These are a few things you should have before you bring your new puppy home….

Canidae – All Life’s Stages Dog Food (It is not “puppy” food it’s for all stages of life from puppy to adult.  Visit www.canidae.com and put in your zip code to find a place close to you that carries it.  It’s a great food, no corn (you know what corn does to us as humans!  Well it does the same thing to dogs – goes straight through them so any food that has corn in it causes the dog to poop more but they poop less on Canidae because it has no corn and high quality ingredients that their body can use.)  There are also no by-products (beaks, feet, parts, etc) in the food.  If you choose not to use Canidae we ask that you really check out the food you intend to feed.  There are numerous websites that offer reviews of what is really in the dog food  A couple are www.dogfoodanalysis.com and www.rateitall.com then search for dog food reviews. A couple other quality foods are Taste of the Wild, Innova, Evo, or Wellness. I would not recommend Eukanuba, Iams, Ol’ Roy, Science Diet, Nutro, and other highly marketed foods, just read the ingredients, you’ll see why! The top 5 ingredients are the most important ingredients in the food, there should be NO-byproducts or corn and all of latter brands include one or both in the first 5 ingredients.

Food and Water Bowls (maybe even a little placemat to keep the bowls from moving around)

Brush

Puppy Shampoo (check the back, many say not to use if they’re under 12 weeks.  You can use a basic Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo until they’re 12 weeks or even something like Dove Body Wash, just keep all away from their eyes.)

Soft Treats for Training (about the size of a piece of food kibble or dime size is best, just reward them right after they potty with a treat, that way they know what they’re doing that’s so good and will know what they’re being praised for.)

Chew toys (Tug ropes are great, rawhide chews)

Balls for Playing Fetch (mini or regular size tennis balls)

A Crate – if you aren’t having your puppy shipped to you, you will need to purchase a crate.  If you are having your puppy shipped to you the crate they’re being shipped in will fit them for a while but eventually you’ll have to upsize.  A wire one works well because they can see out and some even have a divider in them which you can adjust as the puppy grows.  For a dog that will mature in the 40+ range a 26h x 24d x 36w crate will last them forever and give them plenty of room, it has a divider you can use when they’re little and then remove as they grow.

Washable Bedding for the Crate – a couple cheap fleece blankets work well as does a couple towels.  Once they’re older and you don’t have pottying concerns a doggy bed is good.

A Stuffed Animal for Inside the Crate. ( Helps the puppies sleep better the first few nights, we will also send a towel or small blanket with the puppy’s litter mates and mommy’s smell on it, it won’t be the cleanest by any means but it will be a familiar item for the puppy.)

A Leash and Collar. A Collar that will go as small as 9 or 10″ and expands, usually works for the puppies.