One day, when I was in college feeling bored and lonely, I took a midday trip to the local animal shelter and adopted a puppy. Yup. That was my decision making process. I’m bored and have nothing to take care of but myself. Let me adopt a dog.
As risky as it was, that was the best decision I made in my young adult life. Now, if you’re planning on getting a puppy soon, I hope you put more planning behind your decision and take into account the huge commitment it is to raise a living, breathing, barking dog. Either way, here’s a concise list of supplies that I had to grab after picking up my bundle of joy that should help guide you to the actual essentials you’ll need when planning for a puppy.
Food
First thing’s first. Jackie’s gotta eat. I picked up what I had remembered from my childhood home, a bag of Pedigree puppy food in a big bag. Nowadays I feed them adult Pedigree and also throw a few cans of Pedigree’s chunky wet food in the cart for a tasty treat before a big day of hiking on the weekends. I’m currently talking to my new friend who runs a local pet supply store down the street from my house about some more healthy/natural options, but we’ll see. After over two years with no digestive issues other than the aftermath of neighbors throwing my dogs leftover turkey after Thanksgiving supper, I’m convinced that the giant bag of Pedigree is working for them.
Collar & Leash
This is a pretty straightforward necessity. Your dog needs a collar for all their identification tags and something to hook up to the leash you’ll walk them on. If you’re not a fan of leash walking, a harness or head collar serves the same purpose, but a collar is still a must for the tags your dog needs. A tag with the pup’s name and your phone number are the most important, but I also have my address on Lou’s dog tag. He’s a roamer. You never know when they’ll get away from you and someone needs to get in touch with you.
Crate & Bed
So, I am not a fan of “crate training” or pee pads, but I had no choice when I had Jackie. Jackie spent her nights at a friends house off campus while I lived on campus as an RA who wasn’t allowed to have a dog (I know, so irresponsible). My gracious friend co-parented this puppy for a couple months with me and had one requirement: keep her in a crate at night. So, I happily did so and cleaned up the shredded mess of pee pads every day. Jackie actually sleeps in her open crate to this day. Realizing it served as more of a home base sanctuary for her, I got Lou one as well and fitted both of them with plush dog beds. All of that, and they just end up parking it on the couch.
Chews, Treats, & Toys
So, my dogs are chewers. If left to their own devices, I’d have nothing left in my house without chunks missing from my continuously teething pups. I get them these things called Bargain Bags from Petco stuffed with pig ears, raw hid, big bones, and all kinds of stuff that they LOVE. For treat training and just to be nice, my dogs get the plain old milk-bone treats. They also treat those as if they’re made of gold. As far as toys go, my dogs will play with anything. Jackie once played by herself throwing a stick against a wall for hours. I have a ton of tennis balls and rope toys for my babies. I have some stuffed animals too, but they’ve been abused to the point that they’re unrecognizable.
Shampoo & Brush
Starting with a pretty black puppy, I got an Oster brand oatmeal puppy shampoo because it was tear-less and smelled OH SO GOOD. Two years later, and I still grab the same bottle at the store. I had contemplated getting a flea and tick shampoo at one point, but my vet hooked me up with Nexgard, so we’re covered for all our runs through the thick woods of North Carolina.
As for a brush, I use a Pet Champion Pin Dog Brush. It’s a basic brush that gets most of Jackie’s undercoat brushed out when she’s shedding and gets Lou’s longer hair untangled pretty easily. They both loved to be brushed, so no complaints there!
I hope that helps for anyone who is curious about our essential supplies and provisions around here for keeping the doggos alive and well. Shoot me a comment or a message if you have any questions or suggestions for me.
What to Look Out For…
How to Deal with Different Dogs
In the meantime, check out this old video of Jackie playing fetch by herself.