My New Puppy Must-Haves (+ Hynda Update)

I’m sharing a Hynda update – plus my new puppy must-haves!  There is some stuff that made getting a new puppy so much easier!  Here’s how we set up a space for our new puppy and my puppy must haves shopping list to help you get started if you’re bringing home a new puppy for the first time.  Hynda is our second puppy together, but both Hubby and I have had dogs before.  But with each new dog, you learn a little bit more – and have to adapt to their personalities as well.

New Puppy Must Haves:

Here’s my list of puppy must-haves, but keep reading for more info and caveats.  For a few items, my original item is sold out or unavailable, so I’ve tried to link something very similar for you.

1. Puppy Play Pen (GAME changer)
2. Wire Crate
3. Washable Bed for Wire Crate
4. Clip on Water + Food Dishes (so much neater)
5. Travel Crate (for all those early vet visits for shots)
6. Soft Felt Wool Basket for Toys/Snuggles (learn where toys are)
7. Washable Leash (they will PEE on it!)
8. Harness
9. Puppy Kong (for teething and entertaining puppies)
10. Freeze Dried Liver (dogs love it, no added ingredients)

Optional Puppy Items:

1. Crate Cover (if you know puppy won’t grab and chew it!)
2. Hands-Free Treat Pouch (loved this for training)
3. Freezable Teething Toy (Hynda LOVED this)
4. Heartbeat Puppy Toy (Hynda attacked it, but other pups find it comforting when first taken from mother)
5. Burt’s Bees shampoo (I still use this for all of my dogs)
6. Pet Wipes (get them used to butt/feet wipes early on!)

Setting Up a Quiet Place for Puppy:

Hynda is more house broken these days (we’re at one or two accidents a month – so much better than three a day!) so while she’s supervised, she’s allowed to roam free with our other dog, Szuka.  But we believe in crate training.  As she’s growing, I have found a hybrid: I use a puppy play pen so she has more room to play but she can be supervised and somewhat contained.  I have set up both her crate and play pen in my office, along with her food and water bowls.  I spend a lot of time in my home office, working, so she can be in there with me and I can do frequent bathroom breaks with her to help her avoid accidents.  We originally had her crate/play pen in a more central area but she was so distracted that she never slept!  Like, at all.  Now she has a safe space that is also quiet.

Puppy Play Pen:

Her puppy crate is inside, open to the pen, so she has a safe space to sleep and nap.  The puppy play pen definitely takes up a huuuuuuge chunk of my office floor space, but I like that it is hinged in sections, so I could shape it different ways to fit the space.  Inside I’ve placed a larger dog bed for her to play on, along with a soft basket of toys.

Two Dog Crates: Wire Crate and Plastic Travel Crate

For Hynda, I actually bought TWO turquoise dog crates: a plastic travel crate and a wire crate for home.  I prefer the wire crate for home because it seems like it allows more air flow but the metal can rattle in the vehicle – which really bothered Szuka when she was a pup.  She was very distressed by the sound and would vomit from stress.  Now Hynda is way more spoiled with two crates: one for home, one for vet visits and fun outings.  Unlike Szuka, Hynda does get into trouble and potty training has been difficult, so crate training her was a good idea and, importantly, she enjoys her crate.  A washable dog bed, with a bolster for comfort, has made it a cozy place for her.  We worked on making it her happy place, with treats and positive encouragement, so she seeks it out for a little nap.  Don’t let the sad face fool you.

Note: Not Every Dog Takes to Crate Training

I believe in crate training to help potty train and keep puppies safe while unsupervised.  However, not all dogs take to it.  Szuka NEVER took to her crate.  She was hot and miserable and no matter how giant a crate we bought, it was never comfortable for her.  We kept trying to make it a happy, positive place but she just was not into it.  We quickly learned she is such a good girl (she maybe peed inside 3 times her entire puppyhood).  By the time she was six months, we sold the crate and let her be loose in the house.  She is an adult dog now, and never gets into anything – unless I’ve left a Kleenex lying around because she just loves shredding those.  If we do need to confine her, we have created a space for her in the laundry room with a bed and food/water.  It’s a safe space (she can’t access any chemicals or anything – it’s all locked away up high), but its a room to herself, so she can stretch and be comfy.  She will often sleep there voluntarily, but she does also love to sleep in our bedroom.    

