Puppy preparedness...

[SoCrafty]

Ok...I feel like I am missing STUFF. Call it nesting (heh, if you can "nest" for a puppy LOL).

I have a puppy crate, an adult crate (my inlaws are so generous!), I have a bed for the crate which, per her breeders suggestion, she won't use until she can hold her bowel and bladder through the night, I've got another bed for in the living room (who am I kidding - she will be in our laps all the time!). We have a Nylabone, a rubbery puppy bone, wee little tennis balls (seriously have not seen this size before), three squeaky stuffed animals. I got a Lupine collar for when shes older, and she has a quick slip on martingale/leash combo. I have a good groomer brush, a metal wide tooth comb, a nail clipper, and some scissors to trim her toes. When she gets home, we will be going through the motions of a weekly groom session, even though she won't have a coat for a while. I want her to be used to it.

I need to get some glue (Collie or Sheltie people - what brand should I get? I read somewhere Fabric glue...?)

Ok, if you made it through all that kudos! What stuff did YOU have when you brought your puppy home that I am missing or what is stuff you wish someone had told you that you were going to need but didn't have?

 

[Elrohwen]

What about enzymatic cleaner, like Nature's Miracle?

Old towels - I use old towels for everything, including crate bedding while he was still ripping it up or I was worried about accidents. Also good for wiping off wet feet.

Chewies? Bully sticks were a hit when Watson was small, and it took him days to chew them when he still had puppy teeth.

What do you have for leashes? I would get something cheap and lightweight to use at first - puppies tend to chew on leashes when you're not looking and you don't want her to destroy your nice leash.

 

[DJEtzel]

I used Tear Mender fabric glue.

Aside from your list, lots of littler chews - nylabones that are edible, small bully sticks, etc. or kongs to stuff to keep the peace when you need a break. Also lots and training treats, paper towels, cheap fleece scraps for the crate that will get piddled/pooped on, enzymatic cleaner, a clicker, food/water bowls/mat, poop bags, soft crate if you'll be traveling at all...

I think that's about all I really need/use for pups?

 

[StompinT]

Bitter Apple!

When we got our latest pup, in August, I didn't have any on hand. By day 3, I wished I did. LOL!

 

[SoCrafty]

Ooh, good call on the enzyme cleaner. I do have a carpet cleaner, but the enzyme cleaner might help, too.

She does have some puppy bowls for her food and water. I love the idea of the bully sticks and the kongs. I will pick up some this weekend. I was going to give her some old socks dipped in water and chilled, too. Someone recommended this for teething puppies (similar to a teething ring for an infant?)

The leash that I have now is attached to the slip/martingale. I got it at the dog show this past weekend. Was marketed as a puppy leash. It was next to the show leads. It has fleece on the throat. I will be getting a 6 foot leash as she gets older but figured this would be easiest to slip over really quick while we are rushing out to go potty and learning to walk on a leash.

She will be in the car a lot, so I do have a restraint system for her.

Are old towels ok instead of fleece for the crate? I figured we could wash those in hot water and it would not matter if she chewed them up.


And oh yes - totally forgot about bitter apple. Thank you!

 

[Elrohwen]

Are old towels ok instead of fleece for the crate? I figured we could wash those in hot water and it would not matter if she chewed them up.

I used old towels in the crate all the time when my dog was a puppy.

There is an issue for a dog who chews and actually eats the pieces thoug. Towels are made up of a lot of long strings and if the dog starts eating them they can cause lots of issues. Fleece comes apart in little pieces that are much less likely to cause harm. My pup put some holes in the towels but never ate them, so it wasn't a big deal. Can't hurt to get some fleece if you're concerned at all. It's really cheap to purchase by the yard at a fabric store and cut down (I do this for my rabbits all the time).

 

[DJEtzel]

Yep towels are fine as long as the pup isn't chewing them up.

Leash sounds totally fine, and glad you have containment in the car.

I'd personally save the money from the bitter apple and buy something more useful. I've never met a single dog that it worked on, it coats things with nasty stick, it's a pain to spray on... It's easier to actually train your dog and just redirect/supervise, IMO.

Old socks dipped in water or broth (chicken, beef..) and frozen are definitely awesome. They make a lot of toys that you can stuff with liquids/mush to make awesome frozen treats, nowadays, too.

Untitled by DJetzel, on Flickr

 

[Maxy24]

Tooth brushing stuff, best to start early if you want it to be easy.

For us, bitter apple was a life saver. He HATES it. After he tasted it once all we had to do is spray a tiny bit on whatever we didn't want him to touch and he wouldn't go near it. If he sniffed it he'd have a sneezing fit and then run and wipe his nose all over the carpet.

