Puppy checklist

[Stormystar]

Hi, we’re awaiting the arrival of our new puppy in two weeks time. I think we’re pretty much sorted, and have everything ready but I feel like there’s something missing, something obvious but can’t think what!! Does anyone have a little checklist?

Bed, food, puppy pads if using, simple solution for cleaning up the accidents, toys, treats, collar, lead, harness, id tag and as much sleeps you can possibly squeeze in before they arrive 😁

I would recommend a toy with a heart beat, my puppy still loves his at 16 weeks old, but it. brought him a lot of comfort and very much helped with him settling at night Puppy

Crate, bed, food, collar and lead, poo bags, food, treats, bowl, toys, alllll the chews

Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy book, read it and digest.
Don't use puppy pads, they can confuse the pup. Instead take outside every 30 mins when pup is awake + give lots of praise.
Give breeder blanket + a soft toy now so that they have time to absord smell of Mum. Put these in the puppy's bed as soon as you get it home so it is a comfort while they settle in.

More mop heads if you have hard floors or/and bissel spot clean if you have carpets.
kitchen roll
towels to dry dog off (less needed in this weather)

Oh and if you have a robot vacuum cleaner set to go off automatically, take it off this setting and only set it off under supervision. It’s not fun if it runs over a poo

Get batch cooking and fill your freezer full of easy meals.

Before pup arrives wear an old sweatshirt or t shirt for a few days and donate it to the puppy for sleeping.

Get some enrichment toys for feeding times.

We had a heat pad you put in the microwave like a hot water bottle for puppies - ours loved it for the first month - definitely helped her settle.

Leave the radio on at night.

Crate, blankets, towels, treats, dog food, chews, kongs and similar, toys, a couple of cheap puppy leads to keep around, esp by the garden door, main lead & harness for when they are out and about, pooh bags

Collar!

A vet appointment for vaccinations. You want to get that puppy out and about as soon as possible.

I do the opposite, mine don't go on walks until around 16 weeks old as I want to nail heel + lead walking + have a consistent response to recall before I start walking them. To start socialising them I carry pup from 9 weeks old and walk in my arms along roads, through the fields with livestock, to the school, sit and watch the world go by and lots of short trips in the car so they experience everything that they will encounter. Pup doesn't have to be on the lead walking for socialisation to happen. They get 7 weeks of experiencing the world before going on walks.

Yes, well, that depends on the size and the activity level of the puppy, and how much garden you have in which to rehearse recall and heel walking. We carry ours around till the vaccinations kick in, and get scratched to ribbons in the process.

As soon as they can be put on the ground, down they go. They need the sniffing and exploring as well as the sights and sounds.

@EdithStourton very small garden but heel walking doesn't need a large space when you are teaching it. I always have working breeds so lots of sniffing opportunities within the house eg scattering food + teaching the basics of sniff/search/retrieve.
I was just highlighting the fact that it isn't essential to get puppy out walking and that often people rush to do this without getting basics in heel/lead walking/recall beforehand and then have problems with these. For the sake of a few more weeks I would rather have solid foundations of the basics as then walks are easy and enjoyable from the start.

This is the list of things I have for mine ...

• Crate with cover
• Double Duvet (for crate)
• Vet bed (I bought an expensive bed, he never uses it)
• Leads (if large breed, I wouldn't bother with extending). I've got very short, double handle, halti leads - all used.
• Harness (y shaped)
• Collar
• Name tag
• Feeding/water bowls with stand (taller dogs shouldn't drink/eat off the floor, so I got an adjustable one not sure what dog you're getting)
• Toys
• Balls (and ball thrower if energetic)
• Bag for you (holds balls, poo bags, treats, I have a foldable bowl for water)
• Lick mats
• Kong
• Treats
• Clicker/whistle (if you're doing that type of training)
• Blankets for furniture (lots … I've got a Lab and he chewed until recently)
• Carpet cleaner (if you have carpets)
• Steam mop, which is invaluable as mine moults. I mop nearly every day.
• Brush (grooming)
• Mud daddy (mine hates the shower and bath but gets on well with this)
• Pet wipes
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Shampoo (brush for washing)
• Salt (have plenty for scrapes)
• Mushers Secret (for paws)
• Drying towel (unless he wants to be blown dried)
• Flea and worming treatment, I use healthy pet club through vets
• Insurance
• Food
• Chicken soup (will always eat this, particularly if goes food)
• Are you feeding kibble? Get an airtight container big enough for the bag of food you'll be feeding.