Essential new puppy kit - what to buy

Oh the excitement of welcoming a new baby into the family! Whether its got four legs or two legs they always come with a huge shopping list! Whilst you definitely need be prepared, I do remember when we got our first Norfolk terrier Ted (our ‘first child’) we excitedly spent a small fortune on new kit - and it turned out it was kit we mostly didn’t really need!

Meet the family!

Many years later when Reg then Bob came along, I was determined not to do the same thing. I had very strict buying criteria - buy only what was immediately essential, what we can fit into the house, what we could tolerate to look at and what we could easily store once the puppy stage was over.

I’m often asked for advice about new puppies and most especially about new puppy kit. So applying the Reg&Bob ethos - kit must look great, work hard and be easy to maintain I have put together my thoughts

So here’s my shopping list of what I would recommend for a new pup. It’s not finite and I am sure everyone has their own ideas so do let me know your thoughts I would love to hear too

[NB: Product links are only for convenience -this is not a sponsored blog and apart from Reg&Bob products there is no personal benefit]

A crate - I suggest this is essential. It provides a place for your puppy to sleep and take sanctuary during the day - a safe space to rest and recharge. It allows you to be sure you know where they are if there are likely to be distractions or you need to separate from an existing dog or young child. A crate is the safest place for the puppy to sleep at night - it can be secured and provides the best environment to establish a nighttime routine.

They fold up for easy storage once you decide you no longer need them. Some owners keep the crate up permanently which is great - we’ve never really had the space. There are companies that make fabulous dressings for crates to make them more attractive and cosy.

We’ve lent our crate out several times to new owners so borrowing is an option but you’re sure to have some takers too if you do end up purchasing one.

Travel carrier These are so useful for transporting your puppy - not only when bringing it home for the first time but for travelling and going out for walks. It should fit easily in the boot of the car and it means you can travel safely without a concern about the puppy.

It is worth thinking about how you plan to travel with your dog longer term. Reg and Bob travel on a crate mat on a raised bed in the boot. If you are planning installing a permanent crate such as TransK9 in your boot or a larger travel crate then you will probably find the travel carrier is not required.

An investment dog bed - from OKA

Bed/s How many beds is enough for a dog - certainly Reg and Bob have several - each! And yet they spend most of their time on the sofa. I would start with a lovely nest of old towels in their crate - just incase they have an accident and then work towards a bed you like the look of and that fits in.

Bob has his own dog hole for chilling

There are so many to choose from so its important to get one that works in your house. We’ve never had bed chewers but bear that in mind if you have a chewing breed especially before spending a large amount of money. The bed should be in a draft free space, slightly raised off the ground and preferably with sides for cosiness. I think it important that there is bed close to family life - certainly terriers like to know what’s going on and I believe it’s important they can feel part of the family. Our current beds include OKA , calming beds , DogCo and of course our new sofa!

Expandable pet barrier This is the most useful bit of kit. Not bought at the puppy stage but in use all the time now. We haven’t attached ours so move it to where we need it- bottom of the stairs or to contain Reg and Bob when wet. We bought this from Amazon it’s lightweight and easy to store and for us worth every penny. For larger dogs The Dog-G8 Company design and manufacture dog safety gates.

Collars and leads. We know all about these! You need to start with a puppy collar or small collar for smaller breeds but for larger breeds a Reg&Bob S/M -works well.

It’s law (not my law) that a dog must wear a collar when in a public place. Even though your dog is microchipped, the collar must have an identity tag with the owners details on. I recommend a high quality brass tag that won’t wear and I ensure my mobile number and the vets phone number is on the tag. We secure our tags using the Ezeclip which makes moving the id tag between collars super easy and won’t break your nails!

A puppy collar or a Reg&Bob S/M collar - depending on breed

Bob wearing the multi-length lead

An Harness and lead are important. We stock three different types of lead - it’s a matter of personal choice which you use but the multi-length leads (available in both 20mm and 16mm widths) provides three length settings so perfect when you’re starting out with your puppy.

Drying shammy We love SoggyDoggy products and that’s why we stock them on the website. The drying shammy is made up of super absorbent, very soft microfibre noodles which makes dealing with wet dogs super easy. It’s a great idea to get your puppy used to the drying process - they’ll think it’s great fun and it will make future clean-ups so much easier.

Not only a drying mat - lovely and cosy to lie on

The SoggyDoggy range of drying mats are perfect to catch wet paws at the back door and the crate mats are great for the car boot for drying after muddy walks . The smaller SoggyDoggy mats are a perfect size to take to puppy training classes and so soft and cosy to sit on your puppy’s recall is bound to show the rest of the puppy class how it’s done!!

Training treats -treats are key - the higher the value treats, the better the performance - but that isn’t training advice - unfortunately that’s what works for Reg and Bob - I am definitely not in a position to give advice on training!!!! You need treats in an easily accessible, non spill tin and Beautiful Joe’s are perfect -100% organic dried liver (which you can break into the smallest bits) and a fabulous tin. Beautiful Joe’s have currently halted production until the New Year but they are worth waiting for - and for every bags of treats sold, Beautiful Joe’s donate the equivalent number of bags to rescue homes.

Mischief maker!

Entertainment Terriers are often destroyers so careful what toys you buy. Labs, spaniels like to hold toys in their mouth so softer toys should work. Give Reg and Bob a soft toy and they will rip it to shreds and often eat it too - so best to be avoided.

It’s so important for your puppy to have something to chew on and we would recommend responsibly sourced natural treats. JR Pet Products have a very large range to choose from - yaks milk chews are particularly long lasting. Puppies should never be left alone with a chew so ensure they are only available when you are present. Enrichment toys are also important and Kongs filled with treats such as (Xylitol free) peanut butter are ideal. Tugg-e-nuff also have a fantastic range of robust puppy toys.

2 sided brush

Brush - its always a good idea to start brushing your puppy early on so they get used to the experience. Double sided brushes available from Pets of the Earth are great

Poo bags- you’ll always need these - buy them in bulk! Adios are one of the most environmentally friendly poo bags made from GM free cornstarch and certified compostable.

Dog bowls and travel bowls - down to personal choice but a fold up travel bowl is always a good idea

Newspaper - you might need lots for training but cheaper than buying puppy pads.

My list of essentials for the new arrival. My advice is to be prepared and have fun -you have a very busy time ahead!

Do comment below with any other kit suggestions - the more experience the better for those starting out on their puppy journey.

If you know of any prospective parents - do pass on