New Puppy Checklist – What You Need When You Bring Your New Puppy Home

Bringing home your new puppy is an exciting time for everyone. Keep in mind that it will also be a life changing time for your puppy as well. Before you even bring him home from the breeders you should have all of your accessories in place and be ready to welcome him into your home.

You should certainly have a food supply on hand. With the shock of moving to a new home, this is not a good time to introduce new food as well so continue with the brand and feeding schedule he was on at the breeders. In addition to food you will need training treats, chew bones, and stainless steel food and water bowels. You may also want to buy a sealable plastic container to hold the opened bag of dog food so it doesn't attract insects.

Your puppy will need a place to sleep and a crate is a good place for that plus you can use it to help him become housetrained. Some people think crates are cruel but that is only because they do not understand that dogs instinctively prefer to have their own den or cave to dwell in. Having his own hide-away will give your new puppy a sense of security.

In addition to a crate in your home, you also need a mobile dog crate or carrier so you can transport your new puppy to the vet. You should use the carrier to bring your puppy home in and get him used to getting inside it when he wants to ride in the car. As soon as you get your puppy, make an appointment with your vet so you can get started on a vaccination schedule.

Your new puppy will be full of energy and want to play so get him lots of fun dog toys that are safe for him to chew on and that are interesting enough to keep him engaged. He also needs a collar, leash, and identification tag. You might as well stock up on paper towels to clean up the messes he will make at first and you may want to buy a product designed to break up urine stains and odors so your carpet doesn't begin to smell bad.

You want to begin brushing your puppy every day so you can bond and so he will get used to being handled and being groomed. For that you will need the proper brush according to his hair type. Other grooming supplies you will need are dog shampoo and nail clippers. You should always use dog shampoo because it is much milder than shampoo made for humans that can irritate a puppy's skin.

A doggie gate will come in handy for keeping your puppy out of certain rooms until he is able to control his bladder and bowels. You can buy these at the pet store or you can buy a baby gate at a baby store. These gates fit in a doorway in order to block access. You should also provide your puppy a personal dog bed or a towel to curl up in while he is sleeping and another one to drape over his crate to signify it is time to go to sleep.

The most important thing your new puppy will need is you. Don't bring home your puppy on a workday when you will have to leave him alone for several hours. The best time to get a puppy is when you are on vacation or a long weekend so you will be able to stay with him until he gets used to his new surroundings.