Puppy Prep:Extensive Q's About Essentials for a Happy New Pup!

[hazelpseudoblue]

Alright, I've been looking all over this forum, and the world wide web, and there's so much out there! I'm looking to know what I need to have right away when I bring my pup home, (obviously toys, food/water bowls, bed, crate, puppy pads, leash, harness/collar, etc..). But I have a few questions I'd love answers/advice on.

Crates:
- Do I get a full-sized now? What's a good one for a pup? What did you use?
- Do you know where to get a well priced wood crate? Or, the building plans for one? I'd love to make it myself..
- As far as a wood crate (which, if not for her as a pup, I'd like to transition to when she's overcome that constant chewing that seems to be standard pup behavior), what should the coating be so that I can clean it easily?
- What size crate now/later?

Bed:
- Recommendations for a good washable pup bed? What have you used?

Toys:
- Recommendations for what toys to start out with? Durable brands?
- Stuffed Animal as a 'sleep mate'? (Someone mentioned that it might make not sleeping in a cuddle puddle with their litter easier) What's a safe washable one?

Grooming:
- What grooming products to start out with?
- Good ones you have used on your pup(s)?
- Shampoo/ coat conditioner recommendation?

Harnesses, Leashes and Tags, Oh My!
- Good, soft harness?
- Durable washable leashes? I know that some are too heavy for little cavaliers, so what's worked for you?(What length?)
- Did you start off with tags? If so, what's a good washable collar you've used? What material?

Snood/ Scrunchie Issue- Feedin' Time!:
- Elevated bowl set anyone has used and found to work?
- If you've found that a big soft scrunchie or something works instead of a snood, what did you buy that works, and is safe?
- Where did you buy your snood? Recommendation for where to purchase it?
- Have you used the bowls with narrow tops for Spaniels? Do they work? If so, where did you buy them?

[Soushiruiuma]

Crates: wood is porous and not the best choice for crate material. My dog uses a 24x36 crate (it was inherited, and is a good adult size-roomy). Some crates come with divider panels that can be moved as the dog grows. You may be able to get a good price using craigslist or a similar site rather than buy new.

Bed: I bought a baby blanket at Target (2sided fleecy kind). It's help up beautifully to repeated washings, and Guinness loves it. It's also great for travel because it packs nicely and Guinness has a familiar snuggly spot everywhere we go.

Start with just a few toys of different varieties, one to carry, one to cuddle, maybe some balls or whatever. You will accumulate more as time goes on, so don't stock up now.

Grooming: shampoo and conditioner (ears will get long fur quite quickly) basic brushes. I buy one that have a coating on the end (I don't like the needlelike bristles).

[Soushiruiuma]

Harness: I have a sporn halter. I like it, you may not. Leash 6 foot, a four foot leash will barely reach from the comfortable height for your hand to be to where your very small puppy will be. I have tags attached to the harness, with no collar at all.

I don't have any advice for bowls, snoods. There's a lot of trial and error that goes into what works for you.

Good luck! Also just buy carpet cleaner now, if you have any carpet at all some kind of bodily fluid will end up on it.

[Duffer]

Crates:
i never used one, so cant comment

Bed:
I started off with washable, cloth ones but to be honest my 2 just ripped them apart after a while, so i now have a huge plastic bed with some pillows and blankets in it. The pillows get replaced about every 2/3 months and the blankets just get washed. The plastic is very easy to clean, and smell doesnt linger.


Toys:
soft teddys i would reccommend a good brand ( not cheap £ shop ones as they will fall apart ) my 2 have a Russ one each and they are pretty durable, they throw them around and bash them and can go in the wash

other toys, i was given a rope bone (cloth/colored) when i got cava first and she still plays with it, anything else rubbery they can chew, small balls (tennis balls too big for puppies), like the other girl said you will accumulate so dont buy everything all at once. I would also reccommend a cheap pair of slippers, with a rubber sole. If they have this to chew they will be less likely to chew your shoes etc.

Grooming:
soft haired brush, test on the underside of your arm - if its too harsh on that it will be too harsh on their skin
any type of puppy shampoo, i would only use a tiny bit anyway when washing them

Harnesses, Leashes and Tags, Oh My!
i use a nylon collar, lead & harness on both dogs, they are durable and soft and washable.
i put a collar & tag on both pups the day i got them home, to get them used to it and for ID purposes. i got a small tag with each pup to say they were chipped so just used that for a month or 2 and then got personal ones made.

Snood/ Scrunchie Issue- Feedin' Time!:
i have heard of those narrow topped feeding bowls, but to be honest i just use the normal plastic ones (about €5 ) and i have a large metal water bowl.

best of luck, hope this answers some of your questions
also do think it will be trial & error for a lot of stuff (bed / toys etc) as each Cav is different

[SuzRN]

I have a few ideas.

