New Puppy Checklist – I’m Getting A New Puppy, What Do I Need?

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“I’m getting a new puppy, what do I need? Do you have a new puppy checklist?” –C.M.

On January 7th, 2005, I asked those questions to the employee at the local pet store…wait a second, lets rewind…

That morning I didn’t know it, but in the afternoon I’d be bringing home an adorable, little Aussie mix puppy named Linus. Actually we almost named him Maximus Decimus Meridius (I must have just watched Gladiator the night before). Today, I can’t imagine him being anything other then Linus.

Did I mention I didn’t know I’d be bringing home a puppy that day? I read puppy books, researched websites, talked to friends and family about dogs and puppies. Heck, I even raised my roommate’s dogs in college, but I was still in the research phase when we found Linus.

I had ZERO puppy supplies. I was not prepared, but he was perfect so we said “I do” and the shelter told us they needed to microchip/vaccinate him and to come back in an hour and we could take him home.

One HOUR to get all the supplies we needed for our new puppy!

So that brings us back to our question:

“I’m getting a new puppy, what do I need? Do you have a new puppy checklist?”

New Puppy Checklist

I filled out and signed Linus’ adoption paperwork then rushed over to the local pet store. I had one hour to find what I would need for Linus for the next few days/weeks/months/years.

I didn’t need everything for a new puppy just the essentials.

New Puppy Essentials Checklist

“Our” New Puppy Checklist should apply to all puppies, but keep in mind that I raise mostly Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and of course Linus was an Australian Shepherd mix puppy, other breeds can have different specialized needs that aren’t reflected on this list.

Our New Puppy Essentials Checklist are the items we recommend you have the day you bring home your new puppy.

QUICK UPDATE: We are only recommending one product (our favorite) per category. It was difficult to always pick the best/favorite so please do your own due diligence and find what works best for your puppy

1. Dog Toys

We like: Snuggle Puppy w/ Heartbeat & Heat Pack

We recommend getting lots of different textured toys to help when your puppy starts teething/chewing. However, we think it’s especially important to get a plush toy to rub on litter mates and mama that way you can bring back the scent of your pup’s family back home with you. Check out the Snuggle Puppy which also includes heat pads and a ticking heart to help your puppy sleep at night.

2. Dog Crate

We like Midwest Life Stages Crate

We crate train all of our puppies and if you’re bringing your puppy home by yourself it’s important to have something to contain your puppy. We love and still use the same Midwest Life Stages Crate we bought for Linus over 14 years ago.

3. Chews

We like: Best Bully Sticks

If you never had a puppy then get ready for some unwanted chewing of among other things furniture, clothes, shoes, hands, and feet. A good dog chew will help redirect this unwanted behavior until your puppy matures and sheds his puppy teeth. Our favorite dog chew for both our puppies and older dogs are Bully Sticks

4. No Chew Spray

We like Grannicks Bitter Apple Spray

Puppies like to bite and chew anything and everything. Bitter Apple Spray will help deter your pup’s nibbly behavior.

5. Leash

We like: Adjustable Leather Guide Dog Training Leash

We get two leashes for our puppies:

• A short drag line which is a light weight 4 or 6 foot nylon leash (we usually get the “small” 6 foot leash or the “medium” 4 foot leash)
• A leather training leash – we like these convertible leather leashes we’ve been using since raising our first guide dog puppy.

6. Collar

We like: Nylon Buckle Collar

We don’t get too fancy with our puppy collars. A simple nylon buckle collar does the trick. After all they’ll out grow their collar in no time.

7. Nametags

We like purchasing our tags from our local pet store, but if you can also order Pet Tags online.

You can order tags online ahead of time or your local pet store can likely make a tag for you same day. The two essentials we include are puppy’s name and phone number. Also, make sure you get your puppy microchipped just in case he loses his collar. Our shelter microchipped Linus before they sent him home with us.

8. Puppy Blanket

We like: Snuggle Pet Blanket

We also bring a blanket to rub on our puppy’s litter mates then we put the blanky in the crate so our puppy feels a little more comfortable his first few nights in his new home. We use the same snuggle pet blanket from our Snuggle Puppy Starter Kit.

9. Puppy Food

We like Wellness Core Puppy Food

We feed our puppies premium dog food. Our puppy food of choice is Wellness Puppy Formula. We soak ours in warm water for about 10 minutes when we first bring home our 8 week old puppies.

10. Dog Bowls

We like basic Stainless Steel Dog Bowls

A simple stainless steel food and water bowl will do the trick. We got these basic ones when we first brought home Linus (the rubber pads have long since warn out).

11. Stain & Odor Remover

We like Rocco & Roxie Stain and Odor Eliminator

Guess what? Your puppy is going to have accidents in the house. Even if you stick to a strict potty training schedule there will always be a miscue. Never fear Rocco & Roxie makes a great stain & odor remover that we use with our puppies.

