold brew on a morning walk or something in a can on an evening walk without Sunny girl getting away from me! I highly recommend this one from Tuff Mutt, I love the blue and pink!
A dog will change your definition of happiness:
The first couple weeks with a new dog are hard. You're learning from each other! Think about how awkward the first few dates are. It gets better every day. Take an obnoxious amount of pictures, snuggle them, kiss their stinky faces, trust me these days move faster than you think!
