Congratulations new Puppy Momma or Papa! If you are reading this, you either just got a puppy or are seriously thinking about adding one to your crew- how exciting! You are about to embark on one of the sweetest journeys with your little fur baby! Luckily, this is THE ultimate new puppy checklist that will get you headed in the right direction.
When thinking about adding a new fur baby, it can be overwhelming…especially if this is your first puppy! We just put a deposit down for our first puppy, Rose, and we had no idea how to start to prepare for her arrival.
I joined every Australian Shepherd group on Facebook, searched every kind of puppy checklist on Pinterest, and spent wayyy too much money on Amazon buying everything I could think of. I’ve created this list to share FAQ’s and everything I’ve found with you so you don’t have to go on the hunt that I did.
Here’s what you will need to know and decide as you get started preparing for your new puppy:
To crate or not to crate your puppy…
Crate training your pup has so many benefits! Dogs are den animals and need a smaller space to retreat to when they feel anxious, need a second to calm down, or even to enjoy a treat! We went back and forth over getting Rose a crate because both of our families never even owned a crate for our dogs while growing up. So, at this point, stay tuned on if we crate train or not…you’ll find out right alongside us😂
We did decide to go ahead and get one just in case we change our minds as soon as we bring her home, and as we shopped around we found some great options:
Every person we have talked to and gotten advice from said to get a snuggle puppy for her to cuddle during her transition time when we bring her home; they said it was great to give them when putting them in the crate and during nap time! The snuggle puppy has a heating pad and heartbeat inside that mimics another furry friend to give your babe comfort as they get to know their new home. This was the first thing we ordered and I am SO excited for her to have a cuddly friend that comforts her.
Tip: bring it with you to pick your puppy up and rub it on the momma dog and litter mates so it has a familiar scent!
Puppy Playpen
This was a non-negotiable to get for baby Rose because we wanted her to be up and around but we didn’t want her to have the run of the house full-time. We felt more comfortable giving her a designated space, especially while we are away from the house, that way we know she is safe and can’t get into trouble.
This is the one we got:
Does your fur baby need a bed?
My first instinct is OF COURSE! Who doesn’t want a fluffy bed to lay on after a day of running around and playing? BUT, everything is a chew toy for puppies so that cute fluffy bed that you got your furry babe could easily end up in pieces and scattered everywhere within a 24 hour period. If you opt to get a bed, try to find one that isn’t full of fluff so they aren’t tempted to chew on it as a toy.
Honestly, your best bet is to get a few cheap blankets and a crate liner to start and as they grow you can upgrade their bed!
Here is a couch/bed cover in case you want them laying around with you instead of their own bed (its even waterproof):
Puppy food: to DIY or buy
After making the decision to bring your puppy home, deciding what to feed them is the next biggest decision you’ll make! With so many brands out there, its hard to know what is best for your pup. Dry food…wet food…make their food for them…there are SO many options.
Personally, I would like to make Rose’s food for her- I don’t want to risk anything in the dry food hurting her so I think this is the best solution. There have been more recalls than I can count over mass-produced dry dog food, and I want to avoid that at all costs! This may change in the future, but for right now it’s the plan.
Now, I understand that not everyone has the time to prep dog meals daily (Fact: I don’t either), but I meal prep for my husband and I at the start of the week, so I am going to add this to the schedule and prep for her. My plan, as of right now, is to prepare her a month’s worth of food and freeze the leftovers to pull out for her weekly. My grandma actually makes food for her dogs and does this and she says it works wonderfully- you just heat it up in the microwave, oven, or skillet and serve!
My recommendation is to work closely with your veterinarian on what recipe, amount, and percentages will be right for your pup (Protein, Carbs, Fat, Fiber). You must make sure that they have a balanced diet so they grow to be strong and healthy!
Here is a great article that talks about Homemade Dog Food!
Whatever you decide to feed your fur baby, know that it’s okay! My childhood dog lived to be 17 while being fed the same Iams food his entire life and he was a happy and healthy pup- it is up to your preference and what your budget and schedule allows! Every dog is different and every owner has different priorities, so ultimately you need to do what is best for you and your dog!
