Top 10 Things You Need When Bringing Home a New Puppy from the Breeder

Top 10 Things You Need When Bringing Home a New Puppy from the Breeder

Getting a new puppy is such an exciting time! You will get to have a beloved new member of the family who will bring you much joy and happiness for many years to come. While having a new puppy can be a bit daunting for first-time fur parents, these top items will guarantee that your puppy will feel comfortable, warm, and welcome in his new family!

As a responsible puppy parent, you must ensure that everything is prepared for your puppy so that you and your pup can easily adjust to your lives together. Preparing these essential items before you get your puppy from the breeder will ensure that you are prepared with everything your pup needs.

Here are the top things you should prepare when bringing home a puppy:

1. Dog Crate

Dog crates are one of the most essential items to bring when picking up your puppy so that you can ensure they feel safe and secure during the car ride home. You can make the dog crate as comfortable as possible by putting on a blanket and puppy pads.

Aside from being useful for traveling, dog crates can also be used as a puppy home and for crate training since it doubles as a place where your puppy can sleep and is also used for potty training.

When choosing a dog crate, get a size based on how large your dog will be when fully grown. You can simply add a divider to make the space smaller and adjust it as your puppy grows.

3. Puppy bed

 Just like babies, one of the things that you need to prepare for when your new puppy arrives is a comfortable and soft bed. It doesn’t have to be expensive as long as your new furry friend is comfortable and able to sleep well.

Puppies sleep a lot after all the excitement of playing and exploring new things. This is why having a designated area in your home where your pup can rest would give them the energy to recharge.

You can even use your dog crate and put some pillows and blankets to create a makeshift puppy bed. The most important thing that you should consider is that the bed will make your puppy feel secure so that he can rest well.

4. Leash

When you get your new puppy, another item that you should have on your puppy checklist is a good-quality leash especially if your pup is less than 5 months old. This is the easiest way to house train, potty train, and keep an eye on them, especially in the first few weeks when they are still getting used to their new home.

You should note that not all the leashes are the same. Different types of leashes are made from different materials and provide different functions. For small pups that are very energetic, a slip lead that allows for a quick leash option or a double-hand leash are great choices for potty breaks and house training.

Harnesses are not recommended for new dogs since they encourage pulling instead of teaching them to walk beside you calmly. With this, you must choose the right leash for your new puppy so that it will feel comfortable while puppy training.

5. Poop Bags

Poop bags are one of the must-haves when getting a new puppy since you will find yourself picking up their poop until they are potty trained. Poop bags are also one of the items that you should carry around whenever you go out and walk your puppy.

When choosing poop bags, make sure to get ones that have a thicker material so it won’t smell. There are biodegradable poop bags that are effective in cleaning up your pup’s mess while being environmentally friendly.

6. Puppy Food

Choosing the right food will help your new puppy grow strong and healthy. This is why you should carefully choose which type of puppy food would suit your new puppy based on his breed, hair type, size, etc.

Since there is a wide array of dog food available, always choose the better and healthier option that would promote better growth for your puppy. While kibbles and canned dog food are easier to purchase and give your puppy, healthier options would be freeze-dried raw or dehydrated foods or frozen raw foods.

• Kibble

• Canned

• Freeze-dried raw or dehydrated

• Frozen Raw

You can even mix kibbles or canned food with freeze-dried raw or dehydrated foods or frozen raw foods for healthier feeding. Make sure that you feed your new puppy the right amount with a proper eating routine of three times a day so that you are not over-feeding or under-feeding them.

7. Puppy Chews

Young puppies are teething and would want to chew on things constantly. This is why you will often see your puppy biting and chewing on random things that they can find.

In addition to puppy-proofing your car and home, choosing puppy chews in two different textures would be a great addition to your new puppy checklist. Since puppies have different oral and sound preferences, you can also try exploring which type of chew toys your puppies would lean toward. Get a hard and soft puppy chew so your puppy will have options to choose from.

Not only will chew toys help with their teething, but these will also keep them calm and distract them from chewing other things in your home. Among the best choices for dog chews are the Benebone Wishbone and the Nylabone Puppy Chew. As a special treat, you can even put them in the freezer and then add a bit of peanut butter as a great chew for teething puppies.

8. Dog Bowls

Once you bring your puppy home, you should have dog bowls ready for feeding and drinking. When choosing a puppy bowl, consider your puppy’s breed since dogs with longer snouts should have deeper bowls while short-snouted dogs should have shallow bowls.

Also, you can choose smaller puppy bowls in the meantime and get larger ones as your puppy grows since your puppy might find it hard to eat from big dog bowls. A good puppy bowl choice is the LE TAUCI Dog Bowls which are made from ceramic and in a wooden stand. Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, this puppy bowl’s stand has a non-skid pad that will prevent it from sliding around as your puppy eats.

Another great option is the ALPINE Stainless Steel Dog Bowls which is double wall insulated and also has a non-skid bottom. What’s great about this dog bowl is that it can keep the food’s temperature longer so your puppy can have the perfect warm meal.

9. Play Pen or Baby Gate

When bringing home a new puppy, having a playpen is a great way to puppy-proof an area and would allow you to contain them. This would keep them out of trouble and will give you the peace of mind that they won’t be ingesting anything that might be harmful to them.

Dog playpens give your pup the freedom to play without damaging areas of your home due to scratches and biting. These playpens are easy to assemble and can easily be relocated to different areas of your house.

Another way to start enforcing rules and have a puppy-proof area in your home is by placing baby gates that double as a puppy gate that has a swing-door mechanism. Free-standing gates and doorway puppy gates can be placed in doorways and at the foot of the stairs to ensure your new puppy will not be wandering to other places in your house.

10. Grooming Tools

Keeping dogs clean and well-groomed is a great way to ensure that they will grow up clean and healthy. For this, you need at least the basic and right supplies when you are bringing home a new puppy from the breeder.

Getting your pup used to taking baths will make it more comfortable for them as they grow older. Using a non-irritating shampoo that is safe for small pups such as the Chris Christensen Happy Eyes Tearless Shampoo would keep your puppy’s fur from getting matted and can also prevent bad odors.

Once your puppy is done with bathing, you can use the Chris Christensen Ice on Ice Detangling and Finishing Spray which not only helps in detangling furs but also helps repel dirt and other pollutants to keep your puppy’s coat shiny and strong. Follow this with a proper brush like the Mark Curved Back Slicker Brushes that would help detangle their coat as well as promote long and sturdy growth.

Other essential grooming items are nail clippers or nail trimmers since a puppy’s nails can grow fast. The Wahl pet nail clippers are a great choice since it has safety locks for when not in use and have rubber grips that help make them easier to control especially when trimming a squirmish puppy’s nails.

11. Anxiety Reducing Aides

Puppies are very prone to anxiety, especially during the first few nights of being away from their parents and being placed in a new environment. As your puppy’s new family, you want to ensure that you can manage its anxiety since it can affect its overall health.

When bringing home a new puppy from the breeder, try to bring anxiety-reducing aides that can help calm your anxious puppy. The Snuggle Puppy Heartbeat Stuffed Toy is a favorite of puppies that are just a few months old since it has a heartbeat feature that is proven to reduce stress and help them sleep at night. It has a removal heat pad and heartbeat mechanism so you can wash this stuffed toy whenever it gets too dirty.

You can also place a dog crate cover during your card ride from the breeder or even use it at home to create a sense of a safe place for your pup. A great investment that you can get is the Echo Dot that both you and your puppy can use. You can simply play soothing music at night that can calm your anxious puppy’s senses to give him a restful sleep.