[TxTech]

Hey everyone,

This August my husband and I will be bringing home our first dog -- a 12 week old German Shepherd puppy! We are very excited. I have been doing a lot of research and figuring out everything we will need in our home for the pup. I'm trying to figure all of this out so that I know how much money we need to have saved up. Here is the list of things I have come up with so far:

CRATE: We are going to get the biggest one (48"x30"x33"). It is a wire crate that comes with a divider to adjust the size as the puppy grows.
BEDDING: I thought about getting one of those traditional white crate mats that has the bumper around it. I think many of those are made with a moisture absorbing material.
GROOMING: A slicker brush, a shedding blade, a curry brush, and a nail trimmer kit
TOYS: A Nylabone puppy starter kit (3 different kinds of Nylabones), a Fresh & Floss Booda Bone, and a Red Kong chew toy
DOGGY GATE: Swivel gate that we can put at the bottom of our staircase
COLLAR & LEASH: Nylon buckle collar and nylon leash (6ft.)
FEEDING/WATERING: 2 stainless steel no-skid 2qt bowls
And of course, a pooper-scooper.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I've listed? Anything to add?

 

[butch33611]

Its good that your preparing for him. When we got Sarge it was kind of a spur of the moment thing so we had to start from scratch.Looks like you pretty much have everything covered. All thats missing is the dog. Good luck with your new addition. As a member of this board remember....pics are required as soon as you bring him home!!!

 

[DianaM]

-Enyzamtic cleaner like Nature's Miracle, a gallon's worth.
-Furminator brush (not required, but highly recommended!
-Training classes (set aside money and time for this, sign up for puppy classes then continue on until your pup is a model dog).
-Read up on what to feed. There is no one diet good for every dog but you will want to read up on possible digestive disorders that GSDs face, various qualities of food, grain free, raw, how to find a good food for your dog, etc.
-Ball for fetch! Please don't use tennis balls, these are generally recommended against.
-

for getting a crate and planning ahead!
-Camera for photos.

-Training stuff! A toy to be used as a training reward, treats (you can bake liver at home to use as an easy treat), and maybe even a clicker because those are great for motivational, positive training and bond-building.

Finally, SOCIALIZE HIM LIKE CRAZY! Plan to take him around: Babies/children of all ages, races, and body types; adults of all races, ages, and body types; seniors of all ages, races, and body types; people with assistance equipment like wheelchairs and walkers; people in bears, glasses, hats, costumes, raincoats, UNIFORMS (lots of these); loud, busy situations; in busy city traffic; in stores (where allowed); in the country around farm animals (where allowed and safe; around cats and other animals; around other puppies and dogs (in SAFE, CONTROLLED situations like training classes- skip out on dog parks unless you know each and every dog is very friendly, won't overpower your dog, and is under complete control and recall control by its owner); lots of fun trips to the vet, etc.

Good luck with the new arrival! Be sure to read everything you can on this forum as all topics have excellent information even though it may seem you won't need it anytime soon.

 

[JKlatsky]

Hmm...
The only things I can think of that I would amend or add to your list...

1. Don't bother with bedding, at least not in the crate. Your puppy will destroy it if you're not there to supervise, they almost always do. And then if he ingests it, you have to worry about intestinal blockages.

2. I have a preference for a 4 ft leash. I like to keep my dogs closer, especially when we're out socializing and I always feel like 6 ft is too much and I end up balling the leash up in my hand.

3. Double check the size on the Nylabone starter kit...the ones I've seen have been small. Your puppy will grow so fast, you'll sometimes if the dog in the crate in the morning was the same on you put in there last night! We buy the Souper Size Puppy Bone, and our 14 week old loves to pick it up and carry it around. They get to keep it until they really start to tear it up and then they get the Big Dog Bone.

4. I second the other suggestions! Puppy classes are awesome. Nature's Miracle is a must. LOTS of paper towels!

Go to all the places you can think of where your puppy can go.

 

[doggiedad]

looks like you have it covered. don't buy anything from China. there's to many recalls on their products. why is your doggy gate being placed at the bottom of your staircase? are you planning on leaving your dog in the basement? do you have a Vet ? do you have your puppy classes scheduled? ask your breeder to start crating your dog. why are you bringing your puppy home at 12 weeks old? ask around about that shedding blade. i've never used one of those and i've had a coatie. puppy proof your home. is this the first dog your getting since you've been married or the first dog either one of you have ever had? are you getting a boy or girl and what color? if you have any questions about your breeder or any aspect of your dogs life you'll find the answer here. the people here know dogs. good luck. what's your dogs name on paper and what are you going to call him or her? good luck. stead with this forum.

