What To Buy For Your New Puppy
Bringing home a new puppy is incredibly exciting, but it can also feel a bit overwhelming with all the supplies you'll need. Here are the products I recommend having ready before you pick up your puppy.
PUPPY FOOD:
We’ve had great success feeding Royal Canin products. Your puppy will come with a Royal Canin starter package and a small bag of food to help with the transition. Please continue feeding this food, which is available at PetSmart, PetValu, or Pet Land. We recommend keeping your puppy on it for the full 10 months. Please see FAQ for feeding schedule.
TREATS:
Introduce new treats gradually, and always choose low-calorie options to avoid upsetting your puppy’s tummy. Good treat choices include dehydrated liver, Wellness Soft Puppy Bites, Benny Bully’s, and Zuke’s. Please never give your pup rawhide—it can pose serious health risks. Safer alternatives include bully sticks, knuckle bones, and collagen sticks. While there are many great chews available, a good rule of thumb is: if it’s sold at a grocery store or a low-end pet shop, take a closer look at the ingredients and quality. Stores like Bone & Biscuit and Pet Valu offer a wide variety of safe, high-quality chews. And of course, always supervise your puppy while they’re enjoying a treat or chew.
SUPPLEMENTS:
My dogs get a good probiotic occasionally and also a good quality fish oil such as Herring Oil.
We’ve had great success feeding Royal Canin products. Your puppy will come with a Royal Canin starter package and a small bag of food to help with the transition. Please continue feeding this food, which is available at PetSmart, PetValu, or Pet Land. We recommend keeping your puppy on it for the full 10 months. Please see FAQ for feeding schedule.
TREATS:
Introduce new treats gradually, and always choose low-calorie options to avoid upsetting your puppy’s tummy. Good treat choices include dehydrated liver, Wellness Soft Puppy Bites, Benny Bully’s, and Zuke’s. Please never give your pup rawhide—it can pose serious health risks. Safer alternatives include bully sticks, knuckle bones, and collagen sticks. While there are many great chews available, a good rule of thumb is: if it’s sold at a grocery store or a low-end pet shop, take a closer look at the ingredients and quality. Stores like Bone & Biscuit and Pet Valu offer a wide variety of safe, high-quality chews. And of course, always supervise your puppy while they’re enjoying a treat or chew.
SUPPLEMENTS:
My dogs get a good probiotic occasionally and also a good quality fish oil such as Herring Oil.
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PUPPY CRATE:
By now, you likely know how strongly I encourage crate training your puppy. It’s one of the most effective tools for house training and creating a secure, comfortable space. Start with a smaller crate to help prevent accidents—a puppy is much less likely to potty in their crate if there isn’t extra room. My puppies leave here with plenty of crate experience, and they already view it as a safe and familiar place. Continued consistency at home will help reinforce this habit. I recommend the Essentials Plastic Carrier from Pet Valu. It’s sturdy, easy to clean, and just the right size to support early crate training. Once your puppy is reliable and you think he is ready for the next size, feel free to change crates. If he potties in the bigger one, he needs to go back to the smaller one for awhile. |
POTTY PADS:
There are two different styles you can use if you want to train your pup to potty inside (or on a balcony) but I highly recommend outdoor training right away. The first one pictured locks the pee pad in place so the pup can't shred it. They also use this type here. As weather permits, we spend lots of time outside.
Available at PetSmart and Amazon
There are two different styles you can use if you want to train your pup to potty inside (or on a balcony) but I highly recommend outdoor training right away. The first one pictured locks the pee pad in place so the pup can't shred it. They also use this type here. As weather permits, we spend lots of time outside.
Available at PetSmart and Amazon
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This style pictured is artificial turf. This also works well and pups take to it very fast. I use Odo-Ban from Home Depot to clean the pad. Rinse out all urine and feces until the water runs clear, and let soak in a sink with water and Odo-ban for a few hours or overnight. Rinse well and hang to dry. Available at PetSmart and Canadian Tire |
GROOMING SUPPLIES:
SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER:
Your puppy will have a nice trial sample of this shampoo and conditioner in the go home package. If you like it you can order from Lynn's in Saskatchewan.
COMB & BRUSH:
A straight greyhound comb is the best for the Havanese coat. It is important to get all the way to the skin and brush out. If you'd like a brush too, a basic pin brush will work. There are cheaper ones than what I shared in the link but this is to give you an idea. A spritz of water with conditioner in the bottle will help to comb and keep the static to a minimum.
SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER:
Your puppy will have a nice trial sample of this shampoo and conditioner in the go home package. If you like it you can order from Lynn's in Saskatchewan.
COMB & BRUSH:
A straight greyhound comb is the best for the Havanese coat. It is important to get all the way to the skin and brush out. If you'd like a brush too, a basic pin brush will work. There are cheaper ones than what I shared in the link but this is to give you an idea. A spritz of water with conditioner in the bottle will help to comb and keep the static to a minimum.
NAIL CLIPPERS:
These are my favorite to use on puppies and if they are strong enough they work great on the adults. They are cat nail clippers.