Making the decision to get a puppy can be life changing. The wait for the puppy, what should you do before the puppy comes, the excitement when you bring your puppy home, and reality of doubt that comes over when trying to raise a well rounded puppy.

That can be a lot to think about or as well as an emotional rollercoaster all at once. Therefore, I wanted to create a puppy checklist to help new puppy parents have the essential items to make this transition as smooth as possible. This special time should be about your new bond with your puppy and not wasting time or stress with the wrong items that will make it harder.

1.) Home

Making sure you have a place for your puppy to be safe and call his/her own place is important.  Two great options are a crate and playpen. You can have them separately or together. You want to choose a place that is quite for your puppy to help them get use to it.

Crate

Playpen

2.) Outdoor

Whether you are going out in your backyard or on a walk having a Poop Bag Dispenser, Poop Bags, and a Treat Bag will be helpful to reward and clean up when your puppy goes the bathroom.

3.) Food

Choosing the right type of food for your puppy is important. Wet or dry food, brand, size of kibble, the list can go on. Depending on where you get your puppy and what they are being fed plus a chat with your veterinarian will help you make a great choice.

Make sure not to buy a lot of the food in the beginning as you may be transitioning your puppy to a new brand.

4.) Treats

Treats will be very helpful when training your puppy inside or outside the house. I like to use a variety of treats and especially ones that are easily to break up especially if you have a small puppy. We do not want to fill your puppy up with treats but use them to reward great behaviors from them.

I like these treats:

Zuke’s

Natural Balance Dog Food Roll

 Pet Botanics Training Reward

 Merrick Power Bites

 Redbarn Naturals Dog Food Roll

These treats above are some of the ones I use with my own clients. Make sure to use small portions of the treats to not overfill your puppy  too quickly when rewarding good behavior.

5.) Dog Toys:

Play Toys

Play is important with your puppy. You may want your puppy to learn to fetch  a ball or another  tug of war. Choose a couple Play Toys and see which one your puppy will love. Remember with Play Toys to supervise your puppy and when you are done with them to put them away.

Moreover, There is a learning curve by way of your puppy destroying the toy or it stays together. Also, what you might think is cute could be not practical for your puppy.

EETOYS IQ Dog Treat Ball

CLASSIC Dog Chew Toys, Dog Toothbrush Toys with Free-Play and Training

Chew Toys

When you have your puppy they are going to want to put everything in their mouth because it is new as well as their baby teeth and gums may be hurting. Therefore,  having something that is safe to chew can help this phase of  being a puppy.

Moreover, When you are gone at work or busy in your house and need your puppy to be okay alone and mentally stimulated then Chew Toys are your best friend. I have been trying a couple ones out on my mother-in-law’s new puppy.

6.) Leash/Collar/Harness

Having the right leash, collar, and harness will help make your walks outside together be safe and better with your new puppy. I like colors that are bright so you can find them and are comfortable for you to put on your puppy.  The Whole Dog Journal has an article on finding the best harness for your puppy.

Primal Pet Gear Dog Leash 6ft Long

Martingale Heavy Duty Nylon Dog Collar

Easy Walk PetSafe Harness

7.) Beds/Mat/Carrier

As a new puppy parent you want to make your puppy comfortable with a nice bad or wanting to train them to go on a mat. Also, if you are taking your puppy in the car having a carrier may be another great option.

JEMA Rectangle Dog Bed – Lounger for Dogs 

Furrybaby Dog Bed Mat Soft Crate Mat with Anti-Slip Bottom Machine Washable

Petmate Sky Kennel  this one may come in handy and is a nice size to fit your puppy’s needs. 

8.) Potty Training

When potty training your puppy I think have supplies in a container near where your puppy will be in your house will help to clean up any messes. Also, having a leash ready to go get your puppy out fast is essential too.

Finally, having a potty schedule to know when to get your puppy out is essential. I have told my clients to use a white board, a notepad, or use your phone to keep track of when your puppy:

• Eating meals
• Drinks water
• Pee
• Poop

Another option is to use an app on your phone. I heard about one that may be helpful. It is called Puppy Potty Log by Canine Scholars.

9.) Cleaning Supplies

Puppies can be sweet and cute but they can be messy. Having the right cleaning supplies on hand will lessen the frustration of cleaning up the messes you will have with your puppy.

Cleaning supplies to have on hand are:

Nature’s Miracle Stain and Odor Remover for Dogs, Enzymatic Formula Dog Stain & Odor Remover

Paper towels 

Dust pan/brush

10.) Grooming

Getting your puppy use to being brushed, trimming your their nails, checking the ears, or even learning to brush the teeth  of your puppy is important to start doing from day one.

Here are some grooming tools to have for your puppy:

A brush:   I have been using the furminator with some of my dog/puppy clients I recommned FURminator My FURst Groomer for Puppies.

Wipes: I know that may not seem like an obvious one but they are useful in wiping your puppy’s face, paws, or anything else that may get dirty in a safe way. Nature’s Miracle Deodorizing Bath Wipes could be a great choice for you to buy for your puppy. 

 Toothbrush:  I think RosyLife Pet Dog Soft Toothbrush Dog Toothbrush Finger Toothbrush pet Toothbrush Small to Large Dog is great to give you two types of toothbrushes to try with your puppy.

Toothpaste: I like Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Toothpaste for Dogs and Cats, Beef Flavor, 2.5 oz and   they have different flavors to find which one your puppy will like them. 

Tissue: Is another thing you can use to wipe your puppy’s ears inside to keep them clean.

Nail trimmers: Having nail trimmers will help to get you and your puppy use to nail trims and make them easier from the start. BOSHEL Dog Nail Clippers and Trimmer with Safety Guard to Avoid Over-Cutting Nails & Free Nail File could be very helpful for you and your puppy.

I hope this blog post was helpful to show what you need right now with your new puppy. It does not have to be everything right away as well as complicated. Start with the basics and you will learn as you go what things will work for your puppy and what will not. I want you to save time and money when you go to the pet store because it can be overwhelming trying to go without any information as a new puppy parent. Use the items I recommend in this post to take the guess work and gain more time with your new puppy and building that special bond together.