Puppy Supplies!

[ladyfreckles]

We have a list from our breeder of what we're supposed to have (it was the same as our list we'd already written down--though it didn't have as many things). However, the breeder didn't specify the right size for any of these items.

Crate wise we have a plan to start off with a plastic one for the first few weeks (or first month) because it's more "den" like. The plastic one will be used for travel for as long as the puppy fits. Then we're going to get a wire crate for the house, probably Midwest, with a separator. We don't have plans yet for our adult car set-up because we're still looking through the options and we may just use a seat-belt adapter for short trips. I looked at this thread:

Need to get a Crate - recommendations?

And the recommendation seemed to be 26". Can anyone link me to any crate recommendations for a 7 week old puppy that will last about a month?

We're also getting a container to hold food. Are there any recommendations? If not, we'll just get any old one from Petco/Petsmart (we do have one we like).

Some first toys would also make for good recommendations. We have amazon prime so we're gonna order a lot of them from amazon if you have those recommendations.

Here's the rest of the things that are on our list, but we're not sure what size/what to get:
- Metal water and food dishes (what size).
- Brush, Wire with covered ends (not a slicker)
- Nail clippers
- Challenging Toys (suggestions?)
- Hard, solid rubber ball
- Soft bites toys- plush
- Flexi -lead
- Rug & Floor Cleaner (we have a basic kind right now)

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Kaz]

Hey,
I am a new dog owner, so I can help you out here a bit. Here are the essentials (in the order of importance):

1) Food : Dogfoodadvisor.com. Small tip : never buy food which says "meal" (Chicken meal, lamb meal, etc) or "corn" in its ingredients. From my research : Orijen, Castor and Pollux are the best brands, but super expensive (5 stars rating), next with 4 stars : Kirkland's signature supreme puppy food from costco (Which is what I buy) or blue buffalo from petco.

Please buy "Flax seed oil" its cheaper and just as beneficial with the Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids for healthy coat, as is fish oil, and one **** of a lot cheaper. Extra virgin olive oil (cold pressed) works too. Just add the oil to his dry dog food.

Feed your dog dry food, because it is beneficial to his teeth and it is easier for you to store in bulk.

2) Large (largest you can find) metal no-spill food and drink containers. GSD's drink a lot, and my 3.5 month old pup eats a lot too.

3) His shots : keep them handy. Dont forget the schedule or his shot records. Also get him microchipped right away. It is very critical.

4) You dont need to buy any special spray to remove pet odors. Lysol all purpose works great for me. But I have all hard wood floors.

5) A good harness and lead. I purchased the petco comfort harness. I personally dont want to use a collar while walking him, because I personally feel that a dog this young is still growing, his cartilage hasn't yet calcified into bone, and I am not going to risk damaging his trachea, throat, etc while walking him.

6) His pee poo schedule. This is very critical. At 3.5 months, Manfred (my pup) is nearly fully potty trained. But we have to be alert to his schedule. I recommend 4-5 hrs between taking him outside to relieve himself. And 7 hours over night. My pup could hold it in for 7 hours even when a baby of 2.5 months. Remember this: holding pee and poo in is actually beneficial, as it enlarges the bladder, even for humans.

7) His pee - poo spot and your command word for him to pee-poo.

8) His crate : I researched a lot and went for the petmate x-large varikennel ultra fashion:

Amazon.com: Petmate Vari Kennel Ultra Fashion, XLarge, Bleached Linen/Coffee Grounds: Pet Supplies

Amazon.com: Petmate Vari Kennel Ultra Fashion, XLarge, Bleached Linen/Coffee Grounds: Pet Supplies

I paid $99.00 for it from Amazon, but it seems the price went up. Also a good bed to put inside the kennel.

9) Treats : any natural treat is good. I personally prefer Cadet duck breast filets:

Cadet Gourmet Pet Treats Duck Breast Fillets, 32-Ounce: Amazon.com: Pet Supplies

Cadet Gourmet Pet Treats Duck Breast Fillets, 32-Ounce: Amazon.com: Pet Supplies

These are just dried duck breasts, unfooled around with.

10) Brushes : I personally prefer the brush you mentioned, with the pins with rounded heads. And a brush with nylon bristles.

