The ULTIMATE Puppy Shopping Guide
- catherine crowe
- Jul 14
- 8 min read
Getting a puppy soon? We’ve curated a list of the top things pet parents should buy when preparing for a new puppy.
ESSENTIAL Puppy Shopping Guide: MUST BUYS
Crate
You absolutely need a crate if you have a puppy. Puppies are learning about the world and your home. Their curiosity often leads them into rooms, baskets, and anything they can find. To keep the puppy safe from things that may be toxic or dangerous, put them in a crate when you can’t have eyes on them.
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2. Puppy pads
Puppies can not hold their bladders for long. Puppies are bound to have accidents, especially at the beginning of potty training. The best thing you can do is prepare for these accidents and take precautions. Use puppy pads in their crate, playpen, or play area when you start potty training them. It will save you time and effort cleaning up pet urine out of carpets, wood floors, and other permeable surfaces.
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3. Enzyme cleaner
To piggyback off of the importance of having puppy pads, you should also have an enzyme cleaner for puppy messes. Most people don’t know that cleaning with cleaners like Bleach Spray, Lysol, and other common household cleaners entice your puppy to want to pee more. Why? because ammonia mimics the scent of their pee. Puppies will often soil places that smell like they’re already soiled. When your puppy has an accident, make sure to clean it with an enzyme cleaner to eliminate the scent.
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4. Chew toys
Puppies find chewing very rewarding. Instead of letting them chew on household items or children’s toys, give them dedicated toys to chew on. Make sure the chew toys are safe for puppies as puppies have fragile teeth. Make sure the chew toy is big enough not to be swallowed or lodged in their throat.
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5. Beds
Your puppy needs a bed. It is good practice to get your puppy a dog bed to lay on instead of on yours. Puppies should have a safe and comfortable spot to lay and play with their favorite toys. If you have multiple dogs, be sure to have 1 bed per dog to prevent unnecessary altercations.
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6. Puppy food
Make sure to get high-quality puppy food before your puppy comes home. Often breeders will send puppies home with a bag of food they’re currently eating. To prevent tummy upset, gradually add the puppy food you bought to the puppy food the breeder has given you. Your puppy will most likely be on puppy food until they’re a year old.
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7. Leash
Make sure to have a strong sturdy leash for your puppy. When going anywhere with your puppy, the puppy should have a leash on. A leash will keep other people and other dogs safe. If you see a dog without a leash, to keep your dog safe, it is best to pick your dog up or leave the site quickly. Leashes are also helpful when training your puppy.
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8. Dog bowls
Make sure your dog has dedicated food and water bowls. The best bowls are those that are easy to clean and that can’t be easily scratched or damaged like plastic bowls. Metal bowls are an excellent choice for dog bowls. If you have a fast eater, you can slow down their eating with slow feeder bowls, that distribute food in a maze or puzzle-like structure.
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9. Treats
Treats are amazing rewards for good behavior. Most puppies are highly food motivated and love treats. Training with treats keeps puppies engaged and attentive. There is a plethora of dog treats on the market or you can make your own! With whichever one you choose make sure they don’t have any toxic chemicals or ingredients that might harm your puppy.
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10. Collar
Make sure your puppy has a dedicated collar. Collars are wonderful for keeping things like rabies tags, owner information, and vet information. If your puppy were to get loose, the collar tells people that the puppy is not a stray and how to contact the owner.
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11. Nail trimmer
It is important to keep your puppy’s nails trimmed. When nails get too long, they can affect how the puppy walks or puts weight on its legs which can, in turn, be detrimental to their development if it carries on for too long. Get your puppy used to having their nails clipped so it will be a comfortable experience for them. Puppies should be used to having their paws and paw pads, touch and examined.
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12. Puppy shampoo
Your puppy is bound to get dirty or jump in a mud puddle or a rainy day. When you need to clean your puppy, give them a bath with a puppy safe shampoo. Puppy shampoos should be tearless and free of harmful chemicals and irritants.
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Puppy Shopping Guide: Training Products
Training clicker
Positive reinforcement is key to training a puppy. Using a training clicker along with treats helps the puppy associate a reward with the sound of the clicker. The training clicker will help you phase heavy treat reinforcement out of your training sessions and offer timely feedback for puppies.
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2. Training treats
In the initial stages of training, the reinforcement schedule (how often you reward your puppy with a treat) is frequent. Getting treats too big for training sessions can often lead puppies to feel full. Using small training treats allows you to have a high frequency of reinforcement without the puppy getting too full.
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3. Long lead
If you want to allow your puppy to play and run in areas that are not fenced, a long lead is a solution. This allows you to always have control over where your puppy can go and still let them run and play. Long leads can also be useful in training sessions that are teaching the distance part of a skill.
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4. Treat pouch
To avoid greasy pockets, buy a treat pouch attachment for a belt. There are training and walking belts that have treat pouches attached which allow you to offer timely rewards for good behaviors while you’re out and about.
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5. Puppy bells
Potty training your puppy with training bells is a good option for pet parents that want clear communication from their puppy. Teaching your puppy that ringing the bell allows them to go outside and potty will speed up potty training. Training this takes consistent effort on the pet parent’s part. if you have time to train your puppy to use potty bells, it’ll be well worth your while.
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Puppy Shopping Guide: Travel Edition
Portable crate
There are times when your puppy will need to be transported and just allowing them to be in the back seat, won’t be enough. Puppies should be secure when they are riding in a car. Having a portable crate allows you to keep your puppy safe and keep you safe.
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2. Safety harness
If a crate is not an option, look into a dog harness for cars. This will keep you and your puppy safe in the event of a car accident. Puppies that are not secure, can end up going through the front windshield when an accident happens which could injure you and end your puppy’s life.
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3. Carseat cover
Puppies can get carsick. Puppies can also have accidents in the car. To prevent your seats from being soiled, it might be best to invest in a waterproof car seat cover.
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4. Collapsible water bowl
When on the road, make sure to have a regular bowl or a collapsible one to give your puppy water. Puppies need secure access to clean water, so make sure to put this in your care before a trip along with bottles or gallons of water.
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Puppy Shopping Guide: Toys & Enrichment Edition
Puzzles
Puzzles can help stimulate your puppy’s brain. Puppies need mental and physical stimulation in order to be happy and fulfilled. Puzzles with treats or kibble keep your puppy engaged, thinking and free from boredom.
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2. Enrichment Mats
Enrichment mats are an excellent way to nurture your puppy’s need to sniff and forage. Place an enrichment mat in a secure place on the floor and hide treats in it. Let your puppy sniff to find the treats. Make sure to put treats in easy-to-find places and harder ones. Don’t make it too difficult to find the treat or your puppy may get bored.
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3. Chew Toys
Make sure to get toys that allow your puppy to chew on them without getting hurt. Choose materials that won’t break off or splinter as that is extremely dangerous and can land you a trip to the pet ER. Make sure the materials are dog safe and free of harmful chemicals and toxins.
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