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What Essentials Should I Buy My Pup?

Hey Guys! I’m Amy, an avid dog lover and soon to be dog mama for a second time! We’re currently in the middle of our own puppy saga and it’s only getting harder with all the restrictions! But regardless, we still have lots to prepare! This week we’re talking puppy essentials, let’s dive in!

Ready for Arrival

Once your puppy is born, and you have secured it with a deposit, you should start planning and making adjustments ready for its arrival at your home. Don’t forget to speak to the breeder and listen to their advice, bringing your puppy home can be a scary experience for them. You should make it as comfortable as possible.

Most Breeders allow viewings of puppies from about 4 weeks old, let’s face it all they do before then is eat and sleep. I would recommend you don’t exchange any money until you have seen the puppies in person and are happy with your choice and the area they are being brought up in. All honest breeders will show you the pups with their mother. We were super lucky and got to go see our Bundle at around 2 weeks old! Nothing can prepare you for how small they are then! Unfortunately due to restrictions, we haven’t managed to see her again, but we’ve been sent photos and videos of her development almost every day!

Puppy Shopping List

In preparation for her coming home we have been ticking things of our puppy shopping list below, which I thought would be good to share for any prospective dog owners! We had planned to visit Crufts so saved up a fair amount of money and were able to buy most of what we needed there! I would recommend it to anyone! We got some great bargains!

We also were given loads of advice and found some great puppy clubs including Burns! With Burns Puppy Club, you get a bag of puppy food, a bag of adult food, vouchers, discounts and gifts, puppy advice and a birthday treat for your dog’s first Birthday! Plus the guys on the stand at Cruft’s were so helpful and gave great nutritional advice! .

What else should you think about getting? I’ve broken down my shopping list for you to take a look!

  • Collar / Harness
  • Leash
  • ID Tag
  • Crate / Bed
  • Toys
  • Food & Water Bowls
  • Puppy Food
  • Training Treats
  • Puppy Shampoo
  • Towel
  • Brush / Comb
  • Ear Cleaner
  • Tooth brush & Paste
  • Puppy Pads
  • Stain & Odour Remover
  • Dog Trainer

Trainer

A dog trainer is also another great thing to look into! The more you teach them while they’re young the better it will be for everyone! There are a range of options out there from group classes to solo training, so consider everything and similar to your breeder, don’t forget to do your research! I would always recommend reward-based training, but it’s still important to make sure you’re happy and confident in whoever will be helping you and your pup out! Don’t be afraid to ask for more information and spend some time reading review and testimonials!

As with most things puppy related, you definitely get what you pay for. We already had already used “Sarahs Dog Training” in the past with Davey and she was amazing with him, and he was a difficult dog, so I’m excited to see how much she can help us with the little one! We’ve signed up for the ultimate puppy package to give us the best possible start, and are hoping to get puppy involved in some group walks when she’s older to build her tolerance of other dogs too!

Travel

As it comes closer to your collection date make sure you have discussed everything with the breeder and have followed their advice. We have invested in a travel crate so the puppy can stay as safe and comfortable on the journey home, its similar to what she is being trained to stay in with the breeder so hopefully, she won’t be stressed out, we have also invested in some super comfy vet bedding to keep her cosy! Again another recommendation from the breeder!

Food Options

We have also asked for more information on what puppy is being fed and her routine so we can try and maintain this when home. It’s best not to change their diet too much too quickly, so have planned to maintain the food she is on to start and then introduce her slowly to the burns food we have from the puppy club!

Routine

As for the routine, it fits in really well with our usual routine anyway! We have booked the first week off work to help settle the pup, and have both reduced our hours for the second week while she adjusts to being alone for short periods of time.

Remember puppies are like babies and accidents will happen, we have a stockpile of puppy pads, wet wipes and disinfectant (Thank you Zoflora!!) ready to clean up any accidents, it’s important not to get mad here, as puppies don’t intentionally make a mess, its best to clean it up and remove the smell and try and correct the behaviour in the future. (These are things dog trainers can help with). Never rub your dog’s nose in its mess as it can cause it to fear you and make it harder for them to “go” with you around in the future.

Not Long Till We Welcome Margo

I hope there are a few tips and things to consider here that will help anyone on their puppy journey, and I hope you’re enjoying reading about our journey! I am happy to announce we secured the most beautiful puppy! Lady Margo of Mini Minix … or Margo for short! If you ask the other half he will say her name is Margo-Ada (but he’s just gutted I picked Margo and it is the one that stuck so his name choice got demoted to middle name :’) )

She’s due to be home soon so fingers crossed the current restrictions are lifted and we can make it to collect her! Then the real fun can start! We did have loads planned including Waggiest Weekend, but now we’re just planning to take each day as it comes and enjoys being first-time puppy owners!

Stay tuned, and stay safe!

P.s for regular updates follow us on Social Media! @Minibull.Margo

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