Recommendations for doggy must-haves

[TeacakeTilly]

We are hopefully getting our dog in the next week or two, home check from the revue centre pending. I am trying not to go mad buying things - I'm not going to spend a fortune on 'designer' stuff when the dog won't care less, and also don't want to tempt fate before we've done all the paperwork in case it goes wrong! So, what absolute must haves must I have for when she gets here?

Obviously I've made a list of the basics but I'm a bit flummoxed as to what type of everything to get - what sort of bed (plastic/padded etc), what sort of bowl is best, what sort of lead, car harness etc etc... She is a five year old rottie, not huge (smaller than your average GSD, prob about collie height but obviously rather stockier).

Any recommendations for must-haves or particular types/brands you think are good?

A stuffed toy and a kong, IMO, would be a very comforting welcome.

We got a metal leash from Amazon that is nice and strong. Our dog loved to chew through the normal ones.

I personally wouldn't spend on bed and bowls. Any flattish household bowl will do for food and a deeper one for water. We had some stainless steel ones at home that our dog uses. I did once buy a really pretty ceramic bowl in deep red with a doggie footprint design, but after a few days the dog refused to eat from it. I think that even after cleaning the ceramic retained some smell and my picky girl dog didn't like that.

We use a fleece blanket as a bed. Works well as it is very easy to carry when we travel a d are tight on space. DH keeps buying these deluxe beds, but our dogs seem to prefer lying on the floor of the doggie blankets in each of the rooms they are allowed in.

Best of luck and look forward to photos

This is so exciting! So make sure camera battery is loaded!!

Have ID tag made up (it's a legal requirement anyway) and decide on a comfortable secure collar, with a nice length lead (NOT an extending one). Plenty of poo bags!

Start thinking about insurance and make this your top priority as soon as dog comes home with you. Also don't forget to update microchip details as quickly as possible.

I'd recommend stainless steel for water and feed bowls - easy to keep clean and non breakable.

Grooming - although rotties have short coats, they will still need regular brushing so a nice grooming mitt will be great - you will also find they enjoy being groomed and it is a very convivial way of bonding with dog. Ours love it. Once home from kennels, they often have that "kennel" smell and you will probably want to give them a bath - again a variety of doggy shampoos around - take a look in PAH or your local pet shop.

Think about car/transport - how/where will dog travel? In boot? In back seat? In cage? Think about safe, secure transportation. A heavy dog unsecured on back seat is lethal and could kill you and themselves in an accident. Also useful to keep in car, wet wipes, towels, water for after walks, a few treats, spare collar and lead, plus doggy first aid kit.

Identify and prepare to register with local vets. Once chosen make sure vet's number is in both your mobile phones (along with Council dog warden for emergencies). Mark on calendar dates for annual vax, and regular treatments for worming/fleas/ticks etc.

Identify and prepare to register with local training classes ( a fantastic way to bond with the new arrival and also great fun, and v social).

In house, will dog be in all areas or are you gating off any areas? Make sure garden is fully secure.

Beds - very much a matter of personal preference (both for you and the dog). You can go for anything from a top of the range Orvis one or the budget approach of a folded Ikea duvet and cover. If any sort of fabric, it must be washable (and washing regularly at high temps will also help to break flea egg cycles too, as well as reducing smells).

Food.

Training treats. Clicker. Kong and any toys.

Good luck!

Brilliant advice (as always), Scuttlebutter. We use old duvets, of which we seem to have millions. Old blankets, old cushions... You don't have to spend a lot of money on 'stuff'. Training and behavioural things can get quite expensive. When you get the dog, you can learn so much by watching, especially if you are getting good support from a training place or dog club. Our house is a free-for-all as far as the dogs are concerned, but some people don't like dogs all over the place, so it's important to decide where they can and can't go, and stick to it. HOw wonderfully exciting! Hooray!