QUICK TIPS: Always use an enzymatic cleaner that will completely eliminate the smell of urine. Your dog’s sense of smell is thousands to millions of times better than yours so make sure you have a cleaner that does the job right like Rocco & Roxie.

12. Treats

We like Happy Howie’s Dog Treats

When do you start training your puppy? The day you get him! Whether or not you decide to train your puppy with treats it’s still important to have treats for your puppy. We discovered Happy Howie’s at last years SuperZoo Trade Show.

13. Dog Brush/Comb

We like…see below

Depending on the breed you may need specialized brushes and combs to keep a well groomed coat. If not, your dog’s fur can get knotted in short time (not really an issue with the Labs). We have 5 brushes/combs we use with our Goldens and Labs:

• Basic Two-Sided Pin Brush – we got for Linus, but have used with all of our dogs.
• Slicker Brush – for removing mats and tangles our Golden Retriever, Raven’s long coat.
• Zoom Groom – mostly used with our Lab, Stetson.
• Flea Comb – every once in a while we use this comb to check for fleas.
• Furminator – we’ve had ours for years and use it with both our Golden and Lab to help reduce the amount of fur flying around the house.

14. Puppy Shampoo

We like Burt’s Bees for Puppies

You don’t want to use harsh human products or even a dog shampoo might be too much for your puppy’s delicate skin. Linus came from the shelter and desperately needed a bath when he got home. Stetson came from the Guide Dog school and had a bath right before I picked him up. However, he had an accident on the car ride home and needed a bath again once we were home.

15. Rags / Towels

We like whatever we can find around the house 🙂

Our second Guide puppy Derby had several accidents on the car ride home and made a little mess on the seats and floor mats. Ever since then we always have rags on hand to keep the car and all areas of the house as clean of puppy pee, poop, and vomit.

16. Paper Towels

We like to grab a roll of paper towels from the garage 🙂

We used a combination of rags and paper towels to keep things clean around the house.

“Not Quite As Essential” New Puppy Checklist

These items are not quite as essential or you probably have an alternative you could use temporarily at your house. Basically you’d probably want to pick up most of these items during your first weeks with your puppy, but you probably don’t need them the day you bring your puppy home.

17. Bedding

We like this Basic Pet Bedding for the crate

We don’t always have a bedding for our crate and find that blankets, towels, bed sheets can all be a good alternative. We even had one friend build us bedding for our crate using those egg crate foam. A word of warning: not all, but many of our puppies have decided the pet bedding would make a good chew and shred toy.

18. Dog Bed

We like the Sofa Style Dog Bed

Again blankets, towels, bed sheets, and even pillows can be used as a dog bed. Several of my puppies have loved the sofa style dog beds. Actually Stetson has taken over our sofa. 🙂 One thing we’re looking for in our next dog bed is one that is easily washable. As you might imagine, puppies often have accidents on their dog beds.

19. Puppy Pee Pads

We like Wee Wee Pads

We train all of our puppies to potty outside. However, I know that potty training outside is not always an option. So, when do we use pee pads? We use them when Raven has a litter of puppies.

20. Poop Bags

We like Earth Rated Dog Poop Bags

We don’t use them as much now that we have a large backyard and pooper scooper. However, whenever we’re out and about with Stetson or Raven we grab our favorite Earth Rated Dog Poop Bags. Remember to always have something to scoop the poop when out in public.

21. Gate

We like Regalo Baby Gate

Gates are a great way to keep you puppies confined to only certain rooms in your house. We actually purchased this Regalo Gate many years ago to keep Stetson and Linus out of the kitchen. Guess what? Many years later we can now use it as a baby gate!

22. Playpen

We like Carlson Portable Pet Pen

Not essential, but if you can’t keep a close eye on your puppy and you don’t want to crate him then take a look at the Carlson Portable Pet Pen. An ex-pen would also work well in the house.

Our Carlson Portable Pet Pen came in handy when Raven had her puppies.

24. Nail Trimmer

We like Dremel Cordless

We don’t recommend the cheap pet nail trimmers. We even tried a “Pet” nail trimmer made by renowned brand Dremel that did not think lived up to the Dremel standard. However, we love and use this cordless Dremel with all of our pups. We’ve also tried several nail clippers, but prefer the trimmers/grinders to the clippers.

25. Travel Kennel

We like Pet Nation Porta-A-Crate

We got a travel kennel for when we take our dogs on the road. We mainly wanted something that was collapsible and easier to carry then our regular crate.

QUICK TIP: Be careful with a travel kennel especially if your puppy is not yet crate trained because they may decide to chew through the mesh lining destroying your expensive investment.

