Initial set up

GT_TDI_150

Guys,

We will be looking to get a puppy in the next few months and are looking at what we need to get in before we get one. Bowls, bed, ...?

It will be a small mainly indoor dog.

Any tips?

Thanks

planetX

bucket and mop;)

not much till you get the pup really - no point buying food till you know what he's been used to. Collar and lead can wait till you know what suits him.
Just bowls and bed, a few toys. Maybe look out for a deal on a crate if you're planning to use one, but you need the buy the right size for the dog.

gud4u

Woodies have some great deals on at the moment, depending on whether you'll need a kennell, if it's inside all the time, they have a nice one at the moment for €129, i think, which includes €20 worth of pet vet bed, that being 2 square meters.

Anytime I get a dog I just go to the pet shop on the way home for everything, it's great excitement but can be pricey all in one go. Look out for puppy kits, you'll get bowls, collar, lead, brush, bed all in one pack.

lorebringer

Bed - I highly recommend crate training a puppy, so perhaps this too, but try to get cheapy one as it will be chewed. You may (more than likely will) need to get a new bed in a few months due to puppy destruction.

Bowls - 1 for water (stainless steel), 1 for food.

Collar and lead, and harness - buy a puppy one at first, you will need to buy more collars as the dog grows and getting them used to a harness from an early age is a plus.

Toys - but some puppy friendly toys, these will get chewed and torn apart so you will need to buy more in time. Toys should definitely include something the chew on.

Newspaper and cleaner - these will be your best friend for the first few months of the pups life. Many shops/newsagents will be happy to supply you with old newspapers and buy an enzyme cleaner in the pet shop (or you could use a biological detergent mix) to get rid of pee and poo stains and smells.

Food - look into getting a really good quality food, non of the supermarket crap. A good start is very important and a good quality food will do just that!

Patience - lots and lots of this! Start training from day one, don't allow the pup to do anything you wouldn't allow an adult dog to do. Don't take the puppy out for walks until it is fully vaccinated and only walk it for 5 minutes per month of age (eg. 4 month old pup can only be walked for a maximum of 20 minutes, in total, per day). Get a soft brush to get the puppy used to grooming.

Good luck!

Cherry Blossom

A crate is essential and helps with house training, you don't need a bed and a crate. It also comes in very handy for trips to the vet and bringing the pup home etc. A few pieces of vet bed is fine for bedding until you can be sure there won't be accidents in the crate.

Get yourself a little travel clock, the ticking helps sooth the pup and is comforting for the settling in period. To make sure it couldn't be chewed I put mine inside one of these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Petstages-Puppy-Cuddle-Soft-Microwave/dp/B001F42NKA/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1332087481&sr=8-2-fkmr2

Arrange in advance to bring home a small piece of the puppies bedding which has mum and the other pups scent on it, don't put this in with the pup on the journey home unless you have two or it could be peed/thrown up on.

If its a pup with a long nose get a deep water bowl, for short nosed breeds get a shallow water bowl, for long eared breeds get one designed for cocker spaniels, long ears dangling in the water can lead to ear infections.

A house training line (extra long lead) comes in very handy for catching the pup quickly and for guiding them away from mischief. I think a harness is much safer to start with than attaching it to the dogs collar.

You'll need a few toys to start off with, and a few chew toys, get at least two kongs so you always have one in the freezer, they come in very useful for teething.

I don't recommend puppy training pads for house training but one pack is worth getting as helps contain messes on the journey home and can be quickly changed. If you have an old pillow it will give an extra bit of comfort and support for travelling, you can arrange puppy pads on top of this.

For collecting the pup bring a roll of kitchen paper, a bottle of water and some plastic bags

If you want to get a dog bed later on wait and see if the pup prefers to sleep stretched out or curled up so you can decide on the shape to get.

Whether you want to have the dog insured or keep some money aside for emergencies, insurance is a good idea for the first year at least when they have a natural tendency to get into a lot of trouble/chew things they shouldn't etc.

For cleaning up messes just use ordinary non-bio washing powder.

If its a breed that will need a lot of grooming also get a soft baby bush so the pup can get used to being brushed and having its face, ears and paws handled before the adult coat starts to grow.

DBB

OP, fair play to you for getting prepared in plenty of time!
Can I strongly recommend that you have a mooch through the info on Dog Star Daily: there is a book available for free download on it called "Before You Get Your Puppy", and another called "After You Get Your Puppy". Fairly self-explanatory titles there, but they were written by the world's foremost puppy behaviourist, Ian Dunbar, who is so committed to helping owners get their pups off to the best start, he made both books available for free!

On the main web page, click on the "Training Textbook" link near the top of the page, for all the info you need.

Also,
http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/sirius-puppy-raising-initiative-prospective-and-new-puppy-owners

Good luck!