Amazon

Amazon

You need both. Also, get a slicker brush to start getting him used to it. It is the most effective, but pups hate it.


11) toys : I personally prefer rubber toys which can roll, squeak and are large enough that they cant choke my pup or cant roll under the couch.

12) Plush toys will require cleaning very often, and the toys with ropes (meant for flossing his teeth) are not yet right for the dog until his baby teeth fall and he gets his adult teeth.

13) Puppy perfume. Self explanatory, and very useful.

14) Dog tooth paste : Petrodex enzymatic toothpaste:

Amazon.com: Petrodex Enzymatic Toothpaste Dog Poultry Flavor, 6.2-Ounce: Pet Supplies

Amazon.com: Petrodex Enzymatic Toothpaste Dog Poultry Flavor, 6.2-Ounce: Pet Supplies

I also purchased a dog tooth brush, but honestly any tooth brush will do.

15) Bitter spray : not mandatory. My dog doesn't care about the bitter spray, he still bites things.

16) Nylabone :

Amazon.com: Nylabone Big Chews for Big Dogs, Beef Bone: Pet Supplies

Amazon.com: Nylabone Big Chews for Big Dogs, Beef Bone: Pet Supplies

Not mandatory. My pup treats it like any other toy.

17) One of your old t-shirts or trousers. He will love to have an article smelling of you, close to him, especially when going to bed.

18) Clicker: I havent used one, but people swear by it.

Good luck!

[Emoore]

Crate recommendation: If at all possible, find a friend who owns a smallish-medium dog or a very large cat and borrow their carrier. That's what I did and it saved me from having to spend money on a crate I used for a month or less.

Food containers: I went through a bunch of them trying to find one that was truly airtight. The only ones I found that are really and truly airtight are these:




I got this one first and it wasn't remotely air tight and then the lid broke within a few months:

[Gracie's My Girl]

Planning for a new puppy is always so exciting!

I just use a simple 5 gallon bucket with a lid for storing food. It's definitely not a fancy option, but it works. I would skip buying two different crates because it is more expensive. Buy a larger size that comes with a divider and throw a blanket over the top. I got standard sized dog dishes. They are about eight inches around. If you can, get the ones that don't flip over. For brushes, I have a wire brush and also a slicker brush. I always found that the slicker brush worked the best for grooming the puppy until the coat changed. I have heard that the best thing to do nails with is a dremel. The guillotine nail trimmer is what I have now, but I am considering switching. My puppy had no interest in balls or other toys, except for stuffed animals. Only now, at almost nine months, has she given a ball a second look. Probably not the average puppy though! Check out some Kong balls though. They will be 100x better for your dog's teeth than a tennis ball. I always disliked flexi-leashs and have stuck with the basic flat nylon ones. As for cleaners, my puppy didn't have a lot of accidents in the house. When she did, I blasted the area with a household cleaner...and was more attentive to when she needed to go out.

Good luck with the shopping! I feel like I have just written the biggest, sloppiest paragraph ever!

[ladyfreckles]

Originally Posted by Kaz

Hey,
I am a new dog owner, so I can help you out here a bit. Here are the essentials (in the order of importance):

1) Food : Dogfoodadvisor.com. Small tip : never buy food which says "meal" (Chicken meal, lamb meal, etc) or "corn" in its ingredients. From my research : Orijen, Castor and Pollux are the best brands, but super expensive (5 stars rating), next with 4 stars : Kirkland's signature supreme puppy food from costco (Which is what I buy) or blue buffalo from petco.

I did a lot of research on this but I hadn't found that website. Thank you! The breeder has them on Nature's Variety but I plan to wean the puppy off to a brand I haven't really thought of yet. I feed my cats blue buffalo. I'm going to bring a list of brands from that site to the local pet shop (they focus on healthy things only and are very selective, told me they'd definitely help me do research on nutrition) and see what they have and what they recommend.

Please buy "Flax seed oil" its cheaper and just as beneficial with the Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids for healthy coat, as is fish oil, and one **** of a lot cheaper. Extra virgin olive oil (cold pressed) works too. Just add the oil to his dry dog food.

Feed your dog dry food, because it is beneficial to his teeth and it is easier for you to store in bulk.

We have that in the house! That's awesome, thanks for the tip. Where did you learn it?

