Products for your Pooch!

Anyone who gets a new puppy wants to start them off right, however, they usually don't know where to start. There are so many products out there that are labeled to be the best of the best for your puppy. So they have to be good right? Well that depends on the company and whether they actually care about the health and well being of your dog or if they are really just using a clever marketing scheme. Fear not dear reader! In this section, I am going to be going over several different items marketed towards puppies of all sizes and breeds. I am going to show some items I would use with my own dog as well as some "no-no" items that are not the best for any dog, especially a young puppy!

Everything I talk about in this section is based off of my personal opinion and from my own experiencre of using each item. Don't blindly follow what others tell you, including myself, be sure to do your own research and think about what is best for your personal dog. Just because something works for some dogs, doesn't mean it will work for everyone. Think. Research. Learn. Grow. You do that and you and your pup will have no problem getting started on the right paw!

Ok, so you've just acquired a puppy and you need to make a list of what to pick up from your local pet store to make your puppy feel at home! One of the first things on the list is to get a bowl of some sort to hold all the food the new baby will be eating. But what kind of bowl to get, there are so many different types, how can we find the right one? Well it depends on what type of eating style your do will develop, do they eat quickly, do they not like the sound or smell of metal, do you want something that's easy to clean, or are you more on the fancy side and looking for a personalized bowl with your pet's name one it? Which ever way you want it, there's likely a special bowl out there made just for you!

This is an example of your average plastic bowl found in pet stores around the world and online. They are fairly cost effective, easy to clean, and don't make a lot of noise. This bowl is lightweight and durable enough to withstand a drop or two from the counter or if your pup jumps up on you in anticipation of mealtime! Plus it can have cute little bones and other critters printed on it!!

Here we have a nice ceramic bowl with a nicely fired pattern on it. Ceramic bowls will be a bit higher in price range compared to the plastic or metal bowls, but work just the same. If you decide to go for a ceramic bowl, keep in mind they will be a bit heavier and stand less of a chance of surviving a fall on to a hard tile floor! Either way, if you want a fancy bowl for your pooch that's still affordable, then this is the one for you!

Here we have your average stainless steel pet bowls. Nothing too special, they are fairly light weight, a little noisy, easy to clean, and resistant to drops. Keep in mind, if you go for this type of bowl, and wish to keep them shiny, you will be cleaning them more often than other bowls. Although they are easy to clean, the shiny reflection won't last long against the build up of bacteria. Don't worry, a simple wipe down and rinse out and you're good to go!

Some bowls come with a handy, dandy stand to raise the food and water up to a more comfortable height for your pup. If you go this route, not only will you be treating your dog, but you'll also be helping them to better digest their food. Since the dog's esophagus is horizontal, it takes more work for the food to travel through their system when they eat straight off the ground. Plus it's easy to store, so everyone wins!!

In case you don't want to go the route of the previous bowl, but still want a fancy stand, you can try a wooden stand such as this one. It has two sizes for different heights of dogs, or for those puppies who keep on growing, and it can still be tucked away into a corner so it's not in the way. The downsides to this are that it can be quite pricey and the bowls will need washing more often, but who doesn't want the very best for our furry babies!!

Maze bowls can be a very helpful tool if your dog or puppy eats too quickly and gobbles up their food! The idea behind the maze bowl is to make it more difficult for your pup to take in large amounts of food with each mouthful. Worse yet, if they don't even bother to chew, they could end up choking or develop gastrointestinal problems later down the road. These nifty looking bowls also give your dog a fun little activity and mental stimulation while they work for their food!

Puppy Placemats!!

When it comes to feeding your new puppy, whether you use dry food, wet food, or a mixture, there's a good chance most of the meal will end up on the floor. Even with the cleanest of puppies, some water is bound to be played with and splashed all over the floor. So as a way to keep things neat and tidy, or to prevent a spill on aisle 9, these mats can come in pretty handy for a dog of any age. Some come as a welcome mat, while others come in colorful shades of plastic. Then there's the heavy duty mats that look like they are made to line the bed of a pickup truck. The silicone mats are likely your best bet for a messy pup, especially the ones with a high ridge along the edges. They also make for a quick clean up, no washing in the washing machine for these mats!

Chew toys and teething puppies!

All puppies will need begin teething at some point, when that time comes around, it's good to give them something appropriate. You don't want something too hard but rather something with a bit of give to it, such as an antler, but never a weight bearing bone, as this could crack the pups teeth. *and those of adult dogs as well!* Some teething toys have small grooves and rough spots to help get into the crevasses of the gums to clean out plaque and massage the soft tissue. (At least that's what the big pet supply companies claim, but who knows if they really do that well of a job.) Either way, if you want to help sooth your pups soar mouth, you can place these toys in the freezer for a few hours. In fact, there are items specifically made to be placed in the freezer such as a Chilly Bone, but you can also make do with anything that can be chilled and is safe for a puppy to chew on.

House Training!

Puppy Pads, Wee Wee Pads, Pee Wee Pads, Piddle Pads, whatever you call them, you're going to want some, at least during the first few weeks of potty training your new puppy. These handy little pads are very absorbent and a life safer for those of you trying to preserve your wooden floors or apartment carpets! Of course you will need to take your puppy over to their specific "potty" area because the won't yet understand that it is unacceptable to just go wherever you please and wherever you happen to be when you feel the urge. While you are teaching your puppy to go outside to do their business, these disposable pads will help for the occasional accident that is bound to happen every now and then. If this isn't quite your cup of pee-- I mean tea, then you might consider crate training your puppy, or keeping them in a playpen while you are out. It is still helpful to line either of these items with these pads just in case. Remember, these are not to be used as a baby sitter for your puppy, they are only to be used minimally to keep your puppy safe when you cannot supervise them as well as to help potty train the puppy. The three main options for crates include the wire crate, plastic crate, and soft sided crate (my personal preference).

Crate Training

Puppy Playpens

When picking out a crate for your dog, it's important to not get one that's too big, nor too small. The common idea that a lot of new dog owners have is to get a crate based on the size the dog will be when they are fully grown, as a way to get around buying a new crate every time the dog outgrows the last one. The problem with this is that you will be teaching the puppy to soil inside of the crate instead of holding it because the crate is so large, the puppy will be able to use one corner and still have room to play and sleep. Dogs are fairly clean animals and don't like to soil where they sleep, hence the idea of the crate. Keep in mind, most puppies, and some adults are not too keen on the idea of sleeping in a crate, especially if it's one of the metal wire crates. I don't blame them! I wouldn't want to sleep alone in a cold, noisy, hard cage. You will very likely need to condition the dog to be comfortable sleeping in a crate if you wish to use one. I don't personally recommend nor require any dog I work with to sleep in a crate, unless they already show signs that they prefer small, dark, enclosed areas. In that case, I use a soft sided, cloth crate as seen in the far right column.