Shopping List
The Bare Necessities - $150 to $200
If you do not have these things on hand, you are not ready to welcome your pet into your home. Honestly, most of these things can be obtained at Tractor Supply or WalMart or other animal supply stores. Big box retailers like PetSmart and PetCo have incredible markups. If you make a preliminary purchase from Wayfair.com on something not too expensive, they send you a coupon. Then if you review it, they send you a whopper of a coupon. Do that and use it to buy the crate. We got ours for $49, normally $99, by using this strategy.
Safety & Health
Leash (at least 4 feet)
Nylon collar
Identification tags
Heartworm and Flea/Tick Preventative
Containment
42” dog crate
Crate pad
Outdoor lead and stake (if yard is not fenced)
Feeding
Stainless steel water bowls, the heavier the better
Puppy food (4 Health Puppy Formula, available at Tractor Supply).
The “Extras” that are Nice to Have
These items can make your life with a new puppy more enjoyable. “Good Citizen” Behaviorial Aids Even if you do not engage in full-scale behavior training, we all have a duty to teach our dogs “good manners” for living with and around humans of every age.
Nylabone teether toys
Rawhide retriever rolls (rolls only, they can choke on the knotted kind)
Gentle Leader or choke collar - The gentle leader is by far my most favorite dog purchase ever. You might have to buy a few sizes as they grow. Mama dog wears a M and Papa wears a L. Watch the DVD on how to fit it. Makes walking them a dream. It's a headcollar, not a muzzle. It's much more effective than a choke collar, but unfortunately some trainers still require a choke collar.
Puppy pee pads. Puppies will have a head start on potty training, but are physically unable to hold their bladders for an extended period of time until they are 4 months or older. According to The Humane Society, a puppy's bladder capacity is approximately one hour for every month of age. Doctors Foster & Smith note that dogs use scent to choose places to eliminate, which is how puppy pads work, and that puppies require three to four feedings a day. Defecation often occurs within 30 minutes of eating.
Nature’s Miracle cleaning solution. This was the only brand to pass my blacklight test. Go ahead and buy the gallon. Or two. You'll need it. I tried knockoff brands to no avail. The Out! brand at Wal-Mart gave the worst results so beware.
If you do not have these things on hand, you are not ready to welcome your pet into your home. Honestly, most of these things can be obtained at Tractor Supply or WalMart or other animal supply stores. Big box retailers like PetSmart and PetCo have incredible markups. If you make a preliminary purchase from Wayfair.com on something not too expensive, they send you a coupon. Then if you review it, they send you a whopper of a coupon. Do that and use it to buy the crate. We got ours for $49, normally $99, by using this strategy.
Safety & Health
Leash (at least 4 feet)
Nylon collar
Identification tags
Heartworm and Flea/Tick Preventative
Containment
42” dog crate
Crate pad
Outdoor lead and stake (if yard is not fenced)
Feeding
Stainless steel water bowls, the heavier the better
Puppy food (4 Health Puppy Formula, available at Tractor Supply).
The “Extras” that are Nice to Have
These items can make your life with a new puppy more enjoyable. “Good Citizen” Behaviorial Aids Even if you do not engage in full-scale behavior training, we all have a duty to teach our dogs “good manners” for living with and around humans of every age.
Nylabone teether toys
Rawhide retriever rolls (rolls only, they can choke on the knotted kind)
Gentle Leader or choke collar - The gentle leader is by far my most favorite dog purchase ever. You might have to buy a few sizes as they grow. Mama dog wears a M and Papa wears a L. Watch the DVD on how to fit it. Makes walking them a dream. It's a headcollar, not a muzzle. It's much more effective than a choke collar, but unfortunately some trainers still require a choke collar.
Puppy pee pads. Puppies will have a head start on potty training, but are physically unable to hold their bladders for an extended period of time until they are 4 months or older. According to The Humane Society, a puppy's bladder capacity is approximately one hour for every month of age. Doctors Foster & Smith note that dogs use scent to choose places to eliminate, which is how puppy pads work, and that puppies require three to four feedings a day. Defecation often occurs within 30 minutes of eating.
Nature’s Miracle cleaning solution. This was the only brand to pass my blacklight test. Go ahead and buy the gallon. Or two. You'll need it. I tried knockoff brands to no avail. The Out! brand at Wal-Mart gave the worst results so beware.
