I suggest to my adopting families to visit the Growing Puppies website for more detailed suggestions on caring for your puppy, but below I have a summary of what I think you will need to get started.
Optional items are marked with an asterisk.
Items with links show the brands I prefer.
~Puppy Food - We feed our puppies Whole Hearted Grain Free Puppy Food. (This is a Petco brand.) If you are concerned about Pea and Lentil protein in your puppies diet, you might consider WholeHearted All Life Stages Beef and Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food .
~Stainless Steel Food and Water Bowls - I recommend ones that have a wide base so they are not easily tipped by the puppy... or by careless human feet!
~Flea prevention - We use Frontline Plus for flea prevention.
~Heartworm prevention - We use Heartgard for Heartworm prevention. (Ask your vet for a prescription.)
~Dog mattress or blanket - Use an inexpensive machine washable Pet Bed at first. I keep two: one in the wash, one in the crate.
~Puppy Crate - I recommend crate training your puppy. Crates are not prisons, but dens for your dog. They are secure familiar places for napping that are easily relocated around the house, car, or vacation home. Midwest wire pen is economical. 24 X 18 x 19 is a good size for the Miniature dog.
*Puppy Pen - A pen is a larger area for your puppy to play when you don't want him/her roaming the home, esp. while potty training, entertaining visitors who are afraid of dogs, or when your puppy is teething. MidWest Exercise Pen/Pet Playpens is an affordable wire pen. IRIS plastic dog pen is attractive and affordable. I stalk the pen with plenty of toys, food, and water,
~Puppy Toys and Chews - I recommend extra-small Kongs and cow hooves for teething puppies.
*Ugodog Potty - I purchase Ugodog Potty Trays in bulk and make them available at lower cost ($46/tray) to my adopting families because I think they are by far the best thing available. Inquire at [email protected] if you are interested. (Latest news: Ugodog is out of trays as of January 2019 and I cannot buy them at this date. This notice will come down when they are manufactured a new batch. Sorry!)
*Potty Liners -- You can buy a month's supply of Pet Training Pads for about $8. Newspaper is a free substitute to line your Ugodog Tray but should be layered and cut to fit the trays. Or... you can use what I use. I sell for $10 easy-to-store rolls of heavy, absorbent, environmentally-friendly paper specially sized for the Ugodog Tray. A roll last about 3 months . (See photo below.) Inquire in advance of your visit if you are interested in purchasing my potty liners.
~Collar and leash - 6 - 8" long collar at 8 weeks old
~Dog Tag - with your name and Phone number in case of loss. Your Vet can also microchip your puppy at your 8 week visit if you request this service but a microchip does not replace a dog tag. A dog tag can be quickly read by the neighbor who finds your lost dog. Moreover, dogs with microchips have been put down by Animal Control because their microchip reader failed to detect a chip!
~Grooming Tools - These are the "basic" grooming tools for every home. See Growing Puppies for more details on how these instruments are used.
1. Blunt nose scissors
2. Small Slicker brush
3. Tiny Comb
3. Flexible Slicker Brush
4. Stainless steel comb
5. Nail clippers
Advanced grooming tools can be purchased for those who intend to do all their own dog grooming. These are listed on the Growing Puppies website.
*Puppy Training books
Below is a picture of a Ugodog Potty Tray and the paper we use to line the trays. Paper is not necessary, but it minimizes accidents caused by tipping the tray and allowing urine to leak out. It also helps make cleaning the tray easier. This paper is more absorbent than newspaper and is compostable. The paper has a width that exactly fits the Ugodog. Inquire with me by email if you are interested in using my Ugodog Potty Tray paper.