Top Ten Things To Get For Your New Puppy

One our most asked questions is, "I'm Getting a New Puppy; What do I need?!". Here at Lords and Labradors we know it can be a little overwhelming trying to figure out exactly what you do need for your puppy, so we've put together our top 10 puppy essentials to make your life that little bit easier! 1. Dog Crate Crate training is a must for most new puppy parents. We’d suggest buying a crate big enough for your puppy to grow into as an adult, why not take a look at our blog which will help you figure out what size of crate is right for your dog? To begin with we recommend sectioning off the crate with a puppy bed, such as our Cosy and Calming Puppy Crate Beds, in one side and a puppy pad or a piece of vet bed on the other. Once your puppy is toilet trained you can then upgrade their crate with one of our luxury crate sets or a crate cushion to make the perfect den for them to snuggle up in.   2. Cosy and Calming Puppy Bed A small and cosy puppy bed that is washable is ideal for the first few months. As mentioned above, we've designed our Cosy and Calming Puppy Crate Beds with your puppies first few months at home in mind. They work as both a standalone bed and as a crate bed, so however you're choosing to train your puppy these are a great choice. They're designed to cocoon your puppy to help them feel safe and secure in their new home and are handcrafted here in our Lincolnshire based workshop so you can be sure they are of the highest quality. Now all there is to decide is which fabric to get!  Another great choice is our Grow With Me Beds, these are stand alone beds which have a removable snuggle ring inside for when your puppy grows, and a pocket for a snuggle heat pad. They're made from the softest teddy fleece and its high sides are great for making your puppy feel secure. Still not sure which bed is the right fit? Explore our puppy bed page to take a closer look at our range, our customer care team are always happy to help advise you on your puppies perfect fit!   3. Puppy Bowls and Food Your new puppy will be full of energy and will be constantly growing so choosing the right diet is essential! Often your breeder will provide you with a small amount of the food they're already on to keep you going for the first few days. If you plan to change it at any point make sure you do this gradually so their stomach doesn't become overwhelmed. Slowly introduce the new food bit by bit (mixed with their previous food) until they are fully transitioned. Check out our puppy food collection which has been specially formulated to provide your pooch with all the vitamins and minerals they will need for the best start in life. You'll also need bowls, we’d suggest two main bowls; one each for food and water. Having a travel bowl or two for when you’re out and about is a great idea. Here at Lords and Labradors we stock a wide range of bowls so why not take a look?   4. Puppy Blanket We have designed a puppy scent blanket to be given to your breeder before you collect your pup so it can be left with your pup and their mum in the first weeks. Then when you bring your pup home with the blanket, they’ll have the scent of mum to remind them of home - a great way to help settle nervous puppies in their new surroundings. Shop our Puppy blankets and comforters here! We also recommend getting a larger blanket for your puppy to snuggle up in, they will miss the warmth of their mum and siblings for the first few days so a snuggly blanket will be perfect for keeping them warm. Why not treat them to the ultimate luxury and get their blanket personalised? All of our blankets can be customised and embroidered with your furry friends name, these also make great presents if any of your friends or family are getting a puppy!   5. Car Seat  It's now a legal requirement to secure your dog when travelling in the car so a car seat or safety tether are essential for gotcha day and trips to the vet! Either a booster or safety tether can be a great option, usually smaller breeds suit the car booster seats better and larger breeds will use a safety tether with a travel bed or cushion. Our Sleepeze beds are perfect if you're looking for your dog to travel in the boot of your car, they have a handy travel handle and come in three sizes!   6. Puppy Chew Toys  Puppies are like little land sharks! Their teeth are super sharp and whilst they are teething they will want to be into everything, so a range of chew toys is essential! Plenty of toys will help keep them stimulated and stop them chewing anything they shouldn't, we've put together our favourite teething toys here. We love the durable toys from KONG, their puppy toy is great for filling with their wet food or treats to keep them busy! Shop the full KONG range here    7. Puppy Pads Puppy pads will be an essential part of your puppy’s training. They won’t be able to hold themselves in the first few weeks so a place for them inside to toilet when you don’t quite manage getting them outside in time is a necessity. They're also great of putting down in your puppies crate incase of any accidents.   8. Puppy Pens and Gates You will ideally want to give your puppies a dedicated area or room for the first few weeks rather than give them the run of the house. A pet gate or puppy pen is ideal to help section off the area. Just remember to provide all the things they need in the puppy’s space to keep them occupied, and of course a puppy pad in case of any accidents. Our range of wooden gates and pens are perfect for this, they look more like part of your home than traditional metal pens and gates.   9. Puppy Soft Toys Playtime is an important part of a puppy’s development. A soft toy is a nice choice to offer snuggles at bedtime as well as fun during playtime. The Heart Beat Sheep is a delightful option with a beating heart to mimic the feeling of mum. Your nervous pup is sure to settle down whilst snuggled to him. The KONG Cozie toys are also great, they come in a small size which is perfect for puppies to snuggle and play with!   10. Puppy Walking Sets You will want to purchase a suitable walking set ready for training your pup on the lead, you won't be able to talk them for walks until they're fully vaccinated but it's a good idea to get them used to their harness, collar and lead in the house and garden before this. The options include a slip lead which is simple to slip on and off your pup’s head; a mini collar and lead set if you wish to sometimes keep their collar on; or a harness and lead set – a harness is more comfortable and offers more control when first training your dog on the lead. Why not take a look at our beginers guide to teaching your dog how to walk in a harness to help you get started? Our puppy walking collection has been curated with all of our favourite puppy walk essentials  We hope you found our Top Ten List helpful. Even if you don't go for our specific choices, hopefully we've given you a handy checklist so you don't forget anything when preparing for your new puppy. If you have any questions don't hesitate to get in touch. We're always happy to help as much as we can.  Also, don't forget to check out our Puppy Essential Packs which contain variations of many of the things on this list in one handy starter pack - a great way to buy a bundle of puppy products all in one place. You can also check out our Puppy Essentials Collection which has been carefully curated with our favourite puppy products for you to shop!

By Zac Girdlestone