26. Dog Toothbrush & Paste

We like Arm & Hammer Toothbrush Set

We like getting our pup’s used to the toothbrush and toothpaste, but usually don’t introduce them on day one. When we get a new puppy we always buy the toothpaste/toothbrush/fingerbrush combo pack for our pup.

27. Flea & Tick Meds

We like Frontline Plus for Dogs

Linus was loaded with parasites when he came home. Make sure you talk to your vet before applying any flea/tick meds to your puppy.

QUICK TIP: We’ve actually gone back in forth between Frontline Plus and Advantage II. At one point the fleas became immune to the Frontline Plus so make sure and consult your vet and find the best option for your puppy.

28. Heartworm Meds

We like Heartgard Plus

Heartworm can be a deadly disease. Make sure you talk to your vet about Heartworm prevention.

29. Long line Leash

We like Mighty Paws Long Dog Leash

We use these to allow our puppies a little more freedom without losing control. We have a 10, 20, and 30 foot long lines which work great when working on recalls.

30. Harness

We like PetSafe Easy Walk No Pull Harness

Since our days with Archer we started using the no-pull harness to help for puppies that like to pull on walks. The Easy Walk Harness has been one of our favorites.

31. Gentle Leader

We like PetSafe Gentle Leader Head Collar

When we raised Adelle for Canine Support Teams they had us start her with the Gentle Leader when she was a wee pup. The Gentle Leader is a great tool if you have a puppy who pulls on leash.

32. Clicker

We like Starmark Dog Training Clicker

We have dozens of clickers and this one is not too loud and not too quiet. We also prefer our clicker to have a wristband so we can let it hang freely when working with our pups.

QUICK TIP: While we recommend these EcoCity Clickers we also recommend having a variety of clickers. Box clickers are usually fairly noisy and you’ll also notice there are very quiet clickers for sensitive dogs. Depending on your pup he/she may respond better or worse to different clickers.

For the past five years we’ve been clicker training all of our puppies. It’s a very effective way to train and communicate with your puppy, but if you want to clicker train you’ll need a clicker and a….

33. Treat Pouch

We like PetSafe Treat Pouch

Tried and true. We love the hinge that holds the pouch open for easy access to treats. However, we also hate the hinge because once it breaks we have to get a new treat pouch.

If you’re going to clicker train your puppy then get a treat pouch. We tried using our pockets a few times and it gets messy and guess what? One time I left a few crumbs in my pocket and Stetson chewed through the fabric to get those last few niblets.

34. Food Container

We like Airtight Pet Food Container

We like having a food container to keep our dog food fresh. Our container is a little dated and I’m not so sure it’s still airtight. I think after 10+ years that happens. I’m on the search for a new improved dog food container…stay tuned…

QUICK TIP: Did you know that it’s a good idea to keep your food in the original bag? The bag is made specifically to store dog food for long periods of time. You’ll also be able to maintain the instructions, expiration date, and if there’s a recall you’ll know the lot number of your bag.

35. Books

We like Puppies for Dummies

Learn everything you can before, during, and after bringing home your puppy. We have stacks of books on training puppies, dogs, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and every bit of information we can get to learn how to have a better relationship with our dogs and puppies.

Puppies for Dummies is a great starter book and will give you a solid foundation in puppy training basics.

36. Pooper Scooper

We like 4Paws Pooper Scooper

We never had a pooper scooper living at the condo because the pups always went potty on their walks and we’d pickup with poop bags. At our house with a backyard the pooper scooper is essential.

37. Baby Wipes

We like Kirkland Baby Wipes

We buy Kirkland Baby Wipes in bulk for Emma and the twins. Honestly, I didn’t have baby wipes in the early days. Now that I have babies I can’t imagine what I’d do without baby wipes for puppies and babies.

Bonus Checklist

These are not puppy products, but instead a list of a few contacts you should have before or shortly after you bring home your puppy.

38. Veterinarian/24 hr Emergency Vet

Hamilton Animal Hospital was our go to vet from day one with Linus. We liked the vets and staff and continued to take him their even after we moved to a different city. Also, make sure you have the phone number and address for your closest 24 hr Emergency Vet Office.

39. Dog Trainer

Before we brought home our first puppy Linus we knew he would be going to local pet trainer Sue Myles. It’s a good idea to have a training plan and a good dog trainer ready to help you when your puppy is not being and angel.

QUICK TIP: Even though we’ve been training puppies for over a decade we still take our pups to group training classes. It’s important for your puppy to not only learn obedience, but to learn how to properly socialize with other puppies.

40. Pet Sitter/Walker

Sometimes it just takes talking to friends, family, and neighbors about getting a little help when you’re at work or need a break from your puppy. If those aren’t options their are online services, individual pet sitters/walkers, or even check with your local doggy daycare facility.

