More questions - I'm sorry! Dog crates, puppy necessities etc..

[Gorran]

Right, so subject to our home check being ok (can't see why it wouldn't be, I haven't lied on our application about anything, garden is a decent size and is secure, our existing pets (cat, guinea pigs and 4 bantams) are all well looked after) it looks like Daisy, the puppy choc lab will be coming to live with us next Monday!

We need everything puppy related, we have nothing! I know we want a crate/cage, do we need a bed for inside this? She's on Royal Canin Labrador Junior food, so I'll buy that. What else do we need? She has a small collar at the moment and will need a lead. Food bowls I have from my cat, though I'm sure my girls will want to buy some ridiculously overpriced doggy ones from Pets At Home or similar...

Exciting!

Scrap the Royal Canin long term, it's hugely expensive for what it is (a load of grain and fillers) - there are much better alternatives available so just get enough to settle pup in and with which to gradually change over to something of better quality. :)

I line my crates with a strip of vetbed (cheap, washable, wicking, dries very quickly, great for puppy accidents) and then a smaller comfy bed on top. If you're buying a crate suitable for an adult sized lab (42" crate at a guess? Happy to be corrected on that, haven't had a lab since I was a child!) a divider is a good idea as well, the idea is to minimise the space available so pup is more inclined not to soil their own bed and thus aid in toilet training.

Lots of choice of silly colourful bowls, beds, leads and collars in Pets at Home. Get plenty of rubbery chew toys, nylabones, puppy kongs (not the overpriced artificial kong stuffing though, just use soaked kibble or beef mince or something to pack it with), a soft cuddly to cuddle up to in the crate and eviscerate and leave stuffing everywhere. Poo bags!

The challenges with pups are the accidents and lack of sleep and general hyperness. I swear by a heat pad and artificial heart beat thing to solve the sleep issue:
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0014LJKUA/ref=oh_details_o01_s04_i00
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005KJ08TY/ref=oh_details_o01_s03_i00
We have a 5 month old pup and she has slept through since her first night at 8 weeks old.

My friend has a lab pup and she swears by a brush called a furminator to reduce casting (pets at home do them).

We use a long training line on Cocoa. I drop it and she trails it. It makes her easier to grab if she decides that a pile of horse poo is more interesting than me.
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004W78JLO/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01

Labs love to chew, I totally recommend stag bars (bits of antler). They are really tough and dogs can't bite huge bits off so they are fine for choking. Apparently they are full of nutrients so healthy too. Cocoas had one for 2 months and it hardly looks touched although she has a good chew at it every day.
www.amazon.co.uk/StagBar-Antler-Natural-Dog-Chew/dp/B007CISV22/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1339365011&sr=8-6

Sorry for the amazon advert don't get out to the shops much i find online shopping very convenient.

Have fun x

Thank you Donner and Toboldlygo. I've ordered this crate which comes with vetbed and a divider - fantastically cheap so I hope it's ok! www.ivoryegg.com/products/prod=dog-and-puppy-cage-crate-large-42-bed-divider-ideal-for-dog-training=300005

Am still deciding on food. Have ordered a stag bar from Amazon, thanks for the rec. Been and bought loads of toys today (to encourage her to chew those, and not my lovely new oak furniture!) and two nice metal bowls. Still looking for a bed, lead and collar!

I've got a 9 month old chocolate lab and definitely recommend a furminator! It's brilliant