Preparing your home for a puppy can be overwhelming, and with an ever-expanding range of gadgets, accessories and other bells and whistles on the market, it can become needlessly expensive. Toilet training pads and nutritionally complete food are a given, but what else does your new arrival need to feel safe and secure in their new environment? Clare Hemmings, scientific communications manager at pet food manufacturer Royal Canin, shares her 10 essential pieces of puppy kit.
A crate
The idea of crate training can be daunting but, if prepared correctly, it will be the dog’s space for comfort. It’s also an essential part of house training your pup as dogs don’t like to soil the environment they sleep in – so sleeping in a crate will slowly teach them to hold their bladder (although it’s important to be vigilant because they can’t hold their bladders or bowels indefinitely). Crucially, the crate should never be used as a form of punishment, but rather a place where your dog can feel safe and secure.
“It should have all nice things in it – a comfy bed, a cuddly toy,” says Hemmings. “It should perhaps be covered on three sides so that it feels like a den. Somewhere warm and snuggly because puppies in litters tend to snuggle together.”
Collar, harness and lead
Although your dog won’t go on walks until after its vaccinations, having a collar and lead ready in the home will allow them to get used to wearing it before heading out into the world. You will also need to get a tag, which should have your contact details on, including your full address – this is for the safety of your dog, and it’s required by law.
Your dog will quickly grow out of their first collar, so maybe hold off from purchasing anything too expensive until they are fully grown. It’s worth remembering that some dogs prefer a harness to a collar, so if your puppy doesn’t take well to being walked with a collar you could try replacing it with a comfortable harness. And never use a choke chain, as it can damage the throat and can be painful for your dog.
A familiar smell
If you are picking up your pup from a breeder, it’s a good idea to take a bit of clothing from your house and leave it with the puppy a week or so before you collect it. This will help your new pup get used to your smell and feel comfortable with their new environment when they come home.
Toys
It may be tempting to grab all manner of fun-looking squeaky toys you spy in your local pet shop. But you must be mindful of what is appropriate for their early stage of development, with cuddly toys being the sensible choice, says Hemmings.
“As they get older, their adult teeth will come through. Their baby teeth are very fragile and will start to fall out after three or four months. You can’t have them chewing anything that is too hard, but they will want to chew because they are teething. Toys can become more robust as they get older,” she says.
Activity feeders
Puzzle feeders and mazes can extend a dog’s meal time from a few minutes to much longer – sometimes even 10 or 15 minutes – engaging their brains and keeping them interested. You needn’t spend the earth on anything hi-tech: wet food can be pushed into a Kong feeder to provide extra mental stimulation and dry kibbles can be placed into wobble feeders, which your pup can push around to release the kibbles.
Essential reading
Hemmings recommends Life Skills for Puppies by Helen Zulch and Daniel Mills. It’s all about how to deal with early situations and how to get them accustomed to all the varied situations they will encounter in life. If you teach your pup simple commands and start socialising them with other dogs and people from a young age, they’ll have the best chance to grow to be a well-adjusted and happy dog.
Digital food scales
Obesity in dogs is an increasing problem and can shorten a dog’s life by up to two and a half years – as well as costing you an extra 25% on medications and 17% on healthcare costs. A set of digital weighing scales or a digital scoop will allow you to weigh out every meal and ensure your dog is getting the correct nutrition they need for healthy growth. An added benefit is that by not overfeeding, their food lasts longer.
“Royal Canin uses feeding guides based on the anticipated adult weight of the puppy, making it easier for you to keep their diet in line, avoid overfeeding and reassess their growth at each age milestone,” says Hemmings.
Food storage containers
It has been estimated that a dog’s sense of smell is anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 times better than a person’s, which means dogs can smell it if their food starts to go off. So if your dog’s food isn’t fresh, they’re likely to refuse to eat. “Keep the food in the sealed bag and put the sealed bag into the sealed container. If you decant kibble, every single kibble touches the air so the oxidation process starts on all of them,” says Hemmings. Not storing your dog’s food properly is one of the biggest reasons your pup may not be eating – which often leads to owners thinking their dog is a fussy eater.
Carpet cleaner
If you are using training pads, it’s important to place them near the front door or garden entrance where you will eventually lead your pup outside. But, ideally you should toilet train your puppy by taking them out every hour and straight after meals, encouraging them with key phrases such as “make” when they relieve themselves. Even the most well-behaved puppy will have accidents from time to time – especially during the first few months of house training, so be prepared and, most importantly, never punish accidents; lots of praise when they get it right and ignoring the mistakes is the best and kindest way to house train your puppy. “Puppies will give you every indication that they need to go – circling, hanging around the door – however, it’s worth having some carpet cleaner ready,” says Hemmings.
Poop bags
You may think this one sounds obvious, but the last thing you want is to be out on a walk and then realise you’ve left the bags on the kitchen counter. Always make sure you have a couple in your coat pocket so you don’t get caught out. And for those who are extra forgetful, you can buy pouches for poop bags that attach to the lead, so you’ll always have them handy on walks.
Shop the Royal Canin range and find the perfect food for your dog at royalcanin.com
