This standard list should get you started. Post back with any questions.
What does a puppy need?
A crate. It is only natural that a puppy resists its crate at first. What the puppy wants more than anything else is to be others, you, anyone else in the
household, and any other pets. In our modern society, even if we are home,
other things distract us from the attention an uncrated puppy must have. The
only real solution is to crate the dog when you aren't around. The dog may be
happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its
den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving
its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them
will rest in their crates even when the door is open. Skip the
bedding. At first it gets wet, and later it can be chewed into choking
hazards. A wire rack in the bottom will help keep the puppy up out of
accidents at first. They are available with the crates, but a piece of closely
spaced wire closet shelving from a home supply place is cheaper. I think the plastic
ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. Metal ones can be put
in a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select
a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in. It shouldn't need any other bed.
Chew toys. The pet stores are full of toys that many dogs will quickly chew up into pieces they could choke on or cause intestinal blockages. If you are not
there to watch, stick to sturdy stuff such as Nylabones and Kongs. Keep a
close eye on chew toys and quickly discard anything that is coming apart in
pieces. Rawhide is especially bad because it swells after being swallowed.
These problems are the worst with, but not limited to, large, aggressive
chewers such as Labs.
Food. Find out what the breeder is feeding. If it is dry chow you can buy readily, I would stick with it until the dog is 4 months old, at that time switching to a dry adult chow. If not, try to have the breeder give you a few days supply to use making a gradual change to a dry puppy chow. Feed a half a cup or less if the package recommends it, 3 times a day.
Dishes. Empty plastic food containers are good enough. If you want something nicer, buy the spill proof? ones. See
http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...1078323611448À. I have found them at Big Lots too.
A collar and leash. You should stay with a flat fabric or leather collar until your puppy is 5 months old. Then you can go with the metal slip collar with the rings on each end. Otherwise you could damage its windpipe. Put it on like this for the usual dog on the left position. Pull the chain through the one ring forming a"P". Facing the dog, slip it over its head. The free end comes over the neck allowing the other end to release pressure when the leash is slack. A five
month old's head will still grow some. If you buy one that easily goes over
the head, it still should come off leaving the ears when the dog finishes
growing. I start the puppy out with a metal leash and switch to a leather one after the worst of the chewing is over and I need more control.
A brush. Start the puppy with a bristle brush. They don't shed much at first, and the bristle brush will remove dirt and help control odor. When shedding becomes a problem later, switch to a slicker brush with the wire teeth.
The number of a vet. It is very hard to evaluate them. Dogs need more medical care than in the past. Many new problems are wide spread.
A book. Any book is better than none at all. I like the Monks of New Skete and their The Art of Raising a Puppy, ISBN 0-316-57839-8.
Obedience training. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start obedience training the day you get the dog. Build on the foundation of housebreaking. The younger the puppy, the shorter you must keep sessions, only a few repetitions at a time. A few minutes here and there, and by the time the puppy is 4 months old, people will be impressed with what a nice dog it is.
An AskMeHelpDesk bookmark so you can come back for help as needed.
I didn't forget treats, shampoo, and bedding. I seldom use them.
We visited the dog guide school school recently. Thought I would share some of what I learned. One of their veterinarians gave a talk on current hazards. Xylitol, a newer artificial sweetener finding wide use in sugar free gums, is very bad for dogs, see
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=2&aid=75125. The word on grapes and raisins being toxic to dogs has been around for a while, but new findings show some dogs are very sensitive to them, only taking a few to kill them. Her last point was bottle caps. Their sharp edges can cut dogs internally is swallowed. And like many other things, they can block the digestive tract. She had some nice X-rays of dogs that had swallowed all sorts of things. They fish the bottle caps out with a magnet. Other stuff, they have to operate.
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