Congratulations on your new puppy! What an exciting new season! As you prepare for your puppy to finally come home with you, don’t forget to pick up these items.
These are NOT affiliate links. We do not receive any profit from these links.
Food and Water Bowls – Stainless steel options are easily cleanable and are durable to last a lifetime. You may also choose to use a slow feeder. We use this slow feeder with our dogs, and love them. They are not as durable as stainless steel, but a great way to slow down your dog’s eating habits!
Collar – Your puppy is wearing an adjustable collar while they are with us. Their collar will be about 9-11” when they go home with you. Anticipate needing a collar between 11-15” initially for your pup. Bring this collar on when you pick up your pup. As they continue to grow you may need a medium size collar between 15-20”
Leash – A 5 or 6’ leash is plenty long for your puppy, even as they grow up. This adjustable one from DexDog is a great option. Keeping your puppy close is best for safety and for training purposes.
Identification Tag – Your puppy will go home with a microchip. It is important to remember to register that chip to your name! Even with a microchip, an identification tag is a fast and easy way to identify who a dog belongs to. You can customize your puppies tag at your local pet supply store, or online with Chewy.
Crate with Divider – Choose a black metal crate with a tray. We prefer crates which have 2 doors, for easy access no matter where we put the crate. These crates are easy to clean and collapse as necessary. Your puppy will be a medium size puppy between 35-50lbs. I recommend the 42” crate for your Medium Goldendoodle. Buy a crate with a divider. The divider allows you to adjust the size of the crate as your dog grows. Puppies naturally dislike soiling their spaces, so a small crate for your puppy will help with potty training. Move or remove the divider as your puppy grows.
Treats – Choose a soft treat that is easy to quickly chew. We’ve been using Full Moon All Natural Human Grade Dog Treats with your puppy already, and your puppy loves them. They come in duck and beef flavors.
Food – Your puppy will go home eating Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Food. Pick up a small bag of this food. This is the only thing that will remain the same in your puppy’s life between our house and yours during those first few days. Feel free to transition to a dog food of your choice after the puppy is settled in your home. Checkout this blog post I wrote about how I choose dog food.
Chews – We’ve put those puppy teeth to hard work on pig’s ears while they are here with us. Adult dogs may devour these fairly quickly, but it takes your puppy a little bit to get through one.
Grooming Rake – A grooming rake is a great tool for keeping your goldendoodle’s wavy coat untangled. This is our go-to doodle grooming tool
Slicker Brush – Need to spruce up your pup’s look in a giffy? A slicker brush will do the trick!
Nail Clippers – Either nail clippers or a cordless dremel will work for trimming your puppy’s toenails – it’s a matter of which you prefer. Your puppy will have had its nails trimmed prior to going home. Your vet & groomer will likely offer to trim her nails when you take her in for appointments, but it’s still important for you to trim their nails at home.
Styptic Powder – Keep some Styptic powder on hand, just in case. It is great to stop bleeding on a toenail if you accidentally cut it a little too short. You can find this next to the toenail clippers at your local pet supply store.
Toothbrush – This finger cap toothbrush makes teeth brushing simple.
Cleaning Supplies – Puppy accidents are inevitable. Keep some odor eliminating carpet cleaner on hand. Clorox wipes are a great option for hard surfaces. You will want some paper towels available for cleaning up as well. You can find all of these at your local grocery store.
Bell (Optional) – A bell is handy for housebreaking, so your goldendoodle has a way to tell you when she needs to go out. Any bell will work, it doesn’t have to be a bell specifically for dogs.
Toys – Your puppy may love a few soft toys to snuggle with. Keep in mind, they may not last long. Puppy teeth are sharp, and they will inevitably chew through soft toys. Kongs, chew ropes, or tennis balls will last longer. Food dispensing toys are a fun way to encourage your puppy to channel her energy into something productive.
Pumpkin Paste – Your puppy may be stressed those first few days home. That is completely normal, and may result in some loose stool. Adding a tablespoon of pumpkin paste to their food can help tighten up that stool.
Baby Gates (Optional) – Adding a few baby gates to your home could be a great way to keep your puppy contained during the potty training process
Baxter & Bella – This is an online training resource that lasts a lifetime. Baxter & Bella is a unique online puppy raising resource that helps new owners with everything from preparing your home to basic manners to making a socialization checklist. Use the code Timberidge for 25% off Baxter & Bella!
A Book on Raising a Puppy (Optional) – If you’re interested in doing a little preparatory reading, The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete is a great choice. You’ll find this book is a handy reference as you tackle housebreaking, etc