Crate, Chelsea started with what might be called a large cat size, as she grew she loved it because it was snug. When the door broke, Vivian's breeder has a favorite size the 200 vari kennel, seems huge to me. But I now have 2 in the living room cramed between couch and end table. They are also listed as medium size in the ultra vari kennel line. Plastic all the way, can take it out and hose it down as needed. You can always stuff pillows in the back to make it smaller for a puppy(also did that with Chelsea).

Beds, just wash them when you bring them home. Vivian felt she had to pee on any new one, I only have one now, a pillow with a water resistant cover. They also will sleep on a folded quilt, washable.

Toys, need things they can chew. Kong, nylabones, soft squeekers, a wubba (squeek kong coveed in heavy canvas), something to tug. Have a few of the toys that are strips of felt, just keep them in sight, Chelsea got one untied and swalloed a large piece whole(big vet bill).

Grooming, have a comb for mats. Older I love the furminator to get out the dead hair.

My girls wear collar with a couple of tags. Walk with step-in harness that I found on Etsy nylon web covered with ribbon and made to order/size. Got a 2 for 1 special. Fully adjustable.

Bought one snood, Chelsea just looked at me like'are you crazy'. I rarely find any food, just wet from the water bowl. Have a ceramic water dish with a pump and filter to circulate, all pets love it. Food, some metal and some plastic, just normal size.

Good luck.

[cy1266]

Ugh! I just typed a long response and it got erased!!! I have to be quick, but here it goes again:

Crates:
We have 3 - 1 metal for the house (24"x36"), 1 Vari-Kennel for the car, and 1 soft fold up crate for travel.

Bed:
Orvis bed and cover - fits in metal crate, cover is washable. Blankets and stuffed animals are in the crate too.


Toys:
Stuffed animals, things that make noise, bully sticks, dehydrated sweet potatoes.

Grooming:
Shampoo/conditioner - Isle of Dogs, Pet Head and Tropiclean 2 in 1 - my new fav!
Brushes: metal comb, slicker brush and double-sided wire brush for drying their ears straight.
Nail trimmers (Millers Forge) and QuickStop

Harnesses, Leashes and Tags, Oh My!
Up Country harnesses, no collars. 6 foot leather Urban Hund leashes. Tags are on their harnesses only. However, they're also microchipped.

Snood/ Scrunchie Issue- Feedin' Time!:
Snoods from Tia Bellas (www.tiabellas.com), stainless steel bowls.

Good luck!!!

[heather r]

Hi! On breeders recommendation, we got 2 crates, small and med. The med. is 18" by 24" Also 2 pet pads with raises edges for about $6 or $7 each .Got all from petedge.com catalogue co in Mass. Also got metal fencing unit with extension for back yard. It is handy with a pup and also in the winter at night or if dog is ill. The small crate we leave in car since Abigail is small enough to fit for short trips. P.S. Abigail has never done business in her crate.

Got nylabones and stuffed animals. Eventually got a harness ( vest harness is trademark). Had to takeAbigail along to get proper size( It has fabric that goes over head and around chest)

Leather 6' leash; grooming brush and comb.

Best of Luck and get plenty of photos.

Heather R

[Karlin]

There is a post in the library section on suggestions for a new puppy (I think!) and also I recommend the advice from breeder Laura Lang here:

http://roycroftinformationcenter.com...ion%20new.html

Generally your breeder will give you advice -- any reputable breeder usually has a list of suggested items and will consider it a pleasure to talk through with you what is needed. So I would certainly advise talking directly to the breeder as a first stop.

But a lot of this is pretty individual. Some like to spend a lot (often on things a dog will never use or being interested in), others just go for cheapie stuff. I think there's no point at all in spending a lot on puppy related beds, toys etc because they will just chew/destroy them and grow out of them. Teething chew toys however are worth considering (I liked the chillybone). A lot of people I know just use a cardboard box lined with easy to wash towels etc. Or vet bed -- costly but lasts absolutely forever. Most puppies are only really interested in a couple of toys and trainers do not advise overloading dogs with toys -- they quickly grow bored with them. Better to ever have a couple available and then have one or two reserved somewhere, only ever for play with you (eg high value toys -- I use throw toys for this!).

Puppies do not generally need snoods -- their ears are too short.

Do NOT get a wood crate until your dog is 18 months or older! Younger than that -- most likely the dog will see it as a chew toy and destroy or damage it. Many dogs are never suited to wicker or wood crates or beds -- many are permanent lifetime chewers and will destroy anything like this making them a waste of money, and they can be costly, lovely pieces of furniture. So, better to wait til your dog is well past chewing stage (eg 18-24 months) and then if it isn't a chewer, make the investment then!

Warning: puppies chew and destroy and pee and poop on things. Do not underestimate their ability to destroy! They need constant supervision and puppy-appropriate items that do not break the bank, unless you don't mind nice things being ruined.

I woud suggest downloading Ian Dunbar's two books, before you get your puppy' and 'after you get your puppy' at www.dogstardaily.com (under 'downloads' ) to have a good idea of how to prepare properly, what to expect (and not expect, just as important!) and to get your new puppy off to the best training and care regime. Also -- those two books will answer loads of your questions.