I would keep it very simple to start with

Clicker
Vet bed for sleeping in plus plastic bed (easy to clean cheap)
Collar with buckle
Simple lead (I would wait to see if you need harness, head collars etc)
Insurance cover from day 1
Food to start with same as he is getting now.
Indigo tags are great for collar. costly but last for ever indigo tags
I would not buy a dog bowl. I use dogs mealtimes as training times or make them hunt for their food.
Do need a water bowl.
poobags
Having seen people being killed by dogs flying over the seats to hit drivers and passengers make sure you have a good car restraint. Either crate, dog guard, or dog seat belt.
Marrow bone for chewing

(Old duvets are not a good idea for chewers as the stuffing swells in dogs stomachs and can kill them)

Our dogs can go anywhere in the house too but, if you want to keep some areas off limits, upstairs for instance, a baby gate is handy. You can get second hand ones easily, car boot or our baby clinic always has them on the notice board.

Some of the food that he is used to eating where he is now so that he doesn't have the upset of a new diet as well as new surroundings.

I didn't know that about duvets, Snoopy. What kind of filling is dangerous? Our dogs don't chew their beds (they prefer other things). I think they have a feather duvet in there somewhere, and they also have a big cushion I made using the stuffing from an old sofa seat.
We drive an old campervan, and it's not easy finding ways to secure dogs in the back. Will look into it.

I couldn't live without my road runner water bowl no dripping slopping the water over the floor. All the vets and nurses in my practice use them for their dogs too.
I do agility so I have a quick release collar just in case it gets caught when training or showing.
I do use a food bowl, but from day one mobile mop had to sit and wait until released to eat his food - I do not want to be mugged by my dog for his food.
A tip which sounds obvious, but so many people don't get it. If you do not want your dog to beg at the dinner table never ever fed them from the table.

Thanks! Getting excited now...

Scuttle Why not a retractable lead?
Lizcat Do you have a link to the water bowl? Can't find them anywhere!

Hi Teacake, They are the devil's work

Seriously, not a good idea at all. So many reasons, where shall I start? They often result in tangles, both for the person walking the dog, and for other pedestrians/cyclists etc (civil law suit, anyone?) . Not fair on other park users/dog walkers, having to watch for a virtually invisible thread close to the ground - and virtually impossible for anyone with poor eyesight/elderly.

The retractable bit sometimes doesn't so in an emergency you are left with a dog "dangling" 30 feet away. If you are by the side of a road, or in another dangerous situation, this really could be the difference between life and death.

For larger dogs,including your Rottie, I'd not trust the pressure/pull strength and I'd be particularly unhappy about the danger to your dog's neck and throat, if they suddenly take off and then reach the end of the line, particularly if your collar is not very wide. You are then concentrating an enormous amount of force into a tiny area of the neck. This can (and has) killed sighthounds but even for Rotties I'd prefer not to risk this.

If my dog needs to be on a lead, I prefer to have him/her/them where I can walk nicely with them to heel - we use 6ft dog leads, which allow a little bit of room for sniffing, mooching etc but also retain close control. We also have 3ft leads which are ideal for vet visits, etc. If I am in a position where dog can be safely 30 feet away, then they will be off the lead. As we have two/three dogs, retractable leads would be impossible anyway.

I fully accept when training recall, the need for a long training lead, but again, retractable isn't what you'd use.

Think that just about covers it.

I personally wouldn't have a metal lead, or retractable lead, particularly on a dog with a lot of power as they can snap if put under strain. Also metal lead is hard on the hands. It is trial and error to find a lead you find comfortable. I like a soft rope style like a horse leading rein - but DH says it hurts his hands

Cheapest poo bags are basics style nappy sacks in the baby aisle of the supermarket.

A kong which can be stuffed and frozen and maybe a boomer ball which is indestructible!

Insurance, tattoo and microchip a must.

An appointment with the vet for a check up.

Worming and flea protection.

Vetbed and crate. Some dogs like their crate covered and I would recommend a quiet area where you can contain the dog when you both need space or have visitors who are not "dog friendly".

Stainless steel water and food bowls which are also virtually bombproof and can be dishwashed, kicked around floor, dropped etc.

A baby gate - probably pick one up off ebay or freecycle.

