New Puppy Must Haves!

Earlier on in the Covid quarantine, my 13 year old daughter put together a pretty impressive Powerpoint presentation on all the (many) reasons we needed to get a dog. While the presentation was pretty thought out and actually really good, my husband and I said no. That didn’t stop her. For the next four months, she continued to research dogs and the different breeds and tried again with, you guessed it, another Powerpoint presentation. This time we said…YES! Now we are picking up all the puppy must haves!

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Say Hello to Indie!

When we started looking at getting a dog, we checked out every single shelter around us. However, since we have a cat already, we were pretty limited on the dog we could choose. Unfortunately, after two months of looking at the shelters, and seeing listing after listing that stated “not good with cats”, we were starting to feel a bit discouraged. A friend of mine mentioned that a girl she went to high school with bred goldendoodles, so I decided to reach out! We decided to put a deposit down and the rest, as they say, is history!

MYHALF Life is Golden with a Doodle Shirt for Women Funny Golden Doodle Dog Mum Tees Short Sleeve Mama T Shirt TopsPrimitives by Kathy Box Sign All You Need is Love and a Goldendoodle – 6 inch x 2.5 inchFoozys Unisex Crew Socks | Canine/Dog Collection | Goldendoodle

Puppy Must Haves

If you’ve been reading my site for any amount of time or following me on social media, you know that I am a “Googler”. I research the crap out of everything. It’s who I am. I can’t help it. So of course, when we decided to get a puppy, I began researching all the puppy must haves. I wanted to have everything in place before Indie came home. Not only did I research, but I also asked our breeder A LOT of questions! She’s a saint! Always answered every single question and never seemed annoyed with yet another text or Facebook message!

To Crate or Not to Crate

One of the most important puppy must haves (in my opinion) is a dog crate. Growing up we had dogs and we always crate trained them. Some people think crating a dog is cruel, however it is in my experience that dogs see their crate as their safe space. Not to mention, dogs are curious creatures. I want to make sure Indie will be safe when I am not home watching her. At the discretion of our breeder, we picked up a 42″ dog crate.

Dog Crate Cover Durable Polyester Pet Kennel Cover Universal Fit for Wire Dog Crate – Fits Most 42Large Dog Crate | MidWest ICrate Folding Metal Dog Crate | Divider Panel, Floor Protecting Feet Large DogPetFusion Premium Pet Blanket, Multiple Sizes for Dogs & Cats. [Reversible Micro Plush]. 100% Soft Polyester, Gray, Medium (44 x 34) (PF-PB2A)

The dog crate cover is totally the best puppy must have! In my research (I know!), I read that dogs really like that “den like” environment. Makes them feel more secure. If you think about it, humans are the same way! How many times, as a kid (or adult, I won’t judge!) did you want to make a fort? Am I right?!

Puppy Comforts

If you think about it, it’s got to be pretty scary for the puppies to leave their mother and litter mates. I’m prepared for the heart breaking puppy cries as Indie gets used to our home, but I want to make sure she is as comfortable as possible. So I picked a Snuggle Puppy to help Indie out a bit. She may or may not like it for it’s intended use, but that’s OK! Not familiar with the Snuggle Puppy? It’s a cute, puppy stuffed animal that has an insert that mimics a beating heart and a warming pad inside. The hope is that at bedtime (or anytime), Indie will lay with it and feel safe and secure, as if she were still laying with her litter mates.

Dog Beds Galore!

This one was a difficult purchase. Part of me felt like I should get something small for her size when we bring her home, but at the same time, I know she will grow quickly. We opted to get a large round dog bed at Costco. It was a good price AND the cover can come off and be washed. That was important to me when I was looking at dog beds. The price was also good!

Furhaven Pet Dog Bed – Orthopedic Ultra Plush Faux Fur Ergonomic Luxe Lounger Cradle Mattress Contour Pet Bed with Removable Cover for Dogs and Cats, Gray, JumboBest Friends by Sheri Calming Shag Vegan Fur Donut CuddlerAmazonBasics Cooling Elevated Pet Bed, Large (51 x 31 x 8 Inches), Grey

Most likely, what I think will end up happening is that my cat will sleep in the dead center of the dog bed and make Indie sleep on the floor! We’ll see!

Dog Bones, Toys, and More!

I am still researching the different dog bones. There appears to be a lot of information on this subject as to what is OK and what is not OK. We used to get pig ears for our dogs growing up. I’m not sure that is still considered good for them. At any rate, you will want something for them to chew on so they don’t use you or your furniture as a chew toy!

White Paw Two Pack Plush Squeaky Dog Toys Funny Drink Parody SqueakerOutward Hound Hide A Squirrel Plush Dog Toy Puzzle, LargeKONG KP24 Puppy Toy – Natural Teething Rubber – Fun to Chew, Chase and Fetch (Colors May Vary), 035585131214, Medium, Assorted Pink or BlueKONG – Easy Treat – Dog Treat Paste – Pepperoni – 8 Ounce (2 Pack)

What Else Do I Need?

So far we have all of the things mentioned above, as well as a Rae Dunn puppy treat jar. We still need a food and water dish. Other than that…what else should we pick up?