What To Get For Your New Puppy

So, you’re planning to get a dog, eh? Congratulations! You’re on your way to having one of the most satisfying, enjoyable moments of your life with your loyal friend and companion. But before you start picking out which cute pooch you’ll be taking home to meet your family, you have to keep in mind a few important things first. Having a dog as a pet involves more than buying a bag of dog food and a brand-new dog house. Getting a new dog is almost like having a new child. Dogs need constant love and attention, especially when they’re young. You will need more than dog food if you want to keep your pooch happy and healthy.

Walking into a pet store without any prior information as to what you really need will just confuse you more and waste your money. It’s not going to be any use talking to the salesmen; they’re just there to sell you everything in the store if possible, whether you need it or not. There are only a few essential things you should get for your new pet. My suggestion is first and foremost, get a good book and learn about your dog’s breed and its characteristics. Not all dogs are the same; different breeds have different personalities, quirks, habits, needs, etc. But don’t think of the book as the ultimate authority on your dog. Treat it as more of a guide.

What you need next is a good collar, one that you can stick at least two fingers into between your dog’s skin and the collar itself. Also remember to get one that has plenty of room for your growing dog. Some dog breeds can grow very fast in just two or three weeks, so you want to make sure that you won’t be replacing the collar every 2nd week or so.

Speaking of collars, I recommend getting a training collar, such as a German pinch collar or a choke chain. Nevermind the scary names; these two collars work great at training your dog to behave properly at the end of a leash without tearing your arm off its socket. But never use these collars as your dog’s everyday collar. I know some people who forget to replace the collar after training their dogs and end up having to cut them off after a few days because their dogs grew so big that the collars wouldn’t fit over their heads anymore.

After getting the collars, buy a weighted water bowl and a food bowl. Puppies love to play with and in their food, so it helps to have weighted bowls to avoid having them tipped over. A dog crate or dog house is next, depending on whether your dog will sleep outside or inside. You will also need three leashes of different lengths, to be used for walking and training the dog. This is another thing you’ll need that dog book for. It will explain to you how to use these different leashes in training.

Don’t forget the chew toys! Dogs require constant exercise on their gums, so get a variety of chew toys for your pet, or else you’ll be replacing your upholstery and your shoes on a regular basis.

And finally, DOG FOOD! Despite what some animal rights groups would have you believe, dogs are carnivores. They eat meat. So check the ingredients. If corn and other types of vegetables is the first ingredient listed, your new four-legged friend is not getting what he needs. Look for chicken or beef to be listed as the first ingredient.

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