What to get for a new puppy

Adopting a new puppy is an exciting time as you are growing your family by one adorable furry member. J and I adopted two rescue dogs, Boba (2017) and Ruby (2020) and have greatly enjoyed being dog parents. It is so much fun and rewarding to play with and train your fur baby, but if this is your first time owning a dog of your own, then it can be overwhelming to know what they really need (outside of vet visits, dog bowls and food). After fostering puppies and owning dogs of our own, we have a list of essentials you’ll want to have on hand for puppies specifically.

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Dog crate

A dog crate is an essential for a new puppy. There are so many benefits to using a crate and despite what it may seem like, it is not cruel to use them (appropriately)! Crates make house training your pup easier, gives your pup a safe space of their own to decompress or recover from injury, keeps them safe from mischief and harm while you’re not home and it makes traveling with your pup more seamless.

Depending on the expected size of your dog, you’ll want to get a crate that’s large enough for them to stand up and turn around in. Most larger crates come with a divider to make the crate smaller for puppies when they are still little but expected to grow. If your dog is a rescue like both of mine, then it’s hard to predict how big they will get. I’d err on the side of caution and get one for a large dog. Most mixed breeds from shelters tend to be medium-larger sized dogs in my experience.

Wee-wee pads

Potty training is the most demanding part of training your new puppy. Depending on the age you get your pup, you’ll have to use wee-wee pads if your pup is under 4 months and under. You’ll likely want to keep them on hand for times when your young dog can’t hold it too. For the first year we had Boba, we kept a wee-wee pad by the door of the porch after he was out of the crate during the day. He rarely used it, but when he did it make clean up quick.

Training treats

Training treats vary in size and quality. High value treats, like boiled chicken, are excellent when you are leash training your dog. We have a subscription for these treats because they are small rewards when our grown dogs obey a command. The reason we like the treats to be small is because large treats while training could lead to them gaining too much weight, especially if you’re still trying to get commands down.

Toys

This is a category that you can go overboard with (I know we did), but toys are essential for a new puppy. There are three ways to rewards your dog during training; treats, toys and physical praise. Some dogs love playing so much that you can use that to help train them. Command them to sit and once they do, you can pull out a toy as their reward and give them a few seconds of tug-of-war. Ruby responds very well to all three types of rewards. Boba primarily wants treats but will take praise if we are empty handed.

Leash (and collar)

Traditional Leashes

Dogs need to be walked daily and puppies need potty breaks every 2 hours in the beginning. A leash and collar are necessary for these moments, especially if you live in an apartment. There are several options on what leash to buy. Of course, there’s the traditional leash that clips into your dog’s collar directly. Traditional leashes are either retractable or made of fabric. I do not recommend retractable leashes while training a puppy; There’s less control and the puppy will be focused on exploring rather than focused on you.

Gentle Leaders

For large dogs, you may find a gentle leader is best. These go around the snout of your dog and it is good for large breed dogs. It prevents these powerful dogs from dragging you if they see something interesting. They do not hurt the dogs or restrict them from opening their mouths. How it works is it redirects their heads if they start trying to pull away from you. My brother-in-law started using one with his St. Bernard after the dog pulled his mom down some steps when she was dog-sitting.

Slip Lead

Another option is a slip lead. These leashes are ideal for training your dog to heel and learn to walk with slack. Slip leads do choke the dogs if they start pulling which causes them to stop pulling. They do not have burrs or spikes like a pinch collar that causes them pain when they pull, only discomfort. Finally, a popular option is a traditional leash with a harness. Fair warning, harnesses are more comfortable for dogs but they encourage pulling if you clip the leash on their back. Instead, I recommend buying a harness that has a clip in the front of the harness; This helps turn the dogs around if they start pulling away (similar to a gentle leader but less effective).

Puppy training lessons

Basic obedience lessons are incredibly helpful for puppies and owners alike. You learn a set of commands to stick with and you get guidance from an instructor. J and I found that training Boba and Ruby was much easier after a professional gave us the tools needed to be consistent. If you do puppy lessons right away it helps establish routines before bad habits arise. As a bonus, your dog will socialize with other dogs in the lesson! Proper socialization is very important if you want a well-mannered dog.

Dogs are wonderful companions and bring so much fun into ones life. Though it’s a lot of work, it’s totally worth it. Let me know in the comments what name you are giving your puppy!

Need ideas on what to do with your pup? Check out this my other posts.