Leash/collar. Your puppy needs a collar that is adjustable, as you'll be adjusting it often! You should be able to easily get a couple of fingers underneath it, but it should not be so loose that it can pull right off over his head. Remember that any time your puppy is unsupervised, (including when he's in his crate) the collar should be off, as they can easily get caught on something and strangle him. Your leash should be 6", and most obedience schools want you to have a leather one. Don't leave your leash lying around for puppy to get hold of. Leather makes for a very expensive chew toy! A Gentle leader is D & L Doodle's first recommendation for training collars, and we recommend starting to use them once your puppy hits about 4 months old. If you live in the area we can help you with fitting it correctly. The Gentle Leader is a training collar only, and should only be used while you're working on leash. It should be removed when you're not actively training with it.
Tags/identification Your puppy needs some identification should he become lost. Some people don't like to put their name, address, and phone number on their puppy. We also highly recommend microchipping your puppy. But if you do, don't forget to register the chip! Many people forget this very important step, their dog is lost, and there is no information on the chip! If you would like D & L Doodles to get your puppy micro chipped at the time of his desexing surgery, please let us know. It will be an additional cost to you, but one that is well worth it in the event your puppy gets lost.
Paper towels....lots of 'em. Hopefully, if you're diligent, you won't need to use many of them!
Urine Neutralizing cleaners such as Natures Miracle, Simple Solution, or Anti Ickypoo. If your puppy does have a potty incident in the house, you'll want to eliminate the smell so that he's not drawn back to that spot for a repeat!
Pooper Scooper or lots of plastic bags, for obvious reasons!
Comb/brush I use a 1/8 inch metal comb, and a "slicker brush" , but there are lots of different grooming tools out there, so find what works best for your puppy's coat.
Mat Breaker should your puppy develop a mat or two.
Oatmeal dog shampoo (easier on the coat that some shampoos. But when your puppy is older, if you have a light colored dog you may want bluing shampoo what will help with any staining your dog may have. Your puppy should not be bathed too often, or you will cause his skin to dry out.
Toothbrush and cleaner. Yes, you want to brush your puppy's teeth!
Flashlight. Very helpful when taking your puppy out to potty in the dark. Especially Ebony doodles that seem to disappear into the darkness!
Treats and Toys
Kongs (great for stuffing good-tasting treats in, and for calming down a rambunctious puppy)
Large container of peanut butter, for stuffing those kong toys
Balls of various sizes and textures. Don't get a ball that is small enough to be swallowed by your puppy. If he can fit the entire thing in his mouth, it's too small.
Interactive toys these are toys that make your dog think in order to play with them. They are usually a "toy within a toy" type of things. Dogs love 'em!
Fetch toys
Soft training treats (should be given in sizes comparable to a PEA)
Cans of pure pumpkin Not pie mix. This should be plain pumpkin without any spices. This is one of the best diarrhea OR constipation remedies!
Don'ts
No laser pointers! Many dogs develop obsessions with lights and shadows because of them! Weird huh?
No expensive plush toys. They will last MINUTES with your puppy.
No Rawhide or pigs ears. Doodles tend to swallow them whole, causing a medical emergency.
Rope toys these are ok, but ONLY when supervised. DO NOT let your puppy play with them unsupervised. He will very quickly take the thing apart and swallow the threads (or whole hunks of rope) which can cause a medical emergency.
No dog bed. Your puppy will treat this as a giant chew toy until he's much older. (around a year or so) It is no fun having to bring your puppy to the vet because half of his dog bed is missing!