# Necessities for New Puppy...& Pic!



## KashagLake (Sep 27, 2010)

Hi guys, 

We get our little girl Dec 18th. So I'm starting to get everything organized.

Is there any things (toys etc..) that are absolute necessity, that I should know of that has saved your sanity?

We saw her last weekend at almost 6weeks and she sure was ripping around! Looks like we are going to have our hands full...


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## KashagLake (Sep 27, 2010)

The first pic she was just waking up....the second pic shes wide awake and being such a character!!


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

So adorable! You are going to love her!

Here are some things I would strongly suggest:

- a crate (if you want to stay sane)
- a bottle of Nature's Miracle (it seems to work!)
- a bottle of Bitter Apple (it definitely works).
- whatever leashes/collars you'll want
- LOTS of patience!

As far as toys.... I think those can be different for every dog it seems. I'm lucky if Kobi stays entertained by something for 5 minutes. Anything that movies is more interesting to him than something not moving. Sometimes shiny things catch his attention. Last night we had tons of fun with a slinky!

The main thing your puppy will need is lots of attention and exercise!


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

A nyla bone for chewing. A dish towel tied with two knots for playing. Many treats such as Mother Hubbard's for rewarding her EVERY time she goes potty where she is supposed to. Also, reward her when she listens to a command or comes when called. ;D I would try to have her play with other puppies and larger dogs as much as possible for socialization and exercise. The crate should be 36"x24" with a divider so you give her only enough room to lay down and not enough room to go potty! I like the wire crates because they can be folded up and take them with you if need be. ;D


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## labeda14 (Nov 14, 2009)

Kobi said:


> - LOTS of patience!


Kobi's not kidding! patience is key! 

we used cheerios for training & rewards for potty-ing where she was supposed to--nice because they are really small and we could give her a ton while doing training sessions/puppy classes. 

as far as toys--a nylabone is great for chewing....but honestly, anything that can keep her occupied is great! maggie loves plastic bottles--the 20 ounce gatorade bottle particularly...ha! just remember to remove the cap and the plastic ring!


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## labeda14 (Nov 14, 2009)

oh, i forgot the most important thing....YOUR CAMERA! they are soooo cute and funny--be sure to take tons of pictures and share them


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## JillandDan (Sep 8, 2010)

She is so cute!! I bet you are counting down the days. 
I agree with a Nylabone. We have purchased a couple different kinds to keep Holley's attention. She also likes this toy we bought that looks like a fox and you put a water bottle inside it. The noise drives her crazy. We didn't want to give her the water bottle alone for fear that she would run off with our full ones. This way she doesn't know what is making the noise. 
We also love the wire crate due to ease for traveling and all since it can be folded up.
Good luck. They are a handful but definitely worth it.


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## labar349 (Oct 14, 2010)

Our puppy, Sophie, is now 15 weeks. We got her at 9 weeks and she has been so much fun. Her favorite toys are empty plastic bottles - OJ, milk, etc. She loves stuffed animals with squeakers in them - nonstop squeaking  and so funny to watch. She loves balls too. Puppy classes started at 9 weeks at Pet-smart and the BEST thing we ever did. Taught us so much since we had never had a dog before. Also, took her to dog park in our community to meet neighbor dogs and that was great too although vet said not to until all her shots but we did not want to miss the socialization window with people and other dogs and it has been great!! She is so playful and plays with all sorts and sizes of dogs and everyone she meets is a friend - at least that is what she thinks. We offset the risk of not having all her shots to not getting socialized and decided to socialize. We also tried to introduce her to lots and lots of sites, sounds, smells, surfaces and riding in the car. The crate has been amazing. She sleeps in it for 8-9 hours a night and goes right into it. Not as happy with it during the day but we are lucky and home with her most of the time so only use it for a couple hours here and there to run errands. The Wellness soft treats cut into small pieces have been great tools for potty training which she now seems to understand. Loves her Blue Buffalo puppy food. Not so great with regular collar for walking so started using the easy walk harness and way better. Use Pork Chomp chews to help her chew when she gets that need to teeth on something. She can now hold but I use to hold for her at first. Way better than my hand. Taught her to stop biting after reading posts on here by using the method of holding her mouth shut, looking her in the eye and saying "no biting" about 3 times. Only took a couple of times and now she does not bite only gently mouths my hand here and there. I have used this forum for lots of information - it has been a life saver. Sophie is so much fun, so smart, so into everything. She loves to play but she loves to cuddle just as much. Her favorite time is in am to sit next to me and be loved. Another thing I learned after the second night home of waking her up every couple hours to potty is that she woke us up when she wanted to go and it was more like 6 hours at first (way better than 2 hours) and now 8-9 if I monitor the water in the evening and take her potty around 10-11pm. She usually falls asleep around 9pm but I stay up and take her potty before I go to bed and then we are usually good until 6:30 or 7am. Sorry I went on but this is all stuff I learned. Contact me later if you need more info. You will never be alone for anything again, even the potty - oh yea - hide the toilet paper . Enjoy!!


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## Tulip (Feb 14, 2010)

Aah,so,so cute!! My tip for her arrival would be to get all your guests organised with times and any rules you might want them to stick to. Some lifelong habits can be learnt in those first few days, you want everyone to enjoy the puppy, so easiest to let them know how you want them to be before they get there. And yes, take as many photos as you possibly can, she'll be twice the size before you know it. Have a lovely time with your new pup. Ps a nice cuddly toy for her to snuggle up to at night too


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## KashagLake (Sep 27, 2010)

Thanks Everyone!!! Very helpful tips!! ;D

Two days to go! Can't wait! 

Tonight and tomorrow night=puppy proofing the house! lol!


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

Good lists everyone! In addition to this forum, I also found that having some books on hand was invaluable - especially late at night. Mostly I went to 'The Versatile Vizsla', 'Puppies for Dummies', and 'How to be Your Dogs Best Friend.' 

Folks here may have some other recommendations. In one of the threads, someone recommended 'Gun Dog.' It was a good read and I used some of the training ideas in it once we got going, but not in the first few weeks.


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