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Bowls

• Food bowls should be size appropriate and made of a material that doesn’t collect bacteria, such as stainless steel.
• Remember to clean your puppy’s food and water bowl once a week with a mild soap and water.

Leash and Collar

• Most puppies will object to a leash and collars if they’re not trained as puppies.
• Collars are an absolute must, so that identification tags can be worn.

Crate

• The crate should be relative to the size of the puppy and large enough for them to lie down, stretch out and to stand. Some trainers prefer wire crates, but may recommend enclosed plastic kennels, which can double as a travel kennel or bed once the puppy is trained.
• The crate should be a cozy environment with a blanket or bed inside.

Toys

• You can help your puppy learn appropriate chewing habits by providing them with sturdy rubber or plastic chew toys.
• Plush toys are a comforting starting toy for your puppy, giving them a cuddle buddy to replace their siblings.

Diet is likely the most important factor in your new puppy’s first year. A proper eating schedule and good nutrition are vital to a new puppy’s health and growth. Ensuring that a puppy eats and drinks during the first few days and weeks in a new home can help prevent or minimize health concerns, particularly hypoglycemia. The food they eat forms the building blocks they use to grow, develop new muscles and bones, and to build a healthy lustrous coat.

It is very important that you continue to feed the brand of food that your puppy has been eating in the store. Usually, that is Nutrience Super Premium dry kibble puppy food, but in some circumstances it may be different, so be sure to find out from your sales associate what food your puppy is eating. As a rule, canned food is not required or recommended – it can contribute to tooth decay, cannot be left sitting out for fear of contamination, and can be quite inconvenient to feed. It is however very digestible and most puppies will eat it willingly, so it is sometimes used to encourage feeding in picky puppies and to help a new puppy transition into your home without going off his or her food.

Most new puppies should be fed 3 times a day, although some smaller puppies require more frequent meals. At first, try to space those feedings equally – first thing in the morning, late afternoon, and in the evening. By the time your puppy is 6-8 months of age, you should be able to have him or her on a twice daily feeding schedule. You can accomplish this by gradually decreasing the amount of food fed at one of the meals and increasing it at the other two. As the one meal gets smaller, move the timing of the other two meals closer together, so that you end up with two feedings, approximately 12 hours apart. Dogs of all ages should always have fresh water available.

If your new puppy is a toy breed, or is considered at risk for hypoglycemia, then it is very important that you monitor their food and water intake closely to ensure they are getting enough nutrients. Juvenile hypoglycemia is common in tiny dogs, and is the medical term for the condition of low blood sugar. It can be brought on by insufficient food intake, and by excessive excitement, stress or activity. Symptoms include listlessness and a lack of energy and can lead to very serious outcomes including seizures, coma or even death. We recommend all new puppy owners keep a high-calorie vitamin supplement / appetite stimulant on hand to be given if your puppy refuses to eat. If you suspect hypoglycemia in your puppy, give the supplement and contact your Veterinarian right away.

As your puppy matures, he or she should continue to be fed a premium dry puppy food – it is best to stay with the Nutrience brand if possible as it is one of the best available. Most premium pet food brands have formulas designed for small, medium and large breeds, and it is fairly easy to tell which category your pet fits into by reading the packaging for the foods. Dogs are generally considered adults at approximately one year of age, and most would move on to an adult diet at that time. In some breeds, that transition age can be as young as 8 months or as old as 18 months.

Healthy treats and dog biscuits will be an important tool during training with your puppy, and it is important to remember that these also make up part of your puppy’s overall nutritional intake. For this reason, choose treats with high-quality ingredients that are as good for his or her health as the food itself. If you continue to feed a premium diet, you likely do not need to supplement the food with vitamin or mineral additives. For sanitation and convenience reasons, non-tip stainless steel bowls are the best. Separate bowls for food and water are recommended, so that one can be refilled or washed without affecting the other. If your puppy has access to multiple areas within the home, you may want to consider more than one water bowl. Since dry food can go stale once the bag has been opened, a re-sealable plastic storage tub for the food is also a good idea, and makes accessing the food easier.

One of the biggest concerns a new puppy parent has is how to go about housebreaking their puppy. Although there are a lot of different opinions on the subject, it is actually not that difficult to accomplish. This brief guide is designed to give you the basics, and is not meant to replace a proper book or more thorough research.

During the housebreaking process, puppies learn that they should hold their movements until they are in an acceptable area, and that they should communicate when they need to go. Most experts will agree that a crate or kennel is the easiest and best way to teach this to them.

The kennel should be small relative to the size of the puppy – big enough for them to lie down and stretch out and to stand without stooping, but not much bigger. Some trainers prefer wire crates, but many recommend enclosed plastic kennels which can double as a travel kennel or bed once the puppy is trained. There should be a blanket or bed for the puppy, there should always be water available and they should be fed in the kennel. Puppies generally will resist using their sleeping/eating area for a bathroom, but they will do so if they are left too long or if their attempts to get your attention are ignored.

It’s a good idea to start your kennel training on a day when you have the time to devote the whole day to the process. Start with the puppy in the kennel in the morning. Take him or her out regularly at 5 minute intervals and take them directly to the area where you want them to eliminate. The small area of the kennel will inhibit the puppy from eliminating and the regular short intervals will allow them to go when they need to. At first they will not understand why they are being brought out, will be easily distracted and will just play around. If they do nothing in the first 2-3 minutes, take them directly back to the kennel. Walk away and come back 5 minutes later to repeat the procedure. Do not allow the puppy to think that the bathroom area is a play area. After the first hour, increase the time in the kennel to 10 minutes, then to 15 minutes, and so on.

At some point the puppy will have to go when they are out. When they do, praise them and let them stay out of the kennel for 15-20 minutes to play with you. This is a reward for the puppy and they are not likely to need to go again right away. After the play time, put them back in the kennel and continue with the routine. By the end of the first day, you should be able to leave the puppy for 3-4 hours at a time without mistakes. You will need to get up at least once through the night for the first few days. On the second day, continue with the 3-4 hour intervals and try for 5-6 hours overnight. You may remove the water and feed a light meal at night if your puppy has trouble with the overnight period.

The following week try not to leave them for more than 6-8 hours at a time. After 7-10 days of success with the puppy going outside regularly you can allow them freedom in a small room when you are home. Do not give them full access to the house, particularly carpeted areas. When you first do this, go back to taking them outside at 10-15 minute intervals and gradually work back to the longer periods. When they are good at holding 5-6 hours in their new area, you can give them a larger area and drop the interval period back down. If they start to make mistakes, reduce the area back to where they were good (all the way back to the kennel if necessary) for a day then allow a gradual increase in freedom.

With a bit of time and some patience on your part, your new puppy will soon be trained and you can move on to obedience training and just enjoying his or her development.