By Darcie Mumley

Springtime is a popular time to get a new puppy or a rescue a dog. People have the whole summer to potty train before the wind and cold of winter, and there is something about warm weather that makes people crave a new friend to enjoy the outdoors with. Here are the must haves supplies for a new puppy. If I could go back to when my dog was a puppy, I would have had these from the start!

1. Portable Carpet Cleaner Machine

This item is one of the most important puppy supplies on this list. Even if you are extremely diligent with your puppy about house training, there will come a time when your dog gets sick and can’t help but have an accident. This particular carpet cleaner is great for cleaning the upholstery in your car and couch as well. I really don’t know how people have kids or puppies without one of these.

 

2. Supplements

A great multivitamin is essential to a healthy puppy. Because dogs grow so incredibly fast it is important to make sure they are provided with essential vitamins and minerals. Try Pet Natural’s Daily Best for Puppies or Daily Best Chews.

Daily Digest is an essential for the delicate digestive system of your puppies. It’s  packed with probiotics and enzymes to support gut and tract health and regularity. Dog supplements are important, but they should be fed along with a high quality food as well.

3. Canned Pumpkin

Even the smallest changes in diet or stress can disrupt young dogs regularity. Having a regular puppy will make the house training a little bit easier. I always have a can of pumpkin in the cupboard. Yes, it’s just the regular pumpkin you use to make pumpkin pie, but without all the spices (don’t get the “ready for pie” pumpkin).  Pumpkin is great for diarrhea and constipation emergencies—since puppies digest food quickly it works quickly too.

4. A Kong

The classic go to toy is a must try. Some dogs will not take to the Kong—mine thinks it is a torture device—but most will love this toy stuffed with frozen peanut butter or anything else you can think of stuffing it with. This will save you when you need to calm an overly anxious dog that hasn’t yet learned how to calm himself.

 

5. Dog Bed (at least one)

Some of you will let your puppy on the couch and your own bed, but most dogs also like

a place of their own. My dog has had his bed since the day he went home, and even though he has moved numerous times and we have gotten new furniture, this is the one thing that he knows will always be there—other than me of course.

6. Coat

Alright, I love making my dog wear a coat, but is it really necessary? For some dogs the answer is yes. Don’t make your greyhound walk on a cold Vermont day without one because you will have a shivering and unhappy dog on your hands.

7. Leash, collar, harness

Collar is a no brainer and as for the leash don’t get a flexi lead or you will have a difficult time training your dog to not pull on a leash. Start puppies on a 6 leash and make sure they get plenty of off-leash time. Some puppies will choke themselves with a collar so you might want to look into getting a harness that humanely discourages pulling.

Puppy Supplies to consider getting (not 100% necessary)

A crate!

I am a huge crate supporter, but I know a lot of dogs that have never had one and really didn’t need one. My German shepherd would have destroyed everything I own if I didn’t have one, and he loved his crate. My Lab, on the other hand, has never destroyed anything and would think I was punishing him if I put him in a crate. I really think crates are dependent on the dog and your lifestyle. If you will be leaving the puppy home alone on a regular basis than, by all means, a crate is a necessity.

Grooming supplies

We will touch on this again in a later post, but this really depends on the type of dog you are getting and if you are planning on getting your dog professionally groomed or doing it at home. I like to have a slicker brush around along with a fine tooth comb. These are valuable tools for all types of coats. If you are brave enough, you can get some nail trimmers too.

 

And last, but not least, you might want to get them a furry friend! After all, you can’t have too much of a good thing!