We started with a retractable lead, and it was a bad move. The girl dog got used to darting around while on leash. It was quite an effort to unlearn that behaviour and teach her to walk to heel. This time around, we just used a normal metal leash for puppy and he walks perfectly. No problems.

I agree that a metal lead is hard on the hands. What do the rope ones look like? Are they easy to chew through?

Got name wrong link is here road refresher bowl

I do use a retractable lead with our husky, but only because he has to be on-lead at all times, and is well-behaved. I use one that has a thick black line; I really hate those skinny ones. My ankle once got caught in one of those skinny ones while my friend's dog ran rings round us; ouch, that hurt! (and made a fine bruise, too).

I would never use the retractable lead with my other dog as he is too bouncy and would chew through it in seconds if he felt like it. So I wouldn't get one for a new dog until I knew what it was like. Also, the fact that by definition it pulls on the collar can be confusing to some dogs (because it implies that a bit of pulling is allowed, and then they pull on their other leads too).

Oh, and if you have a dog that you have to hang onto sometimes, it's useful to put a knot in the lead, at a comfortable point for holding the dog. Then you don't get rope burn or crushed fingers when the dog tries to lunge at something. For Dog2 we use a leather lead with a knot in it about a third of the way up.

We had the skinny one and I hated it too. As someone mentioned upthread, really easy to trip over that stuff.

Dog toys, a good comfy bed*, collar and leash plus a retractable leash if you feel you might need it, dog food and water bowl, poop bags, ID tag with your name, phone number and address on, grooming brushes, nail clippers (unless you have your vet or groomer do it), safe way of transporting your dog in the car like a crate, dog guard or harness, dog food and some training treats (homemade are best), clicker if you intend to do clicker training.

Other things to get organised will be training classes if you need them, registered with a vet (preferably get one recommended), pet insurance and find some good walks that you can take your dog on. If you check local dog walker websites they often list the location of walks they do and they tend to know the best places for walking dogs.

• I recommend the tuffies dog beds. We bought cheap to start with and eventually ended up with one of these and haven't looked back, expensive but well worth the investment.

Some of my personal favourites(!)
Red dingo collars and leads - comfy to hold lead, very washable and last forever
Ezydog harness, seatbelt and lead with metal ring on the end - great for the car plus general tying up during camping ec, also very washable
Wahl dirty beastie dog shampoo - smells really nice and last ages due to dilution ratios
Stainless steel bowls - easy to wash and unbreakable
Toys: Kong wubba, extreme kong, kong tennis balls, kong wobbler (can you tell I am a fan of all things kong!) Tug a jug
Microfibre mitt - easy to wash and dry, good for when it's raining in the garden and they insist on going in and out all day
Decent poo bags - not great when the cheapo ones get a hole

Good luck :)

Oh one last "favourite" is stagbars. They last ages, dont smell or make a mess and keep their teeth clean.

I agree about Kong, another Kong fan here. I haven't tried Wahl shampoo but we do use Scruffy Chops shampoos and they smell very yummy :)

Thanks - this is really useful! Have bought stainless steel bowls that were quite cheap but look pretty tough; nice grooming brush; tough (but funky coloured - actually chosen by DH..!) rope lead; kong extreme; and ancol padded car harness. Was going to buy bed but decided we can't work out what size she needs so we'll take her in to the shop! Will buy her a squeaky toy too which DH is about but all the dogs my family have had have loved them so I'm winning on this one

Am SO and excited but a bit nervous about the home check tomorrow. I can't imagine why we wouldn't pass but I don't want to tempt fate and I'll still worry til it's over!

Ooooh TT, so exciting! I fretted about our homecheck too, I knew there was no reason we wouldn't pass, I hadn't lied on our application, our garden is big enough and secure, and my children are not at all nervous of dogs (the homechecker brought her two JRs with her, and a friend's springer; I'm sure this was all to ensure my girls were ok with dogs - they went running off with them!) - yet still I worried!

Good luck and can't wait to see a pic of your new dog:O