So you’re adopting a puppy. Congratulations! You’re about to take home a small bundle of cuteness that loves you unconditionally. (And will immediately pee on everything.)
If you’re anything like me, you’re excited mixed with nervous mixed with panicked mixed with overwhelmed.
So let’s focus. Here are the essentials you need to get through your first few nights with your puppy — you can worry about the other stuff later.
1. Crate
*Big, booming Morgan Freeman voice*
I BELIEVE IN CRATE TRAINING!
A crate is both you and your dog’s best friend. For your dog, this will be a sanctuary, a place they know is theirs and can retreat to for quiet time. And for dogs who don’t get bed privileges, it’s also where they sleep at night.
For you as the parent, though, it’s critical for housebreaking. Since a dog’s natural instinct is to avoid soiling his bed at all costs, he’ll try to hold it until he gets out of there. (The second he gets out is when you swoop him and get him outside.)
The downside of crate training is that it can feel mean to put a dog in what is essentially a cage. Especially for super sensitive animal lovers like me who, at the mere sight of a Sarah McLachlan ASPCA commercial, clamor to change the channel before I start weeping in public…
Me 1.3 seconds into any ASPCA commercial
My advice here is to avoid thinking of a crate as a “cage.” Think of it how I described it above: it’s your dog’s personal, private space. They just don’t know it yet.
One more thing on crates: They should be big enough for the dog to comfortably turn around in a circle and lie down. Any bigger and they’ll have room to pee off to the side and avoid sitting in it. So your puppy doesn’t immediately outgrow his crate, I suggest an adjustable crate, like the below, which has an interior grate that you can move as your puppy grows.
Like ours, this crate has two doors, which can come in handy in space-limited areas.
2. Food/water bowls
In a pinch, normal bowls work, of course.
3. Food!
Don’t just get any food, though. When you pick up your dog, they should tell you about his current diet. (And if they don’t, ask.) You’ll want to maintain that diet for at least a few days — it’s nice for a pup to have a constant when his little life is changing completely. If you wish to change your dog’s diet to something else, do it slowly. Add a little to dinner and keep adding more, shifting the ratio over the course of a week until you have a whole bowl of the new food.
4. Toys
The fun part! When picking out toys, don’t get anything too big/tough. Instead, go for a few toys intended for puppies. We liked the KONG for puppies because it’s smaller and made from a softer material. Soft plush toys are also great since they won’t be immediately destroyed (yet).
5. Collar/Leash
Our shelter requires adoptive “parents” to come with a collar and leash on pickup day. No need to splurge on the most amazing collar, unless you want to — your puppy is likely going to outgrow it faster than you can blink.
6. Treats
Another fun item! Start with small treats — they actually make them for training specifically, and they’re perfect for puppies.
7. A good cleaning product
Because you’re going to NEED one. There’s all kinds of such cleaners out there, but we recommend the tried-and-true Nature’s Miracle. We got two bottles — one for upstairs and one for downstairs. (Amazon has a handy two-pack available! And refills are available in gallon jugs at a bargain price. I hate to say it, but you’ll probably need every drop.
Fruit of the gods.
And there you have it! A short shopping list of essentials for the first few days with your pup. Did I miss anything? Comment with your thoughts!
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