Smart shopping for a puppy

There are so many things a puppy needs, and so many products available, it can be a bit overwhelming trying figure out what to buy. So I wrote down some key points for the items below, along with a picture of what I purchased.

Crate: Choose a crate with an adjustable divider. Reason being, dogs don’t want to mess where they sleep. When crate training, you want to provide only enough room for the puppy to stand and turn around. It is more cost effective to buy the adult size crate instead of a smaller crate for house-breaking and upgrading later.  [Petsmart: $120]

Puppy’s first collar: I went with a simple double-layer nylon collar instead of a harness because I want to start walking my Doberman properly from the beginning. A harness promotes pulling on the leash because the weight of the handler is coming from the dog’s shoulders instead of from the dog’s neck. It gives the handler less control of the dog.  [Petsmart: $10]

Leash: The best advice I read was to start with a short training leash, 4 to 6 feet tops. I went with a double-layer 4 foot nylon leash that matches the puppy collar. The goal is to teach the dog to walk beside you in a relaxed manner. Long extentable leashes make it easy for the dog to run ahead of you, which is behaviour we want to eliminate from daily walks. The leash I picked also has a padded grip for added comfort. I expect the puppy to pull on the leash for a while before he learns to walk on a slack lead.  [Petsmart: $15]

Food/water bowls: Opt for stainless steel as ceramic and plastic are porous, which overtime become difficult to clean and experience more wear than stainless steel. I chose a 2-in-1 bowl with a stainless steel insert. This way, when it is not meal-time, the outer bowl can be left out with some water. When it is meal-time, the water will be removed and the food bowl goes in its place. This prevents the dog from drinking too much water after eating. Dobermans and other large breeds are prone to a fatal condition called bloat. One of the causes is excessive drinking immediately after eating, causing the stomach to expand rapidly. By having this 2-in-1 bowl, the dog won’t have water with his meal, until you remove the food bowl and fill the outer bowl with water again. This can be done 15-30 minutes after the meal, giving the dog time to digest properly.  [PJ's Pets: $30]

Toothbrush and toothpaste: Dental bones and chew toys will not get rid of your dog’s bad breath. Buy a dog toothbrush and clean your dog’s mouth at least once a week. Make sure you buy the dog toothpaste as well. Human toothpaste has fluoride which is toxic to dogs since they don’t know how to rinse and spit it out. Dog toothpaste comes in delicious chicken flavour so they will learn to enjoy having their teeth brushed.  [Petsmart: $15]

Potty Training Spray: I decided to purchase a potty training spray as well. This is for indicating where you would like the puppy to go on a daily basis. For example, if you are an avid gardener and you don’t want your dog watering your plants, this spray will train your dog to always go in the same location you picked for him/her.  [Petsmart: $8]

Pet Stain & Odour Remover: Last but not least, don’t forget to buy this important cleaning item! It is inevitable that your puppy will have an accident in the house. Clean it up as thoroughly as you can so that the puppy does not smell the spot later and think “that’s where I’m supposed to go potty!”  [Petsmart: $12]