Bringing a new puppy home is exciting and a little stressful all at the same time! Some questions you may have are: Where will they sleep? What do they eat? How do I even begin the potty training process?
If this is your first time getting a puppy, or if it’s been a while since you had one, we’ve taken some time to outline a few of the questions you might have and what you will need based on our experience. These brands/items are just some of our personal favorites; we are not paid to promote any of these.
1. Puppy sleeping arrangements
Many people (including us) choose not to sleep with our pets and instead get them a crate where they can cozy up and have their very own nest. However, bringing your puppy to bed with you might be the easiest way to help them adjust to being away from home those first couple of nights. There is no right answer, just what works for your family.
We have also found a playpen to be a useful tool for potty training and sleeping. Especially early on, you don’t want to leave your puppy free to roam the house while you’re gone. We also recommend waiting to crate train until after 4 months old.
The crate should be of sufficient size to allow them space to move around a bit but not so large that it encourages accidents. This crate has been our favorite, the size is 24″ x 18″ x 19″. This one fits in the back of a small 4-door car for road trips too. It also comes apart and folds flat for easy storage, and has a removable plastic bottom for easy cleaning (see pictures below).
A smaller crate might be useful for the first 4 -9 months, however.
You can get all fancy with their crate bedding or choose to keep it simple, like a couple blankets or a simple crate bed. It’s important to note that a dog shouldn’t be kept cooped up in a crate for hours on end. Doggies need a regular restroom break and most of all lots of love and attention!
2. Puppy/Adult food
We have had a great experience with Orijen Six Fish for adults and Orijen Puppy for puppies. It’s great for even our pickiest eaters. Acana also has some great options, we recently made the switch to that food and it’s been a hit. It is made by the same company (Champion Pet Foods). It’s free of those filler ingredients (grains, potatoes) and is GMO free.
Unless we let you know otherwise your new puppy will be eating Acana puppy food.