What are you doing for long term confinement? We needed to go out and buy a puppy play pen and puppy pads because crating him through the whole day wasn't going to work and we didn't have a small enough room we could devote to being "his".

 

[Beanie]

Yep, Tear Mender is what you will want for the ears:
https://www.tearmender.com/
I bought mine at JoAnn Fabrics but I think Wal-Mart even has it now? It will last you forever.

I would also recommend adhesive remover wipes to clean up the wears and top of the head between gluing:
http://www.amazon.com/Uni-Solve-Adhesive-Remover-Wipes-Nephew/dp/B0019GG2K6
These are the ones I used. I still have a box leftover from Payton and Georgie, waiting for the next baby. Loooove theeeem it makes getting the glue residue off SO easy.

I also ditto the whole Bitter Apple thing not being that effective. I tried some with Georgie post-spay... put some on my finger and offered it to her and she was like OH YUM NOM NOM NOM and licked it straight off with gusto.


For a baby sheltie you won't need a ton in terms of grooming kit, but a pair of straight shears, thinning shears, and curved shears will eventually do the job. For the straight shears and probably even the curved shears, you can probably just snag a nice pair from PetSmart or PetCo; for the thinning shears I would invest a little bit, they are worth it. I actually have two pairs, a 26-tooth and 46-tooth.
You'll also need an undercoat rake at some point, and I like this brush a lot for a quick brush-out.
I've got a slicker brush but to be honest I never use it.

Also The Stuff conditioning spray.

 

[k9krazee]

Your drink of choice & headphones....ya know...when you just have to get away.


Kidding! sounds like you're on the right track! Good luck!

 

[Laurelin]

Yep towels are fine as long as the pup isn't chewing them up.

Leash sounds totally fine, and glad you have containment in the car.

I'd personally save the money from the bitter apple and buy something more useful. I've never met a single dog that it worked on, it coats things with nasty stick, it's a pain to spray on... It's easier to actually train your dog and just redirect/supervise, IMO.

Old socks dipped in water or broth (chicken, beef..) and frozen are definitely awesome. They make a lot of toys that you can stuff with liquids/mush to make awesome frozen treats, nowadays, too.

Untitled by DJetzel, on Flickr

Why have I not thought of refreezing marrow bones filled with food!?

 

[DJEtzel]

Why have I not thought of refreezing marrow bones filled with food!?

You have obviously not been desperate enough to rummage through the bottoms of toy bins looking for "anything with a hole". :rofl1:

 

[StompinT]

I thought it was a rare dog who liked Bitter Apple? It's worked fantastic for me. Guess I got lucky.

 

[Beanie]

I thought it was a rare dog who liked Bitter Apple? It's worked fantastic for me. Guess I got lucky.

All three of mine, plus Georgie.
I suppose they could all certainly be called "rare."

 

[SoCrafty]

Whoops! Thought I replied.

Thanks Beanie. I am going to get the Tear Mender and the adhesive remover. I'll ask the breeder to show me how to glue them the first time so I don't mess it up. I am book marking the link for the undercoat rake. I already watched a couple tutorials on YouTube on line brushing. Feels overwhelming now!

I do like the idea of using broth instead of water, hubby liked that idea too. We are going to pick up some kongs this weekend, too.

Hubby looked at me like I was nuts when I said we forgot the toothbrush, but my SIL brushes her dogs teeth, so...he can't say anything LOL.

Seem like the majority say no on the bitter apple. I won't waste my money on it. We will work on redirection and praise and see how that does. All of her other dogs are fabulous, so I am sure she has already started the ground work. (omg, this time next Saturday she will be home!)

I'll try the old towels first, and if she chews/attempts to swallow them we will pick up some fleece for her.

Maybe I am naive, but, I am going to try no x-pen. She has her crate, and other than that I work from home, so I think we will be good without for right now. We shall see.

 

[DJEtzel]

I don't think you're naive at all, honestly. I've never used an x pen for a dog while crating... I think it's a waste of space and baby's them too much, personally. My dogs get free run of the house from the day they come home. I just make sure every waking second they are out of the crate, I'm supervising/they're in the same room as I am so that I can reidrect if necessary.

 

[Elrohwen]

I have xpens for the rabbits but have hardly used it for the dog. They are useful if you have a really wide doorway to block (I block off the porch opening) but otherwise I just blocked him into specific rooms as a puppy.

Out of 3 puppies in my life only one was a determined chewed and bitter apple didn't deter him at all. He chewed holes in a couch that was basically doused in bitter apple. Watson chewed but only small things like shoes and socks and books and those I could easily pick up and keep out of his reach. You're better off just managing his environment and redirecting.