 

[GSDgirlAL]

I agree with doggiedad ... looks like you've got just about everything covered. The only thing that I can think of that you didn't write .... Puppy Shampoo and a dental starter kit. Start them while they are young with cleaning their teeth so that way when they get older they are used to having your fingers in their mouth. I saw that you had nail clippers down, that's something else to get them used too while they are young.

don't forget about food for the pup

 

[GSDgirlAL]

Just thought of something else ....

ID tag for your pup with all the important info on it ... it's better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Kayla's Dad]

I agree with JKlatsky on considering four ft leash - except I would suggest down the road when your puppy gets a little bigger. I use both a 4 ft and 6 ft depending on circumstances. Stay with the 6 ft for now but put a 4 ft in your thinking as he gets bigger.

Treat bag for carrying the treats with you-even in the house as you award for behaviours in his early weeks of bonding.

Any old (or replaceable) sheets or towels? May want to consider them for bedding in the crate, until you get past the chewing period.

 

[TxTech]

Originally Posted By: doggiedadlooks like you have it covered. don't buy anything from China. there's to many recalls on their products. why is your doggy gate being placed at the bottom of your staircase? are you planning on leaving your dog in the basement? do you have a Vet ? do you have your puppy classes scheduled? ask your breeder to start crating your dog. why are you bringing your puppy home at 12 weeks old? ask around about that shedding blade. i've never used one of those and i've had a coatie. puppy proof your home. is this the first dog your getting since you've been married or the first dog either one of you have ever had? are you getting a boy or girl and what color? if you have any questions about your breeder or any aspect of your dogs life you'll find the answer here. the people here know dogs. good luck. what's your dogs name on paper and what are you going to call him or her? good luck. stead with this forum.

We are bringing the pup home at 12 weeks because we have arranged for the breeder to keep him/her for some additional weeks to start on the basic training. Since it will be our first puppy we don't want to start with a 6 or 7 week old...it will be easier on us to start with one that is a little older and has been socialized at the kennel and received some basic training. My husband and I have had dogs before when we were growing up, but we have never owned one together. Nor have either of us had experience raising a pup and participating in training with it.

As for the stairs thing...we live in a two story townhome. We are going to put a gate at the bottom of the stairs because we spend most of our time downstairs and we want to keep the puppy downstairs with us at all times.

We don't know if we are getting a male or female yet. The litter is due the first week of May, so once we see pictures and the breeder tells us about their markings and temperaments we will choose which one we want. I don't really have much of a preference as far as the sex goes. I will choose based on other things.

My husband's cousin is a Vet, so we will go to his clinic. We don't have puppy classes scheduled yet. But we will do so.

 

[TxTech]

Originally Posted By: GSDgirlALI agree with doggiedad ... looks like you've got just about everything covered. The only thing that I can think of that you didn't write .... Puppy Shampoo and a dental starter kit. Start them while they are young with cleaning their teeth so that way when they get older they are used to having your fingers in their mouth. I saw that you had nail clippers down, that's something else to get them used too while they are young.

don't forget about food for the pup

Yeah, I didn't put anything about the shampoo and dental care stuff because I'm not really sure what to get yet. I plan on talking to the breeder about that. If she is going to use particular products on the pup I might just continue to use that product. Same thing with food.

 

[DianaM]

If this is your first pup, I strongly suggest the breeder choosing for you based on your needs, wants, experiences, and goals. The breeder should know the parents, lines, and the litter better than anyone and it's hard even for pros to step into a litter and pick a good match on the first go. If the breeder is not willing to do this or doesn't see the importance in this, that very likely is a red flag.

Also, puppies should go to their new homes no earlier than 7 weeks minimum but 8 weeks or older is best. 6 weeks is a no no and if your breeder typically lets pups go at 6 weeks, that's an even bigger red flag! Make sure your breeder does TONS of socializing between 8-12 weeks with your pup!

 

[TxTech]

Originally Posted By: DianaMIf this is your first pup, I strongly suggest the breeder choosing for you based on your needs, wants, experiences, and goals. The breeder should know the parents, lines, and the litter better than anyone and it's hard even for pros to step into a litter and pick a good match on the first go. If the breeder is not willing to do this or doesn't see the importance in this, that very likely is a red flag.

Also, puppies should go to their new homes no earlier than 7 weeks minimum but 8 weeks or older is best. 6 weeks is a no no and if your breeder typically lets pups go at 6 weeks, that's an even bigger red flag! Make sure your breeder does TONS of socializing between 8-12 weeks with your pup!

The breeder we chose does not release puppies at 6 weeks of age. At that age, she starts vaccinations. She says that her pups are usually gone by 9 weeks of age. I believe she told me that 7-8 weeks is the typical age that they leave.

