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Getting a new dog?
New dog stuff so you can be prepared for your new pup.  

New Dog Stuff - Ideas and information for the new dog owner from required basics to new dog toys and everything in between.

Getting a new dog is pretty exciting!  Trust me, I know. Even though I’ve grown up with dogs, when I got my own, I just wanted to make sure that I was all prepared for when they came home. 

So, what will you need?  Here is a list (cause I love lists):  These link to Amazon, cause I’m personally make most of my purchases from Amazon, cause it arrives quickly and usually is pretty fairly priced (and often cheaper). 

NEW DOG STUFF - The BASICS

I hope that my list below of new dog stuff helps you with your new dog and making it more at home.  It helps your dog settle in if you have all the right stuff when you bring them home for the first time.  My poor dog didn't have a warm enough winter jacket for her when she came home for the first time from California to a Canadian winter.  But I quickly fixed that.  

Dog food – what should you get?  That’s a tough question.  I phoned up several pet stores to get their advice.  Me?  I feed my dog Nutro low ingredient dog food with lamb and rice.  But, its always up to you. I probably eat different food than you too!

NUTRO Small Bites Lamb and Rice Dog Food

Leash - Always important to keep your dog safe.

Nylon Leash

Collar – you may need to start with a small collar and then get another for when they’re bigger.

Custom Dog Collars Simple Nylon Dog Collar

Harness. I personally think that a harness is nicer for a dog to wear.  So, you might want to consider getting your dog a harness.

Soft Dog Harness (what I use for my small dog) Nylon Dog Harness (What we use for our mid size dogs)

Dog Tag -  SUPER important.  I got the aluminum pet id tags at the local pet store, and they cost me nearly $10!.  WAY cheaper on Amazon!  Check out these below:

Aluminum Pet ID Tags Stainless Steel Customized Pet Id Tags

Dog Bed - They need their own place that's comfy to sleep!

Washable Pet Bed

Puppy pads – depending on if you are getting a puppy, you might want to consider puppy training pads for accidents.

Puppy Pads

• Winter jacket/sweater - if you  live in northern climates, you’ll most likely want to get a winter sweater or jacket, especially if your dog has short fur.  There are SO many to choose from.  My small dog has a whole wardrobe for different weather and different days.  While, my moms larger dogs only have a sweater and jacket each.  A cheap way to dress a growing puppy is to go to the local second-hand clothing stores and cut off the sleeves as they grow.  But, once they've grown to full size, here are a few ideas:

Cozy Fleece Sweater Nylon Shell And Fleece Lined Dog Coat

Dog Rain Coat

Toothbush – Your dogs health is in their mouth.  Make sure to train them on teeth brushing when they are young and you first get them.

Dog toothbrush kit

• Crate - Some people like to have crates to ‘crate train their dog’, but I do not crate my dog as she sleeps with me at night, and when I’m at work, she has a dog bed.  I’ve also put a blanket in a sideways box, but find that she doesn’t sleep there that much.  If you are getting a crate and plan to crate train your dog, make sure that it is big enough for your dog to grow into with lots of extra space.  If you want to hear about my view on crates, you can read it here. 

NEW DOG STUFF - TOYS

If you’re getting a puppy, you’ll want to get toys that are suitable for chewers, such as:

Nylabone for puppies - these are good for puppies to chew and not destroy your shoes!

Puppy Nylabone

Stuff-able Kong Toys - these can keep your dog occupied while you are at work.

Classic KONG KONG Stuff'N Snacks (stuff these inside, or get canned dog food and stuff some inside and stick in the freezer - like I do!)

Squeaky Dog toys - my young dog LOVES squeaky dog toys!!! (make sure they're supervised though!)

Stuffed Toy with Squeaker Squeaky Pig

Do you want a dog that fetches?

Maybe you want to train your dog to play fetch - a ball or frisbee??  Have these around the home to expose them to them as fun toys!

Dog Tennis Ball - All our dogs love their squeaky tennis balls.  These are the kinds we get.

KONG Squeak Balls

Dog Frisbee -  Check out my page on which frisbees are best for what level of dog.

Floppy Disc Frisbee

DOG TRAINING

• Training:  You’ll want to take some sort of lessons, as it’s a great way to bond with your dog.  A great way to start is obedience training.  If you already know a bit about training, or want to check out my pages on how to get your dog to do basic commands, once you’ve mastered these, then you can sign up for agility, fly ball, sheepdog/herding, disc dog, dock jumping, to name a few.  There are competitions for all types of dogs – from nose courses for dogs that especially like to sniff (ex. beagles, bassets…), to lure coursing for sight hounds such as greyhounds or wolfhounds, to herding competitions to agility (which is what I do with my dog).

Inground Fence:  If you have a large property, you might want to train them with an e-fence.   We dont have a property big enough for an unground fence, but we do use sport dog products & love them!

SportDOG In-Ground Fence

Do you think I missed something>

This is a pretty comprehensive list of items that I use and need for my dog.  I am sure there are more items.  If you have a dog, what would you recommend that I missed???

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