Before He  Comes Home

You have done all your homework; you have visited one or more breeders, talked to them about their breed - if it is a new one to you - and you have done some research.  You know what to expect from the adult in terms of size, coat, type of intelligence; but what does the puppy need?

Look at the change through his eyes.  He is leaving the only environment he has known, his mother and his littermates, for a new home where he may well be the only dog.  He will have no-one to cuddle up to when he sleeps, no mother to correct him when he gets a bit pushy, and a whole new routine. Some members of his new family might even resent his presence and not make him very welcome!

He won't know where he is expected to toilet, where his food and water are - and most of all - who all the humans are. Hopefully he will have been socialised to noises like television, vacuum cleaners, washing machines and so on, but there is still an awful lot to take in.  In fact, it's remarkable how well puppies, more often than not, make the transition to their new homes. Having everything ready for him will help make the transition easier for him.

A Shopping List

Practical things first; he will need

• Insurance
• A bed
• A crate and/or playpen
• Toys
• Food and water bowls
• Food
• Collar, lead and identity tag
• Trainer pads
• Deodorisers/cleaners

Insurance

This really isn't something you can dare overlook.  Veterinary medicine seems to be able to offer more effective (and expensive) treatments every year.  What were fatal conditions just a few years ago are becoming manageable, if not curable.  Replacement joints, chemotherapy, sophsiticated eye surgery are all routine now.

Deciding on your insurance cover is quite complex as they all offer a range of benefits and choices of cover; some, for example, include cover whilst abroad, generous cover for complementary therapies, etc., whilst others give you the alternative of having a larger excess and reduced premiums.  Amongst the most significant pet insurers are Halifax Pet Insurance,  Churchill Pet Insurance and Direct Line. 

Time spent comparing the varying levels of cover and tailoring them to your needs will be well worthwhile. All offer significant discounts for ordering online.

Bedding

His bed can be just about anything, but the cosier it is the happier he will be as he will be missing the warmth of his litter mates.  Apart from summer time, a heater pad is a good idea to give him some substitute warmth. Danish Design's My First Bed is designed to grow with the puppy; there is an inner removable ring so that what is snug for the new arrival in the family becomes more spacious.  It is designed to take a heater pad or hot water bottle, and there is a pocket where a clock can be put; the ticking is the rhythm of a heartbeat and offers the new arrival some reassurance.

Similarly, the Snugglesafe Bonzo beds are designed to be cosy beds alone, but have an integral pocket for the microwaveable gel heater pad.  For larger breeds there is the electric vinyl heater pad.

The advantage the gel microwave pad has over a hotwater bottle are:

• hotwater bottles can leak, whilst the rubber of the gel pad is robust and resistant to chewing
• when hotwater bottles cool down they become very cold, so cold that they can chill the puppy, whilst the gel pad cools down to room temperature
• puppies can be frightened by the movement of hotwater bottles and will try to get away from them

Vetbed is always a good choice.  Easily washed, and with a comfortable deep pile, it always looks good and has a long life. He will be happier, though with a bed with sides to give privacy and security.  Danish Design have a wide range of beautifully designed beds, all washable.

Crate or Playpen

Unless, for space reasons, you really can't manage a crate. it is a must.  It makes everything about a new puppy easier.  He will regard it as his very own private space where he feels safe and protected; you will be confident leaving him for an hour or two knowing that he can't get into any trouble, or that senior dog (or cat) won't have a swipe at him when hey know you aren't around to stop them. 

A Playpen is an alternative, though it doesn't offer the same kind of security as as crate.  It has a larger area so it is possible to arrange it so that the puppy can have bed and food in one area and an area for training pads as far away as possible.

Toys

He's a puppy, he's had playtime with his littermates until he came to your home, so he needs some other form of play, from small soft toys to teething toys to larger soft toys which will give him something soft to cuddle up to. Dr Noys has some fabulous squeaky toys which are deceptively robust, the smallest ones absolutely tiny for the Toy breeds, and so well designed.  Out-grown childproof soft toys are good for puppies to snuggle up to, otherwise the Snugglesafe beds work very well as substitute littermates.

Food and Water Bowls

Obviously you want bowls that look good; don't buy the cheap and cheerful plastic ones.  They get chewed, knocked over, and tend to lend a not very pleasant flavour to the water. Melamine bowls are good, Snugglesafe bowls are stable, non-slip and hard to chew and have smart co-ordinated trays.

Otherwise my choice would always be for a china or stainless steel bowls - though with a preference for heavy china water bowls so they can't be knocked over; also, neither china nor stainless steel flavour the water and keep it cooler and fresher than plastic or melamine bowls.

Food

Well, obviously!  Check what he is being fed with your puppy's breeder before you bring him home.  Many breeders will give you a Puppy Pack with a week's supply of food.  If not, make sure you have everything he needs before you collect him and are given a diet sheet for timings and quantities by the breeder.

Collar, Lead and Identity Tag

Lead training should begin fairly soon after you bring him home, and it makes good sense to accustom him to a collar so you've got something to grab  (other than him) if he looks like he's getting himself into trouble.  Pet name tags are no longer purely functional and there are many designs to suit the personality of your puppy and match his breed; we have tracked down some of the most interesting on our site, petnametags.co.uk from glittering bling to novelty American tags.

Trainer Pads

We have covered the basics of housetraining here which should give you some ideas about how to approach it successfully. There are a range of strategies for you to achieve success in the shortest possible time, but they all require commitment from everyone in the house.

Deodorisers, Pheromone Sprays and Cleaners

Ordinary household cleaners don't work at discouraging puppies from toileting in the wrong place as they mimic the pheromones that encourage him to urinate, so he is likely to use that same place again.   Pet specific deodorisers and cleaners neutralise the chemicals, making it easier for you to guide him in the right direction.