Puppy Shopping

If you haven't already, you'll probably make a puppy shopping trip sometime between now and pick up time.  I thought it might be helpful to you to know what will come with your puppy.

Note: Several of the products we recommend are from Life's Abundance.  We like and use their products so much we are independent representatives for the company (ID #20249934), which means you can order their products through us.  We are not associated with any of the other companies recommended in this post.

1. A 6-9 inch Lupine collar
2. A toy with the scent of his/her mom and litter mates
3. Samples of treats from Life's Abundance

Here are some puppy shopping ideas.  These do not come with your puppy.

1. A crate - We purchased a crate from Midwest Pet Products.  What sold us on this crate is the divider panel that allows you to make the crate smaller when crate training.  Once your puppy is full-grown, you won't need the divider panel, but it is helpful while crate training.  The handle on the top for carrying did break off, but that is my only complaint about it.  We bought the 1522 Model (22"Lx13"Wx16"H).  It is a nice size for puppies and traveling, but if you want a crate to last through adulthood, I would recommend the Model 1530.

2. A dog bed (or two).

3. Bones - Puppies need to chew!  It is actually a good thing that they chew because it helps get rid of their puppy teeth.  Small breeds are prone to retaining puppy teeth.  Therefore, it is very important to have bones to chew on.  What kind?  Our two favorites are real ham bones from the grocery store and Life's Abundance buffalo bully sticks.  For the ham bones, I buy ham hocks at the grocery store.  Then I cook them thoroughly, remove the meat for soup or casserole, cool the bone, and give it to the dogs.  Typically, they will devour it within 2 days.  If any remains after 2 days, I dispose of it because I don't want it to spoil.  Another great chew product is Life's Abundance buffalo lung.  These are not bones, but work great for puppies.
Please be aware of the poor quality of some rawhide bones.  Read the ingredients & know what your dog is chewing on.

4. A collar - As I mentioned, your puppy comes with a collar, but  he/she will eventually outgrow that one.  Jolly's neck circumference is 10 inches.  We like this one from Cabela's or any collar from Lupine.

5. Training treats - When training a puppy, you want soft, small treats that don't take a long time to chew.  There are many treat options - make sure you choose a healthy option.  We like to use Life's Abundance Grain Free Turkey & Berry Chewies or cut up small pieces of cooked hot dogs.  The turkey & berry chewies are more convenient because they stay fresh in their resealable bag.  We like that they are made from free-range turkey and turkey liver plus raspberries, blueberries, and cranberries for added antioxidants.  They have no fillers, artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors.

6. Leash - Again, we love any Lupine products!

7. Dog Shampoo -  Yes, sooner or later your adorable little Fido will get dirty.  We use Revitalizing Shampoo from Life's Abundance.  Their bath mist also helps keep your puppy smelling fresh after and between baths.

8. Frontline - We recommend Frontline or Bravecto for the control of fleas & ticks.  Frontline cannot be given to puppies under 8 weeks of age.  Therefore, your puppy will not have had a Frontline treatment, but we recommend that you give them one within 2 weeks of purchasing or at the recommendation of your vet.  Your puppy is at a very low risk for fleas and ticks because we treat all our adult dogs with Frontline or Bravecto.

9. Dewormer - Deworm your puppy according to your vet's recommendations.  We deworm our puppies every 2 weeks until 10 weeks.  After that, they should be dewormed at 12 and 16 weeks.  Long-term, we administer dewormer twice a year.  We use Durvet Liquid Wormer.  Your puppy will be dewormed at 8 weeks.

10. Toys - Puppies need to have lots of opportunities to chew & play.  Buy toys of different materials and shapes to give your puppy variety.

11. Baby gate - This isn't a necessity, but it is convenient with a puppy to be able to section off parts of the house or contain the puppy in a room, if needed.

Happy shopping!  Would love to hear your comments on what you are buying!