What do I need for my new puppy?A very common question we are asked from our lovely customers is what they will need in preparation for their new cavoodle puppy
There are three sections of things you will want to consider before bringing your puppy home:
Things at low heights
Bringing a puppy home is like bringing a toddler home! You need to check your house for things that could get a puppy into mischief. Have a look for anything at a low height; your puppy can be very quick so move anything you’re worried about to a higher position
Dangerous Items to Keep Away From Your Puppy:
• String, ribbon, yarn, sewing supplies and other small household items
• Paper clips, erasers, staples, rubber bands, plastic bags and twist ties
• Coins, small board game pieces, fragile keepsakes and ornaments
• Medication, vitamins, pill bottles, dental floss, razors and cotton balls
• Household and automotive chemicals
• Toxic houseplants, including philodendron, mistletoe and poinsettia
• Toxic garden plants, including lily, azalea, daffodil, tomato and hydrangea
More Ways to Keep Your Puppy Safe:
• Provide pet-safe puppy toys to keep your puppy occupied
• Use covered bins in your house and garage
• Keep kitchen countertops clean and clear of food items to reduce temptation
• Store household chemicals and poisons in a locked cabinet
• Keep toilet lids down so your puppy can’t fall in or drink from the bowl
• Keep electrical cords and wires out of sight or secured to walls
• Secure dangling blind and curtain cords out of reach
• Keep your dog indoors and safe from extreme weather conditions year-round
Stairs
Stairs can be dangerous as your puppy won’t understand heights. Be careful when teaching puppy to use them and don’t let puppy fall down them. Puppies can be very curious so be on the lookout for things outside too such as decks and pool fences – you would be surprised the small gaps your puppy will be able to get himself into. Make sure you are prepared and have closed in all these holes or made them ‘puppy friendly’ before you bring puppy home.
Beds and couches
Think about the beds and couches in your house (if you puppy will be inside). Do you want your puppy on the beds and couches inside your house, or will he or she be restricted to a puppy friendly mat or similar to sit on? Make sure you have these rules worked out, as you don’t want to confuse puppy. It is much easier to be strict when they are a new puppy, than trying to change their behaviour as an older dog.
The first thing customers ask when they are researching their new puppy is things that they’ll need. Here is what we suggest to have ready, and further below there is more details:
You will want to feed your puppy what it has been fed while in our care for his first 8 weeks. He/she will have had some major changes in his little life, changes such as moving away from his brothers and sisters, his human family and home, so keeping the food the same is a good thing for puppy to help him feeling secure, as well as keeping his bowels and tummy working correctly. Before your puppy comes to you we will email you a detailed information guide with all your puppy has been eating, and it is important to keep his diet the same for at least the first month.
You will want to get straight into training your puppy. Dehydrated chicken, duck, lamb or beef treats in very small pieces works really well for rewards when you are training your puppy. This way the puppy eats the reward quickly and is ready to continue learning. Chicken is good as it is gently for puppy’s stomach; you will want to introduce new strong flavours slowly so that you don’t upset puppy’s tummy. You will also need some chewy treats so when need to leave your puppy even for short periods they have things to occupy themselves. Our dogs and puppies favourite treats are roo tendons. We purchase them from eBay.
Bed
Your puppy will want a nice soft comfortable bed. He has come from being snuggled next to his brothers and sisters in a warm bed, so will settle easier if he’s warm and comfy. It is a good idea to purchase a bed that is machine washable and can go into the dryer too. Your new puppy may have accidents while you toilet train him or her, so it’s best to make it easy to clean for you both! Another option is a hard bed, with soft bedding so the bedding can easily be washed and changed frequently, and the bed wiped down well.
A hot water bottle can be very helpful in the first few nights at home
Something that some new owners don’t think about is getting a food bowl with a rubber base on the bottom to stop it moving. This will help new puppies adjust to eating from a new bowl without having to chase the bowl around! You will also want a separate water bowl. You will want one that is not easy to spill, as new puppies are very curious. We suggest bowls that are heavy so that your new puppy can’t tip it over. Stainless steel bowls are great as they can be washed and cleaned easily.
You will want a few different textured toys to keep your puppy interested. We suggest:
Brush/Comb
A soft puppy 
slicker brush with balls on the pins is ideal for a puppy.
Metal tooth stainless steel comb is ideal
TIP: Brush puppy daily so it gets used to being brushed, it will make it much easier as it gets older!
Nail clippers we recommend people nail clippers when small, and by the time they are 6 months old a pair of dog nail clippers. Get your puppy used to having their nails clipped every 1 – 2 weeks so it’s familiar.
Shampoo 
Your puppy will need a different shampoo as a puppy, so make sure you get a puppy shampoo as it’s soft and gentle on the skin. You don’t want to wash pup too often as this isn’t good for their skin; ideally washing the puppy every 3-4 weeks is ideal. A puppy while they’re getting into everything can get themselves dirty, so if needed you can bath when needed. We use Aloveen oatmeal shampoo fordogs and Aloveen oatmeal leave in conditioner for dogs.
These are what we recommended to our owners to buy. They generally make training and owning a puppy a big easier!
Calming collars have been strongly recommended to us and we now have them available for purchase.The limited time we have been using them we believe they have been beneficial in helping a new
puppy cope with the enormous stress and anxiety that results from moving to their new home. We believe if we can help reduce that level of anxiety in any way it is beneficial. The calming collars release a pheromone that is similar to what a mother dog produces while she is nursing her puppies. Studies have shown even 12 months later that puppies that have worn a collar are more settled, happy, confident dogs. If you puppy is flying it will be necessary to purchase a collar from me as I won’t fly a puppy without one. The collar lasts for 30 days, where it continues releasing the calming, settling pheromones. After this time, they are no longer needed as your puppy will be secure and happy in his new home. Please let me know if you will be purchasing a collar if you are picking your puppy up from me. We sell them for $50 which is a lot cheaper than we can find them anywhere but believe they are so beneficial we want to make them available to our puppies at as reasonable a price as we can. We use the Adaptil calming collar. They can be purchased at Petbarn for $86.99 currently. Occasionally petbarn has them on special for $65 and that’s when we grab as many as we can . Our vet also sells them for $90. They are a widely used and respected product.
Crates are a great idea. They come in different sizes to suit your particular puppy. It’s a good piece of mind for overnight or even just if you want to have a shower! It will help you know that your puppy is happy and safe. You pen will want to be big enough for puppy’s bed, water bowl, toys, and a toilet mat. A crate is an invaluable tool for toilet training
You can train your puppy to use a puppy pad/toilet mat which is really helpful for a lot of people. These are very handy when puppy sleeps inside or you don’t have easy access to outside areas. They are very absorbent and usually have a scent in them to help attract pup.
This is one of the best and safest ways to transport your puppy in a car. The puppy is secure and can’t then move around the car. They also are adjustable which is great as your puppy grows.
Collar
It is best to wait until you have your puppy before purchasing a collar to ensure you get the correct size. Puppys grow so quickly,and the collar must not be too tight or too loose. You need to be able to fit two fingers under it (so its not too tight). You also want to make sure that it’s not too loose, then it may come over your puppy’s head! This is why we suggest waiting until you have your puppy to buy this.
Lead
You will want your lead to be light to begin with, as your puppy is only small. So you’ll want a light material and a light clip for your puppy to get used to having a lead on. You will most likely also want one a bit longer, one about 1.8m is a good length and one we suggest for most of our puppies. It’s good to get this at the same time as your collar so that you can make sure that they work well together.