We have a few friends with puppies on the way who asked for tips on what they should purchase or do while waiting for their pup to arrive. We figured it made sense to share publicly in case it’s helpful for others. 

One general piece of advice we wish we learned earlier: you don’t need to buy everything at once. You have your dog’s whole life to get fun toys, change leash/collar styles, etc. Especially since your puppy will grow, resist the urge to buy multiples of things that won’t fit your puppy after the first month or two. Learn from our mistake!

Now, on to our checklist. Keep reading for full tips and context.

Pre-puppy checklist

• Pet insurance

• Socialization classes

• Vet appointment

• Training plan

• Crate

• Playpen 

• Bed (optional) 

• Kibble/food

• Food and water bowls (optional) 

• Treats

• Potty pads / patches

• Potty spray

• Poop bags

• Puppy wipes

• Brush

• Shampoo

• Collar

• Leash

• Harness (optional) 

• ID tag

• Toys

2-4+ weeks out 

• Pet insurance: We thought we were ahead of the game getting insurance a week out, then found out it takes 14 days for your plan to “activate”. As a result, our first two visits didn’t apply to the deductible. Not a huge deal, but good to avoid if possible. FYI we have Nationwide and are pretty happy with it so far.  

• Socialization classes: Socialization classes with other dogs the same age and same vaccine level were a huge win for us. Knowing she will confidently run up to and play with any dog makes us so happy and is the result of just a few of these classes. Sign up for these early as spots are limited, especially during Covid times. 

• Vet appointment: Similar to socialization classes, vet appointments are hard to come by with all these new puppies. Once we knew what date we were getting Moose, we made her first vet check up for the next day. 

• Training plan: Start figuring out how you want to approach training. We did all of our training at home from Zak George videos on YouTube. If you’re going to sign up for puppy classes, you’ll likely want to do those a few weeks early, too.

~1 week before your puppy arrives 

If you’re similar to us and found shopping for your new puppy to be a lot of fun, you may end up buying a bunch of random stuff that takes up space in your house for weeks before your dog arrives. Here are the essential items for the first few weeks. 

Puppy “station” 

Limiting then gradually expanding your puppy’s access to the house is critical, especially while potty training and teething. Having a safe space for Moose to hang out where we didn’t need to watch her 24/7 made it possible for us to take calls, cook, shower without worrying or backtracking on training progress. You don’t necessarily need both a crate and a playpen, but we liked the flexibility of having both. 

• Crate: You likely hear about crate training a lot. It’s worth the hype. We got a 36” crate with one door and a divider we could adjust as Moose grew. Don’t forget to get a crate tray, mat (to make it cozy), and likely a blanket to cover it. We can post more about crates if people are interested!

• Playpen: We also got a playpen for times we needed to cordon off Moose’s access but didn’t necessarily want to limit her to the confines of the crate. The two worked really well together. We also adjusted her playpen from a small circle around her crate to blocking off part of the living room and eventually blocking off half of the apartment. It’s nice that it can grow as your dog earns more freedom. 

• Bed (optional): I would wait on this one, honestly! So many things to buy and set up at once. Moose’s bed was way too big for her the first few weeks and she rolled off it at first. 

Food, snacks, etc. 

• Kibble: Find out what food your dog has been having with the breeder (or shelter). We chose to keep Moose on the recommended kibble. However, if you want to use a different type of food (raw and/or fresh foods are very popular these days), make sure you transition your pup gradually. 

• Treats: Again, you have years to buy more treats. You don’t need all the treats at once! In fact, it’s best to start with very simple treats while your puppy’s stomach develops. We did a lot of dehydrated chicken before expanding to other meats. 

• Food and water bowls: Not something you necessarily need on day 1, especially while your puppy is small and eats/drinks less. We used ice cream bowls the first few months because her bowls were way too large for her servings. 

Potty

• Pee pads/grass patch/etc: Your little one will need to potty frequently the first few months. Since we live in an apartment without a private outdoor space and Moose wasn’t vaccinated to go outside until week 16, the vast majority of her potty training took place indoors. Many people swear by potty pads, but we mostly stuck with grass and tanbark patches. These made it easy for her to transition to pottying outside once vaccinated. Lots more to say here so let us know if you have questions.  

• Potty spray: Accidents are going to happen. Cleaners like Nature’s Miracle help clean up messes, replace bad smells with good ones, and also cover up the enzymes that can make your puppy want to potty in the same spot over and over again.  

• Poop bags: These are a good one to get a subscription on because you know...poop happens :)
  

Grooming and cleanliness 

• Puppy wipes: These are great for a bunch of reasons. We used them a ton before Moose was fully vaccinated if she went anywhere public to help reduce the risk of a disease etc. They’re also helpful to clean or freshen up between baths. 

• Brush: Start brushing your puppy in the first few days so they get used to it. We heard this advice and didn’t follow it as much as we should have. 

• Shampoo: You don’t need to give your puppy a bath that frequently at first (especially if they aren’t fully vaccinated and can’t go outside), but we recommend doing it sometime in the first week or two to start getting used to it. We waited 2-3 weeks before Moose’s first bath and it was traumatic for all of us. 

Gear 

• Collar: This more than anything else won’t fit your pup for too long. We spent way too long sweating the collar/leash combination that she quickly outgrew. 

• Leash: Even if you aren’t walking your dog outside the first few weeks, a leash will come in handy for outings (vet appointments, play dates, etc.) as well as indoor training / monitoring. Lightweight ones are great while your pup is small. We got a rope one we loved, but it was too heavy for Moose until she was 6 months old. 

• ID tag: This is another one that isn’t essential the first week if your puppy isn’t going outside yet. We ended up getting a few of the same one but you can mix and match. 

• Harness: This matters more once you’re getting ready to go on outdoor walks to help prevent pulling. (optional)

Misc. 

• Toys(!): These are probably the most fun to shop for but again, try not to go overboard here. Start with smaller, lighter toys. Learn which toys your dog is having the most fun with, then buy more. And if you buy a bunch all at once like we did, don’t keep them all out at once. Rotate them around so they still feel new and exciting. 

• Clickers: If you’re going the clicker training route, purchase a few of these and start getting your pup to associate the sound with a treat from day one. 

• Carrier: Depending on how you pick up your pup and how old he/she is, you may want to get a carrier. We got a simple soft one for carrying her around before she had her vaccines. (optional)

• Puppy cam: This was a great way for us to keep an eye on Moose without her knowing she was successfully getting our attention. It also gave us more peace of mind and confidence leaving her alone for short periods of time without worrying that she was disturbing our neighbors. (optional)

Whew, that’s a lot. There’s likely more you’ll buy, but hopefully it helps to have the essentials captured in one place (my brain was working overtime making this list in my head while also figuring out what to name our puppy). 

Have questions or topics you want to hear more about? Let us know in comments below!