For people who’ve never owned a dog before, knowing exactly what to get for your new pup can seem like a difficult (and stressful) task.

But you don’t have to worry! We’ve covered ALL of the necessary items you’ll need in order to give your new furry best friend the best life possible:

1. Dog Food

This may seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised how many people think it’s okay to feed their pup people food all the time, or that they can just get any bag of dog food from the store.

Choosing the right kind of dog food for your puppy is so important for them to grow into a healthy adult!

What kind of food should I get?

You are going to want to feed your puppy food specifically made for puppies.

Puppies grow incredibly fast and need a LOT more nutrients to support that growth than adult dogs need. Due to this need, puppy food is created with twice as many nutrients than adult dog food has.

I recommend feeding puppies a grain-free kibble diet. Grain-free tends to be a lot easier for dogs to digest and there is really no need for grain in dogs’ diets.

2. Food and Water bowls

Food and water bowls speak for themselves. The only advice we have when it comes to choosing bowls is to stay away from plastic ones.

Puppies love to chew and destroy the plastic bowls. This can be dangerous if a puppy chews off a large plastic piece and swallows it.

3. Crate

I can’t stress enough the importance of a puppy having his own crate! 

Besides being a safe place for a dog, it is crucial for the dog to have a crate in order to be properly trained.

When choosing the right crate, keep in mind that the size of the dog’s crate is extremely important.

4. Collar

It is important that you find a collar that fits your puppy properly.

You will end up buying two to three collars as your puppy grows. There are many different types of collars to choose from, but the ones that I suggest to start with are the simple collar and the martingale collar.

For more information on each of these collars, check out the collars section of The Puppy Preparation Checklist in “The Puppy Training Handbook”.

5. Leash

Another obvious essential for training your pup and keeping him safe is a leash. You don’t want your dog roaming off freely, do you?

However, be aware, the type of leash you get DOES matter.

For beginners, we suggest using a standard leash. For more advanced leash options, we give a detailed description of the pros and cons of each leash type in our puppy training program.

6. Training Treats

You are going to need lots and lots of training treats.

You might have to experiment and try out a few different kinds of treats before finding the one that your puppy absolutely goes crazy for.

In training, you want your puppy to stay extremely motivated so find a treat that he absolutely LOVES.

Soft treats work best for training so that you are able to break them up into tiny pieces. Zuke’s Mini Naturals are our favorite!

7. Toys Of Course!

If you’re the dog lover that we know you are, prepare to get yourself a box where you can place all of your puppy’s favorite toys. (Yes, a box may seem excessive, but yes, most puppies are very spoiled!)

***Keep in mind that a puppy should ALWAYS be monitored while playing with a toy. Puppies love to destroy toys and often times, pieces of the toys have the potential to end up being swallowed. Never leave a puppy alone with a toy in his crate.

8. Chewing Items

Chewing items are SO important for puppies!

Dogs have a need to chew, just as they have a need for food, water, exercise, etc. If you don’t supply puppies with the proper chew toys, they WILL find other items to exert their chewing need onto, such as your couch or shoes.

Obviously, you do not want this to happen. So, make sure you have appropriate chewing items available for your puppy from the start. The following are chewing items that I suggest:

• Antlers
• Bully Sticks
• Bones and other toys

NOTE: These chewing items especially should only be given to puppies under direct supervision as it is easy for them to destroy and swallow the pieces of these items.

9. Carpet Cleaner

Your puppy IS going to have accidents in the house. Even if you do EVERYTHING right with house training, it is going to happen, so be prepared.

NOTE: When using carpet cleaner for pet stains, be sure to soak up all of the carpet cleaner or diffuse with water so your carpet (home) doesn’t end up smelling like the cleaner.

10. Brush

Maintaining your pup’s grooming needs are incredibly helpful to their health!

Depending on their breed and coat length, your pup may need to be brushed daily.

11. Baby Gates

If there are certain areas of your house that you don’t want your puppy in, you may want to set up baby gates.

The puppy will get into whatever he is able to, so be prepared to block off areas.

It is a lot easier for a puppy to understand that he isn’t allowed in an area if it is blocked off, than to continuously tell the puppy to not go in that area.

12. Dog Shampoo

DO NOT use human shampoo or any other kind of soap on your dog!

Dog fur is incredibly different than human hair, and therefore, dog shampoo has been created to meet the specific needs of dogs’ coats and skin.

There are a variety of different types of dog shampoos to choose from. I strongly recommend using specific PUPPY shampoo on your puppy.

A puppy’s coat is different than what his adult coat will be and puppy skin is very sensitive. Puppy shampoo is composed of ingredients that are extra gentle, designed specifically for a puppy’s skin and fur.

13. Dog Nail Clippers

There are two main types of dog nail clippers to choose from: the scissors model and the guillotine model. For more information on the pros and cons of each type, check out the “Grooming” Section in “The Puppy Training Handbook”.

14. Dog toothbrush and toothpaste

First off, NEVER use human toothpaste when brushing your dog’s teeth. Human toothpaste contains fluoride, which is very dangerous to dogs.

You can find specific dog toothpaste at any pet store that usually comes with a two-sided toothbrush.

15. Flea, tick, and heartworm preventative

Yes, you absolutely need these preventatives. They definitely can be costly, but they are also a simple measure you can take to prevent your pup from contracting a horrible disease.

I have found that these medications are the most expensive at Veterinary Hospitals, so I advise you to do some research online for ones that don’t cost an arm and a leg.

There are many pet pharmacies online that offer these preventatives at a much lower rate. Refer to the “Basic Veterinary Knowledge” section in our program for more information on each of these preventatives.

16. Poop Bags

Unless you have collected hundreds of plastic grocery bags, you can’t forget to buy poop bags! Purchase ANY kind you want. 🙂

17. Treat Pouch/Carrier

I strongly recommend having an easy-to-grab item that you can carry your pup’s treats in. The item I have found that works best for me is a fanny pack.

Yes, one of those ugly things from the 90’s that you were around your waist. Fanny packs are super easy to carry around and have on you when training your puppy.

18. First Aid Supplies

I strongly suggest having some first aid supplies on hand for your puppy. There are many different companies that make dog first aid kits.

Or, refer to the “Basic Veterinary Knowledge” section of "The Puppy Training Handbook” for information about which first aid supplies you might need.

19. "The Puppy Training Handbook" Program

"The Puppy Training Handbook" Program offers a wealth of information for dog owners new and old to effectively raise and train a dog, with proven methods, including over 200 pages of detailed strategies, 13 step-by-step training tutorials, and personal access to a master dog trainer.

With this step-by-step guide, you'll have EVERYTHING you need to know for your pup’s first year of life, all in one resource!

But don't just take it from us, check out what people are saying about us here and learn more about how our all-inclusive guide to see how it can make the biggest difference for you in having a happy and healthy dog for life!