41. Boarding

We’re lucky when raising guide dog puppies we have the option to board our pups at the school free of charge. However, there may be a time when you need to board your puppy. Start researching facilities in your area or start checking with family, friends, and neighbors to see if they might be able to board your puppy when you need a vacay.

QUICK TIP: If you’re working a full time job then you may need to make an alternate plan for your puppy. Your puppy could end up with behavior problems if you leave him home alone for extended periods of time during the day.

42. Pet Insurance

We’ve never used pet insurance. However, we plan on getting insurance for our next puppy. Why? Our close friends rang up bills of over 50K for their current puppy. If not for pet insurance they would not have been able to afford the bills and the puppy would have been put down.

What To Bring With You When Picking Up Your Puppy

The day I brought home Linus I thought I was just taking a trip to the local shelter to visit puppies I came across on PetFinder.com. Needless to say I was not prepared that day.

By the time I picked up my fourth puppy, Dublin I was a puppy raising veteran. I knew exactly what I wanted to bring before picking up my puppy.

Now that you have (or know what to get) from our new puppy checklists above. Here’s what you should bring with you the day you pick up your puppy.

• Camera – It’s funny to think about today, but back in 2005 my phone did not have a camera, so we have zero pics of Linus or his sister at the shelter. Today most people have smartphones with built in cameras. However, if you really want to capture the moment then bring your fancy pants DSLR or mirrorless camera to get the best pics of your puppy and his litter mates. Don’t forget to take as many pics of your puppy as possible today and everyday. They grow up way too fast.
• A Friend or Family Member – You need someone to document the moment: a photographer, videographer, and someone to share the moment with. When I picked up Stetson it was only me. No one to take pictures. No one to help me on the car ride home. No one to share the memories with and I only have one picture from the pickup day. 🙁
• Plush Dog Toy and Puppy Blanket – Make sure you have a plush toy and puppy blanket and rub it all over your pup’s litter mates and mama. This way when you get home you can put the toy and blanket in his crate so he’ll smell the scent of his litter mates and mama when it’s time for bed.

QUICK RECOMMENDATION: We really like the Snuggle Puppy w/ Heartbeat & Heat Pack to help your puppy during his first night home away from his litter mates. They also have a starter kit that includes the Snuggle Puppy, blanket, and a few other extras.

• Chew Toy – It may be your puppy’s first time in the car or he may just get antsy. Having a chew toy like a Bully Stick could help ease anxiety and occupy his time.
• Rags / Towels / Paper Towels – From experience, I’ve had puppies throw up, poop, and pee on the car ride home. It’s a good idea to line your car and yourself with towels / rags and have paper towels handy for quick cleanups.
• Old Clothes – You might get pooped on so don’t wear your Sunday Best.
• Crate or Box [OPTIONAL] – When we had Linus we had him sit in a small box on the car ride home. This is a good way to keep yourself and the car clean. If you’re bringing home your puppy in the car by yourself like I did with Stetson then you should probably crate him so he’s not bouncing around while you’re trying to drive. I borrowed a small plastic molded crate and he did have an accident on our car ride home. If you have #2. Friend/Family on our list then you probably don’t need #7. Crate/Box.

Checklist For Our New Puppy, Linus

Back to our story…

So, what happened with our first puppy, Linus?

If you recall we decided to bring home a puppy (Linus) from the shelter and had one hour to get puppy supplies for at least the next day or two.

What did we do? We went with all the recommendations made by the employee at the local pet store which happened to be one of the large pet retailers.

While not a horrible decision also not a great decision. This pet retailer also had it’s own line of products and at the time we didn’t know it, but the employee pushed all of the pet retailer’s products.

Not everything was terrible. We still use the stainless steel bowls and the Midwest Crate we purchased over 14 years ago.

However, today we always heavily research any new puppy products before making a purchase.

There’s a lot of information right at your fingertips. Don’t just take my word for it. Do your own due diligence and read others opinions and experiences by searching Google and check out Amazon or Chewy for product details, descriptions, reviews, and ratings.

The Ultimate Checklist For New Puppy Owners Printable PDF

If you count the essential and non-essential items on our new puppy checklist then you have a whopping 42 items to buy on your next trip to your local pet store!

WOWZERS! THAT’S A HULKING LIST!

Not to worry, I put together a nice Printable New Puppy Checklist in PDF format so you can print or save it to your smartphone.

We added our New Puppy Checklist PDF to our FREE Resource Library so you can download the list and have it handy before you bring home a new puppy.

If you haven’t already, subscribe to our newsletter and receive access to our FREE Resource Library:

At the bare minimum make sure you bring home or have the 16 items on our new puppy essentials checklist.

Now it’s your turn. What do you think?

Am I missing anything on my new puppy checklist?

In your experience what essential puppy supplies do you get before bringing home a puppy?

Tell us your thoughts, questions, and answers in the comment section below.