2) Large (largest you can find) metal no-spill food and drink containers. GSD's drink a lot, and my 3.5 month old pup eats a lot too.

3) His shots : keep them handy. Dont forget the schedule or his shot records. Also get him microchipped right away. It is very critical.

4) You dont need to buy any special spray to remove pet odors. Lysol all purpose works great for me. But I have all hard wood floors.

Yeah I'm looking for carpet cleaner.

5) A good harness and lead. I purchased the petco comfort harness. I personally dont want to use a collar while walking him, because I personally feel that a dog this young is still growing, his cartilage hasn't yet calcified into bone, and I am not going to risk damaging his trachea, throat, etc while walking him.

I myself prefer harnesses. I'm not sure if I trust the ones from Pet-co though. I've been trying to find a source for quality leather stuff.

6) His pee poo schedule. This is very critical. At 3.5 months, Manfred (my pup) is nearly fully potty trained. But we have to be alert to his schedule. I recommend 4-5 hrs between taking him outside to relieve himself. And 7 hours over night. My pup could hold it in for 7 hours even when a baby of 2.5 months. Remember this: holding pee and poo in is actually beneficial, as it enlarges the bladder, even for humans.

7) His pee - poo spot and your command word for him to pee-poo.

Already planned out!

8) His crate : I researched a lot and went for the petmate x-large varikennel ultra fashion:

Amazon.com: Petmate Vari Kennel Ultra Fashion, XLarge, Bleached Linen/Coffee Grounds: Pet Supplies

I paid $99.00 for it from Amazon, but it seems the price went up. Also a good bed to put inside the kennel.

I'm probably going to get a larger cat crate that I can use with my cats after the puppy outgrows it, then I'll use a wire crate with a cover.

10) Brushes : I personally prefer the brush you mentioned, with the pins with rounded heads. And a brush with nylon bristles.

Amazon.com: JW Pet Company GripSoft Double Sided Brush Dog Brush: Pet Supplies

You need both. Also, get a slicker brush to start getting him used to it. It is the most effective, but pups hate it.

Thanks for the suggestion!

11) toys : I personally prefer rubber toys which can roll, squeak and are large enough that they cant choke my pup or cant roll under the couch.

12) Plush toys will require cleaning very often, and the toys with ropes (meant for flossing his teeth) are not yet right for the dog until his baby teeth fall and he gets his adult teeth.

14) Dog tooth paste : Petrodex enzymatic toothpaste: Amazon.com: Petrodex Enzymatic Toothpaste Dog Poultry Flavor, 6.2-Ounce: Pet Supplies

I also purchased a dog tooth brush, but honestly any tooth brush will do.

Thanks, good suggestions.

16) Nylabone : Amazon.com: Nylabone Big Chews for Big Dogs, Beef Bone: Pet Supplies

Not mandatory. My pup treats it like any other toy.

Nice!

Good luck!

Thank you so much for the long reply!

Originally Posted by Emoore

Crate recommendation: If at all possible, find a friend who owns a smallish-medium dog or a very large cat and borrow their carrier. That's what I did and it saved me from having to spend money on a crate I used for a month or less.

Luckily I have two cats and need a larger carrier for them anyway.

Food containers: I went through a bunch of them trying to find one that was truly airtight. The only ones I found that are really and truly airtight are these:

That's the one I was looking at~

Originally Posted by Gracie's My Girl

Planning for a new puppy is always so exciting!

I just use a simple 5 gallon bucket with a lid for storing food. It's definitely not a fancy option, but it works. I would skip buying two different crates because it is more expensive. Buy a larger size that comes with a divider and throw a blanket over the top. I got standard sized dog dishes. They are about eight inches around. If you can, get the ones that don't flip over. For brushes, I have a wire brush and also a slicker brush. I always found that the slicker brush worked the best for grooming the puppy until the coat changed. I have heard that the best thing to do nails with is a dremel. The guillotine nail trimmer is what I have now, but I am considering switching.

My puppy had no interest in balls or other toys, except for stuffed animals. Only now, at almost nine months, has she given a ball a second look. Probably not the average puppy though! Check out some Kong balls though. They will be 100x better for your dog's teeth than a tennis ball. I always disliked flexi-leashs and have stuck with the basic flat nylon ones. As for cleaners, my puppy didn't have a lot of accidents in the house. When she did, I blasted the area with a household cleaner...and was more attentive to when she needed to go out.

