Puppy Must Haves
by Melanie Roman
Puppy Pads
You might find that your puppy will have the occasional accident or two as it gets use to its potty schedule. This is totally okay and normal. In order to protect your floor or things, we suggest having puppy pads down.
This might help your puppy practice going potty in a certain area while they are working on pottying outdoors. There are disposable and washable versions of the puppy pad. Choose the best one for your family and situation.
Crate/Kennel Area
Having a kennel or crate area is a must!
Your puppy should have a safe area to go to and be contained. It is not necessary to give your puppy all of the freedom in the world. Your puppy must learn structure and must learn to be okay being by itself. Utilizing a crate (not just for punishment) will keep your puppy safe and help it feel calm.
Most dogs end up loving their crates as adults and consider it their safe haven.
Lead or Tether
It is SOOOO important to supervise your puppy when it is not in a crate. Your puppy is...well a puppy!
And they will get into any and everything and might leave you a pleasant surprise when you're not looking. To prevent the delightful pile of poop on your carpet or the chewed up notebook full of your important passwords, we recommend keeping your dog close and secured on a tether or a lead.
This is an effective potty training method and is great for giving appropriate corrections to puppies who need gentle guidance.
Chew Toys
Your puppy is growing their big dog teeth soon and their baby ones will start falling out. Your puppy might turn into a little shark, chewing and biting anything it can.
This can be very frustrating for new puppy owners. Puppies will chew no matter what so its best for you to get them designated toys, treats or items to chew on so it doesn't end up being anything you hold dear.
Enzymatic Cleaner
Puppies are going to poop and pee. And it seems like they poop and pee in the most inconvenient places. You'll start to notice that they have a few favorite spots they like and no matter how many times you've cleaned it, they prefer that spot.
Most household cleaners have chemical called Ammonia in them that smells exactly like pee to your puppy.
So you might have cleaned the spot but it still smells dirty to them.
Enzymatic Cleaners don't have ammonia in them and clean deep to eliminate even the worst pet odors. Using and enzymatic cleaner on a spot your puppy keeps soiling will eliminate the pee smell and prevent your puppy from considering that spot dirty.
Toothbrush Kit
Even dogs need their teeth brushed! Many dogs suffer from plaque, tooth decay and gum disease which causes bad breath. It is best practice to get your puppy used to have their teeth brushed and touched.
There are many toothbrushes and toothpaste products are the market specifically for dogs.
It doesn't matter the brand, as long as you make a consistent effort to brush their teeth or address your puppies oral care with your vet or groomer.
Enrichment Mat
Your puppy is smart. Too smart.
You are starting to notice they are easily board with toys and bones and instead showing curiosity towards your things. This is not good. Boredom in dogs leads to bad behaviors. Dogs need physical and mental stimulation in order to be fulfilled.
Enrichment matts are one of the many enrichment practices you can use to help cure your dog's boredom. An enrichment mat uses a dog's excellent sense of smell to engage their mind and make them curious.
Using your dog's nose is an excellent way to get and keep their attention and enrichment/snuffle mats can do just that.
Metal Comb
It is very important that you maintain your doodle or poodle's coat. Working through your poodle or doodle's coat with a metal comb will ensure a mat free happy puppy.
Slicker Brush
This is another awesome tool for poodle or doodle owners. This brush gets through everyday tangles and keeps your puppy's coat mat free.
Treats
Your puppy will have a lot of food motivation. Using that food motivation as positive reinforcement will greatly help you in your training journey. Special treats and snacks should be a reward for good behavior and given appropriately. Establishing your puppy's healthy relationship with treats early on is never a bad idea!
Puppy Wipes
This is a great solution for cleaning your puppy in between grooming session or bath sessions. Make sure to look for puppy and dog safe wipes.
Clicker
Positive reinforcement is absolutely necessary for puppies who have extreme adverse reactions to traditional punishment training techniques. A clicker helps dogs understand they did the right thing quicker than you can reward them with treats. A good practice is to start using a clicker as early as you can. Click, treat, repeat!