The new puppy shopping list
Only the things that solve a real first-month problem, and why each one helps.
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Crate training
A crate gives your puppy a small den to sleep in and makes potty training far easier. Too much space and the back half becomes a bathroom, so get one with a divider panel and grow it with them.
Buy the size they will need as an adult; use the divider to shrink it now.
The first nights
Most puppies have never slept alone before. Keep the crate next to your bed for the first nights and give them something warm and comforting.
A soft toy with a gentle heartbeat pulse, like sleeping next to littermates.
Potty training
Puppies go back to spots that still smell like a bathroom. Ordinary cleaners hide the smell from you, not from them. Enzyme cleaners break the odour down.
Use on every accident, every time.
For overnight or apartment backup. Sticky tabs stop the shredding.
Biting and teething
Puppies bite because their teeth hurt. Go still until they calm down, then hand them something they are allowed to chew. Cold helps sore gums.
Fill with wet food and freeze overnight.
Pop it in the freezer for teething days.
Manners and training
Short sessions, lots of small rewards. Teach their name, sit, and that four paws on the floor gets the treat, not jumping.
Tiny and soft, so you can reward often.
First walks
Yanking the leash makes most puppies pull harder. A harness with a front chest clip turns them back toward you when they pull.
Clip the leash to the ring on the chest.
Mealtime
Puppies that inhale their food can bring it straight back up. A slow-feeder bowl turns dinner into a puzzle.
Raised maze ridges slow down fast eaters.
Baths and nails
Make grooming a good thing early. A lick mat with a little dog-safe peanut butter keeps them busy during baths and nail trims.
Sticks to the tub or the fridge.
A bed they cannot destroy
Fluffy beds are toys to a chewer. An elevated cot bed has nothing to unstuff.
Mesh on a metal frame, easy to wipe clean.
Vet and insurance
Book the first vet visit in week one. Look at pet insurance early too: most plans do not cover anything that happened before you signed up.
Check waiting periods and what counts as pre-existing.