Good luck with the shopping! I feel like I have just written the biggest, sloppiest paragraph ever!

Amazing suggestions! Thank you so much.

[jocoyn]

I would be rethinking the flax oil supplement and considering a good fish oil, assayed for DHA and EPA. There is some controversy about whether or not the conversion of ALA to DHA and EPA is efficient in dogs. If your meter is the coat you can give any old oil, but if your meter is preventing inflammation, it is all about these particular fatty acids.

I am not convinced dry food actually does anything for the teeth. But in terms of storage I store it in the original bag, with the top rolled and I place the bag in the plastic container. (I have one that holds a 40lb bag)...we go on and one about giving water in plastic water bowls then store food in plastic containers (plastic breathes to some extent and the plasticizers can interact with the oils in the food).

My own experience with soft toys is the puppies love to play with them and interact with you with them. They make them that you can remove and replace the squeaker (I think our squirrel is made by kong but I could be wrong)......I supervise the play with them and don't let them go outside.

I went through a lot of $1.99 squeaky rubber balls from Petsmart. They look like little basketballs. Definitely supervision required but Beau was keen on them and loved them. Still does but I am way more cautious with the adult mouth and teeth. Now we have some big dog squeakers for reward toys. I have a very limited group of what I will leave one with unsupervised and it depends on the dog. So far all mine are safe with deer antlers. Cow hooves were only good for a short while (crack and splinter)

[wolfstraum]

just have a second....NO FLEXI LEAD

Just use a leash. Flexi leads are dangerous if you get tangled and control is an issue.

Lee

[ladyfreckles]

Originally Posted by jocoyn

I would be rethinking the flax oil supplement and considering a good fish oil, assayed for DHA and EPA. There is some controversy about whether or not the conversion of ALA to DHA and EPA is efficient in dogs. If your meter is the coat you can give any old oil, but if your meter is preventing inflammation, it is all about these particular fatty acids.

We have both in the house. I'm a bit of a health nut, though I don't always take the supplements. Right now we only have capsules which I can't swallow.

I am not convinced dry food actually does anything for the teeth. But in terms of storage I store it in the original bag, with the top rolled and I place the bag in the plastic container. (I have one that holds a 40lb bag)...we go on and one about giving water in plastic water bowls then store food in plastic containers (plastic breathes to some extent and the plasticizers can interact with the oils in the food).

That's something important to note. I'll think about it.

My own experience with soft toys is the puppies love to play with them and interact with you with them. They make them that you can remove and replace the squeaker (I think our squirrel is made by kong but I could be wrong)......I supervise the play with them and don't let them go outside.

I went through a lot of $1.99 squeaky rubber balls from Petsmart. They look like little basketballs. Definitely supervision required but Beau was keen on them and loved them. Still does but I am way more cautious with the adult mouth and teeth. Now we have some big dog squeakers for reward toys. I have a very limited group of what I will leave one with unsupervised and it depends on the dog. So far all mine are safe with deer antlers. Cow hooves were only good for a short while (crack and splinter)

I'll look for those! Thanks.

Originally Posted by wolfstraum

just have a second....NO FLEXI LEAD

Just use a leash. Flexi leads are dangerous if you get tangled and control is an issue.

Lee

She recommended not getting a leather leash until the puppy hits 3-4 months. Any good recommendations for a leash to get with a puppy? Length? Where to get it from? Nylon vs leather?

[Emoore]

Originally Posted by jocoyn

I would be rethinking the flax oil supplement and considering a good fish oil, assayed for DHA and EPA. There is some controversy about whether or not the conversion of ALA to DHA and EPA is efficient in dogs. If your meter is the coat you can give any old oil, but if your meter is preventing inflammation, it is all about these particular fatty acids.

Agree with this. There's also controversy about the conversion of ALA to DHA and EPA in humans. All my clients are recommended to take fish oil, not flax, unless they are vegetarian.

[jocoyn]

My vegetarian daughter is moving to a fish supplement (as opposed to flax) at the suggestions of the doctor (she was recently diagnosed with PCOS and it is one of several things recommended)