New pup; what do we need?

[yikesanotherbooboo]

Lab pup coming on Friday and I'm feeling a bit anxious. It's 15 years since we had a puppy .We have a crate and bedding, lead and collar on their way.We have a few toys.Will get a puppy pack of current food .
She is almost 8 weeks and has been vet checked, chipped and wormed, vac booked in for Saturday.
What essentials should we have available ?
What would you consider indispensable?
Can I take her to DSis's house to meet her dog before her second vac?
Any thoughts in general?

A blanket or throw over the crate makes it a nice cosy den.
Dishes/bowls.
Toys to chew and play with. And to swap for your hands/clothes/things you don’t want her to have.
ID tags for collar when out.
Let her settle in for a week or so before you take her to meet your Dsis dog. She needs to bond with you first. And keep that interaction nice and short and controlled.

You are in for a real treat - Lab puppies are the BEST. And also, occasionally, the WORST , but the bitey stage passes quickly.

How are you transporting her in the car if you use one? You will need a crate in the boot if suitable or a harness and seatbelt attachment for the back seat. We brought our girl home in one of those soft travel crates secured with a seatbelt and also used that in the house as she settled in, but she outgrew it very quickly and now has a larger crate in the kitchen with a blanket over (door is open the majority of the time as it quickly became her Bed).

Thank you, we are looking forward to her arrival but having been dogless for a couple of years and prior to that having 2 staid old ladies it is a bit daunting.

Kongs to stuff with wet food/kibble/peanut butter are good. She will have fun rolling one about with just her puppy food in after a few days. Lickimats are supposed to be good too, but our Lab managed to chew through the edges in her quest to get the last bits out so we didn’t replace those. She prefers to shake and toss a Kong about and lick the peanut butter out of it, although she does like the snufflemat they put kibble in at the vets.
A soft comb or dog brush from the start gets them used to grooming, even before their baby fur is replaced by the pernicious tsunami of fluff they like to shed more or less permanently.
A stack of old towels is handy for just about everything.
Also, get a tick remover well before you think you may need it. Get two and keep one in the car for holidays and days out <bitter experience>

Good idea re tick remover.

1 year to the day since we bought our lab pup home.

We stocked up on paper towel and enzyme cleaning spray then pup only ever had two accidents in the house ever 😁

I would get some treats - I really liked the Nature's menu puppy treats, dry without being crumbly so I could keep in a pocket for the numerous trades I had to make to get pup to give something up.

Oh and moral support, the puppy survival thread

www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_doghouse/4496297-Puppy-Survival-Thread-muddy-footprints-into-Spring-2022

Thank you will look out for treats and join the above!

Dog poo bags!

Thanks folks,.

the puppy phase is the best phase make sure to treasure it, even tho they can be a nightmare. i would advice making sure that you have the right kind of food (puppy food) not starting them on hard biscuits, I would purchase a crate for night time although they may cry yo have to ignore so that they get used to it, try not to give in! good luck with your new pup

Our last dog was very easy in terms of crate and continence , she just slotted in to family life.We still has young children so there was constant entertainment and adults around to monitor.It feels more daunting this time although, being the summer and the long vac for DC3 some aspects are covered.Fingers crossed!