What to buy before puppy arrives?

[Keri]

Hi there,

We will be bringing home a nine-week old Goldendoodle on Oct. 31. I am so excited, but this is my first dog in 20 years, so I'd really appreciate tips on what I should purchase before he arrives. I know the crate, leash, collar and a few other basics, but I wonder if dogs are like babies and people buy all this gear and don't end up using half of it. Any tips on puppy must-haves would be greatly appreciated! Thanks  :)

[Mary Hall]

Hi Keri,

Lots and lots of things to chew.  We're new at this puppy thing too, but we  have been so grateful for bully sticks.  They're life savers for pups who need to chew.  I'm sure others have good ideas for you too, and good luck.

[Sarah & Dahlia]

FLOOR CLEANER specially formulated for pet stains. A handheld carpet shampooer is the best! I got a Bissel one for about $50 on Amazon and got some pet stain shampoo with it. It has been a lifesaver! If you have wood floors, Nature's Miracle has wood floor cleaner that is awesome too! 

Also, a few small bags of small treats so that you can treat them for good behavior and lure them into their crate of course. My Dahlia is very picky about flavors, so I was happy I got a few different flavors to see what she liked.

Also, a baby gate to block off areas of the house and such.

Oh and get plenty of sleep until you pick them up :) Good Luck!

[Jen, Lachlan, and Declan]

Paper towels. Wet wipes. Alcohol. (That last one is for you!)

And I'll second the handheld carpet cleaner! Seriously, a lifesaver!

[Diane, Baker & Oskar]

Not sure if this is considered a 'must-have', but I found a noise-machine with a heartbeat sound, white noise, etc. invaluable when Oskar first came home.  I'd put it in his crate during naps & at night.  I found it at Target for about $10 in the baby department.  There is also the 'snuggle puppy' to comfort the new puppy.

Be sure to post pictures when he comes home :)

[Shoney & Ruby]

My mom used to put the puppy into a box with a wind-up alarm clock and warm hot water bottle wrapped in an old blanket to mimic mama dog---this was a long time ago. Has anyone done that with their pup?

[Kathryn Clark]

Since we're just weeks ahead of you I have some great tips! Definitely agree with Mary, lots of bully sticks! Those have been wonderful for our sanity.

We use the following a lot:

dog bed (ours sleeps here at night and it's been easy to train him to go right to his bed when he enters any room)

Kongs! We bought several sizes and shapes but don't waste your money on the little ones, go right for the medium size since we've found it's been a great way to feed our puppy his meals from the kongs.

Some long pulling toys for some vigorous play: We only had little short toys and found our fingers and hands were in bite distance when we were playing tug of war.

Different brands of treats. Our trainer told us to switch up the treats regularly to keep things exciting. I noticed a big difference in our puppy's behavior when I started changing them daily. He sees my treat bag and sits right down for me in anticipation.

Treat bag to wear on waist. I tried carrying ziploc bags around everywhere but the dog quickly figured out one nip and they're all his!

We just bought the bells for the door knobs when potty training and I wish I'd had this earlier since I've learned doodles are so good at this.

Start training asap, ours knew several tricks by day three! I'm amazed at how smart they are! Good luck and most importantly, GET SOME SLEEP before the 31st.

[Helga, Nimbus, Sierra, Clooney]

We got Sierra two weeks ago (she's 10 weeks now). We crate train, and use snuggle puppy. If she cries at night, all you have to do is turn on the heartbeat). Poochie Bells work great, too. Nimbus learned how to use them in 20 min. Sierra is getting there, too. Bully sticks and antlers. Also, we rubbed her blanket and snuggle puppy over her siblings when we picked her up.
Start training right away with lots of praise and treats. Good luck and have fun!

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

Natures Miracle is a must have! Buy the gallon size, it will be cheaper in the long run. When they pee on the carpet or even a tile or wooden floor, you need to saturate the area in Natures Miracle. It removes the odor so that puppy doesn't smell it and think that is where he is supposed to go.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Our first go round with Lucy I bought a lot more than was necessary, so a lot went unused. With the addition of Oscar, 3 yrs. later, I really only bought a few things, like a crate, leash, collar and food/water dishes. Baby gates are well worth the money, and as others have mentioned, Nature's Miracle Floor cleaner. What Lucy liked and used didn't necessarily get used by Oscar, or we just didn't feel the same things were appropriate for him (like bully sticks, as we knew he would probably swallow them whole). Oscar never used potty bells, either (Lucy still uses them). Doggy beds for puppies are a waste of money IMO, as they're likely to get chewed up. I think puppies prefer a hard surface anyway. Tough chew toys like Kong and West Paw Zogoflex brand toys are the best choices that will last long into adulthood. Soft toys are fine for young puppies, but only while they have their puppy teeth. We used regular kibble for training treats the first couple months, and then graduated to more specialized treats. You can find a list of safe training treats (as well as safe dog food brands) in The Food Group, here on Doodlekisses under Recommended Food and Treat Brands.

[Kaitee and Orwell]

I agree with everything that has been said, but I would also think about buying a small bed with a raised back to have when the puppy is with you wherever you spend the most time. Puppies like to feel secure and a bed with the back allows for that.

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

Gates to block off rooms, stairs, etc. are life savers. I bought an ex pen and only used it to train his potty spot from day one. He peed and pooped in the ex pen outside, it was great. I bought another pen for inside the house but never used it cause the gates worked well. Wasted $45 on that pen. Clean, old towels are good to have around as sleepy spots. We still don't have a bed as Rip is good at tearing! Good luck! Ps there are other threads on this topic you may like to search for more info...

[Gretchen Nastrom]

If there is one mistake we made with Preston it was getting the wrong leash (several times).  We got a decent 6 foot leash from Petsmart, but he chewed them in no time!  I literally put on on him, turned my back to put my shoes on for a walk and when I turned around, he had chewed through it.  After that I went to Target and got one that is a round leash that he can't chew through (the other ones were those flat nylon ones that you see in various colors at Petsmart/Petco).

Another thing that we still use even now that Preston is 1 is a 15 foot long lead.  We use this when we are playing in the (unfenced) yard when we are playing ball, working on "come", etc.  He still gets distracted and runs off, so if he is dragging this lead around, we have a better chance at catching him.

Good luck with your new pup!  It is so much fun to have a puppy in the house!