Essential Puppy Supplies

New puppies are a lot of fun, but prepare carefully before bringing one home. Every puppy needs a crate or bed of its own, a collar and leash for walks and easy to wash bowls for food and water. Keep some gentle shampoo and some old towels on hand along with good nail trimmers and a brush to suit the puppy's coat type. Puppies need training from the start, so have a click trainer, training collar and lots of toys and treats ready. Other puppy supplies may include training pads, toothbrushes, chewing toys and carriers for smaller breeds.

Crate training lets a puppy feel secure in its own little den and helps with housebreaking. Soft, washable bedding makes the kennel a retreat instead of a punishment. Include extra bedding in the list of puppy supplies so that there is always a spare while one is in the laundry. Soft-side crates from the Pup.com [http://www.pup.com/] Pup Store offer light-weight convenience, while plastic, wooden framed or wire mesh models may suit larger breeds. Even after the dog can stay out of the kennel without supervision it will appreciate having a safe place to rest when it chooses.

Every puppy needs a collar. Be sure it fits properly, and check often that it does not get too tight as the puppy grows. Walks are an important training and bonding time and should be a regular daily event even if the puppy has a yard of its own. A standard leash gives better control than a retractable leash.

Mealtime is much easier using food and water dishes that do not tip or slide. Having an extra set of dishes makes it easy to put one in the dishwasher while using the other, and a large, washable mat for the feeding area simplifies cleanup. Of course, carefully selected food is one of the most important puppy supplies of all!

Shampoo for puppies should be especially gentle. If flea shampoo is needed, read the label carefully to make sure that it is right for a young puppy and do not use it more often than directed. Try to make bath time fun and keep plenty of old towels on hand. Between baths, a brush or comb keeps a puppy looking neat and can remove a lot of loose hair before it gets all over the house.

Often nails are easier to trim after softening in the bath. Learn how to properly trim the puppy's nails with a good-quality trimmer and add styptic powder to your puppy supplies in case of accidents. If nail-trimming becomes routine from the beginning it will never be a struggle. The same goes for tooth brushing. There are several styles of toothbrushes especially for dogs. Toothpaste flavors such as chicken and beef make the process a treat instead of a chore.

Puppy training books, videos and advice abound both online and off, so find a system that makes sense to you and stick with it. Websites like Pup.com [http://www.pup.com] offer plenty of free advice as well as puppy supplies and information about many breeds. A click trainer and a properly used training collar make teaching a new pup easier. Plenty of praise and treats make it fun.

Before bringing home a new puppy, be ready with all the puppy supplies to take good care of it. Prepare for feeding, walking, grooming and training as well as play time to get the relationship off to a good start and avoid last-minute trips to the store after the puppy comes home.