Clip On Food and Water Bowls:

Because the office is her little place, I also keep Hynda’s food and water in here.  As a side effect, it is now safe from Szuka, who inhales her kibble any chance she gets.  Because she can’t fit into the pen, she is foiled.  I bought these handy bowls because they clip onto her pen or crate, so it keeps her from bumping them and spilling water and kibble all over the hardwood floors.  The stainless bowls just lift out for easy washing and re-filling.  I’ve been lucky that I can just leave food out for her, like with Szuka, and she grazes throughout the day.  I love dogs who can feed themselves!  Plus keeping her food in here creates a positive association with this space.  Although she eats on demand, I take the bowls away two hours before bedtime, which really helps her sleep through the night without needing a potty break.

Sturdy but SOFT Toy Basket:

In a recent post about how I keep the house clean with two pups, you saw the basket I used to store toys in the living room, but I also keep some toys in here to keep her occupied.  Showing both of my dogs that the toys in the basket are “theirs” – from the get-go – has ensured that they don’t touch my stuff.  Shoes, slippers, etc., they never bother my stuff because they know their stuff lives in the basket.  This felted wool basket is perfect for Hynda’s toys because it’s soft, so I don’t have to worry about her hurting herself reaching for toys.  But it’s also very durable.  She will chew on it occasionally, but she can never do any damage, which gives me piece of mind because I worry about her teething on woven baskets and ingesting random pieces.  Sometimes Hynda even climbs inside for a cozy nap (it’s technically a cat cave).  It’s a silly little purchase but MUCH LOVED in our house!

Harness + WASHABLE Leash:

I never bought a harness for Szuka because I read that bigger dogs can just gain more pulling strength with one.  Instead, we opted for a gentle leader and dog training classes.  For Hynda though, a harness has worked perfectly while we teach her to walk beside us.  I really wanted a turquoise leather leash but am so happy I got a nylon one instead because she has definitely peed on it a few times so “washable” is now my favorite word.

Identical (Washable) Dog Beds:

Oh goodness, I have spent a lot of money on dog beds!

Szuka had a favorite, which Hynda immediately commandeered so I bought Hynda her own which Szuka then wanted so I bought Szuka the exact same one but larger, and now both of them beg to get up on the sofa.  PUPPIES you are driving me bonkers.  When the two of them lie in their respective, identical-save-for-the-size, turquoise dog beds, my heart grows three sizes – I love these Jax and Bones beds because the covers come off and they’re easily washed/dried. 

P.S. I bought a bed a bit too big for Hynda because I noticed she enjoy a larger bed for playing on – she still uses Szuka’s sometimes!  I also bought one for her crate and inside her travel crate, so I should really be buying stock in dog beds.  Oh and one of Szuka’s old beds is on the floor of her pen for some added softness.  We currently have seven dog beds in the house!  Plus we have one in the truck and one in the garage for when we’re chilling outside.

Puppy Kong:

One of the first things I bought Hynda was a mini Kong – I have a larger Kong plus a Kong tire for Szuka and she loves them – especially when they’re stuffed with peanut butter!  I bought a few smaller toys for Hynda but she loves Szuka-sized toys anyway so now I buy them identical toys so they don’t fight over them.  Unnervingly, I bought Hynda this snuggle buddy toy and she immediately flipped it over and tried to tear out its beating heart…  I won’t lie, she’s a weird little pup.

Freeze Dried Liver:

I need a high value treat to help train Hynda and one thing both pups go nuts for is freeze dried liver, which I like because it doesn’t have any weird ingredients.  But I try to make sure I break it into tiny pieces for Hynda so I don’t exceed the recommended dosage in a day.  It definitely helped with the potty training.

How is Puppy Getting Along with Older Dog?

Szuka and Hynda still rough house ALL of the time and I think Szuka is still majorly jealous, but Hynda is super attached to Szuka.  She pesters her and does annoying things like nip at her ankles, but she also cuddles up to her.  Szuka won’t tolerate the cuddling though, so Hynda gets sneaky and waits until she’s asleep before cuddling up to Szuka’s tail or foot.  It’s a bit sad, actually, but I’m hoping they grow closer.  I hope that when Hynda calms down a bit  (we’re trying to train that), Szuka will relax.  In the meantime, I am trying to make Szuka feel special and loved.

Handling these two has definitely kept me busy, so I am grateful for puppy purchases that made life easier – especially that puppy play pen!