If we decide to go the dry food route, these are the brands that we would try:
Food and Water Bowls
The brand of these are less important, but you should still have some ready for your puppy when they arrive to your house! It doesn’t matter the brand or even how they look as long as you keep it in the same place consistently (so they know where it is). Here are some great options to get started (along with lick mats and slow feeders), just keep in mind that you you will need to replace these as your pup grows:
Toys, Toys, and MORE Toys!
If you have spent any time looking at toys for your new puppy, you’ve probably already realized that there are a million choices out there. It’s overwhelming, honestly. We had no idea what would be the best for Rose so we got an array and we will just let her pick what she likes. We tried to stay away from fluffy stuffed toys because we knew those would be destroyed in a second, and it would be money down the drain. We got a lot of teething toys and games for her instead, and I think she will really like them! Here are some toy ideas:
Grooming
You may or may not have to send your new puppy friend to the groomers, but if you do then they will help take care of the bulk of the grooming work! But you should still have stuff on hand to make an emergency nail trim or cut some knots out. You may want to have a brush, nail trimmers, de-shedder, and shampoo on hand. Here are some ideas on what to get:
Collars, Harnesses, and Leashes OH MY!
You will want a way to keep identification on your pupper and a collar is the perfect way to do that! Getting them used to wearing a collar early on is the best way to ensure that you don’t have any issues with it staying on as they get older.
We opted to get a collar, harness, and leash set to start out with but we know that she will grow out of it quickly! Honestly, its more for our sanity while she is tiny than anything- we won’t be taking any long walks until she gets all of her vaccines so for a few weeks it’ll just be cute accessories. I have heard that harnesses encourage pulling and we definitely don’t want that, so I’ve linked a few other options below to help you decide what is going to be best for you and your pup as well as the options we are looking at!
Here is the one we got Rose:
Here are other options to look at as your pup gets older:
I also found a car seat harness which is a good idea to get so they don’t become a projectile while you’re driving:
Baby Gates
It’s the same situation with the crate or playpen…you have to decide how much space you want your puppy to have freedom in.
We will be getting baby gates to block off major hallways and rooms in our house so she stays in the living room and kitchen while she is still potty training. Our cats have their own room where their litter and food are and we want that to still be a sacred space for them to escape when the puppy wants to play too much😂
Its not meant to be cruel, but instead be a training tool so they understand where their boundaries are early on!
Here are some great puppy gate options if you’re interested in them:
Potty Training
Oof…or should I saw WOOF?!😂
This is a BIG topic and honestly gives me the most anxiety. Obviously, puppies have tiny bladders so you have to train them and work with them on the right and wrong places to relieve themselves. My anxiety doesn’t lie in the fact that training has to be done, its more in the fact that I don’t want to do it wrong and then deal with the consequences of dog pee/poop everywhere inside the house for who knows how long.
I’ve talked to anyone and everyone about potty training and I’ve heard such great things about using bells on the door that you ring every time you go out with them (to start) and then they catch on and start ringing it themselves to let you know they need to go. I’ve also heard that using puppy pads in the house hurts the potty training process, and its hard for them to break, so we won’t use puppy pads unless there is an emergency. These are a great reusable option that we got to put under her play area to catch any accidents, as the paper ones just become toys for them to chew on:
We will definitely be starting out with the bell route to see how she grasps on to it and then go from there. I found some great bell options on Amazon:
Because accidents will definitely happen, I went ahead and got a cleaning solution that has 74,000+ 4.5 star reviews! It can be used for both cat and dog accidents as it has an enzyme eliminator!
Puppy Shots
As a former vet tech, I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to get your puppy vaccinated on schedule! You don’t want to risk Parvo or any other life-threatening illnesses because you didn’t take them to get their shots. This is something that you will need to plan for monetarily on top of everything else because they add up- don’t let the price of getting started taking care of a dog discourage you, but it is an important piece to think about.
They are living beings that are in your care, and they rely on you to be responsible.
Make sure you talk to your vet about the new puppy shot schedule and go ahead and set appointments for those, once you know when you are bringing your new pup home! It’s always better to be prepared than rush around last minute.
Thank you for taking the time to read The Ultimate New Puppy Checklist from madiwoodhouse.com! I hope this helps you on your journey through puppyhood-I know that bringing home a new family member can be stressful, but you got this! Stock up on your sleep now and remember to have patience, kindness, and care.
All the woofs and tail wags,