I do agree that the breeder will be better able to pick our pup for us. She told me that we need to specify what color & markings we prefer, as well as what we are looking for in a dog. She said she will send us a series of pictures so that we can see what all of the pups look like. She will also tell me about the differences she sees among all of them. So, even though we will be telling her our preferences, she will know the pups better than us and she will know which one will better suit us.

As for socializing: this breeder has several other animals on her property with which she socializes her puppies. She also has grandkids who come over regularly, so the pups are exposed to children (once they are old enough). The breeder says she does NOT allow visitors to visit with/handle the newborns. She says her puppies are socialized when they go to their new home.

 

[kelso]

Congrats! and good luck

Looks like you are doing an awesome job at researching and getting ready for your pup.

Can't wait to see some pictures! Do you have any particular names for male or female? Just being nosey...

 

[TxTech]

Originally Posted By: kelsoCongrats! and good luck

Looks like you are doing an awesome job at researching and getting ready for your pup.

Can't wait to see some pictures! Do you have any particular names for male or female? Just being nosey...

Ah...names...ACK! I'm having such a hard time. I hear so many cute dog names, but at the same time many of them don't strike me the way I want my pup's name to strike me. I keep looking for a name that when I see it I go, "Oh my gosh. That's perfect!" or "I love that name!"

So far, the only female name that I have given thought to is Sookie. I am a huge fan of the show Gilmore Girls and there is a character on the show named Sookie. I've always thought she had a cool name, but I would never name my child Sookie. So I thought it might make a good dog name. And the only male name that me and my husband have talked about is Kumho. Believe it or not, it is a brand name of tires! I am pretty sure it is pronounced koom-o (silent h).

Any suggestions?!?!

 

[DianaM]

Quote:She says her puppies are socialized when they go to their new home.

Don't fall for that trap! They may be exposed to some kids and some animals, but you still must expose them to many, many more kids, animals, adults, seniors, uniforms, races, body types, clothing types, etc. If you think the socializing job is done, it's far from it! Plan lots of outings with the pup and make it a goal to meet as many as possible. Find a parade and go to one- that's a great way to see all sorts of people, kids, and experience a lot of loud noises!

 

[TxTech]

Originally Posted By: DianaM

Quote:She says her puppies are socialized when they go to their new home.

Don't fall for that trap! They may be exposed to some kids and some animals, but you still must expose them to many, many more kids, animals, adults, seniors, uniforms, races, body types, clothing types, etc. If you think the socializing job is done, it's far from it! Plan lots of outings with the pup and make it a goal to meet as many as possible. Find a parade and go to one- that's a great way to see all sorts of people, kids, and experience a lot of loud noises!

Oh no! By no means did I think that meant that the socialization process is done. And I don't think that's what the breeder intended by her statement. What I took from that statement is that while the pup is in the breeders hands, she socializes it. Once the puppy goes to its new home, it is up to the owner to continue that socialization.

 

[Rügen]

Hi HBH,

I am also leaving my pup at the breeder's kennel a little longer than normal- 9.5 weeks. (His time is up next week!)

Sookie and Kumho are too cute

When I was looking for names (since I am getting a German snowline from import parents) I checked out Germany's geography (seas, mountains, rivers, valleys, islands, ect...) What are your little guy's lines?

Looks like you are going to be very well prepared when he/she comes home

One idea- take a toy or something to get the sent of his littermates and mother. I dropped off a stuffed toy with the whole litter when they were 6 weeks old. It should help with the adjustment when his littermates leave and when you take him home.

 

[SunCzarina]

Love this thread as we're expecting an addition to our family this summer as well.

One question I have is about crates. Puppy will be getting his own crate. It will be in my bedroom as Morgan's was when she was a baby.

Should I move Morgan's crate up in my bedroom so puppy can see the older dog likes her crate? Right now her crate is in the basement and she always goes in when someone's in the basement with her.

 

[DianaM]

Quote:Once the puppy goes to its new home, it is up to the owner to continue that socialization.

If only more people realized that!

 

[law1558]

Originally Posted By: Caras_GSDWhen I was looking for names (since I am getting a German snowline from import parents) I checked out Germany's geography (seas, mountains, rivers, valleys, islands, ect...) What are your little guy's lines?

Looks like you are going to be very well prepared when he/she comes home

One idea- take a toy or something to get the sent of his littermates and mother. I dropped off a stuffed toy with the whole litter when they were 6 weeks old. It should help with the adjustment when his littermates leave and when you take him home.

I LOVE this thread, too, as we are bringing home our female pup in July.

I want a good strong German name, too, and hadn't considered pulling out a map to look for possibilities! Our last female was named "Ica" (pronounced Ike-a) and I've found I'm more drawn to names that end with "a"....some of the contenders for our new pup are "Kona", "Zara", "Quila", and "Roya".

I also like your idea of dropping off a stuffed animal with the litter so the scent of the littermates/mom comes home when the pup does.