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Are you a new pawrent or thinking of becoming one? Well, congratulations! Being a pet parent or, as we like to call it, a pawrent is a very special feeling. You are going to love the journey that lies ahead of you, so cherish it as much as you can.
When you're adopting a puppy, there are certain essential items that you would require. This blog is going to list those essentials items and their uses to prepare you for your pawrent-hood. Okay.. I'll stop now! (JK, I won't :P)
Adoption and quarantine
Many people are utilizing this time of quarantine to adopt a furry friend, and that's such a good thing. We often don't realize how saving one life can have such a great impact on so many lives. Playing with puppies is actually the cutest way of therapy. When you adopt one, your life would get filled with paw-sitivity (yup, I did it again) and the sound of those four paws running around here and there would become your favorite kind of noise.
This is actually a great time to welcome a new member to the family. Since most of us are preferring to stay at home, you would be able to give the puppy the attention and love it needs. And you must know that puppies do need a lot of care, just like babies do. This is why we thought of writing about the basics of puppy parenting and the things that you would need while you're at it.
Anyhoo, let's begin with the puppy essentials guide.
Essential items you must have for your puppy
Take a seat, a pen, and paper, and start making a list. Or you can make a list on your phone itself, I mean it's 2020, it could take a while to find a pen, am I right?
Bowl
Seems pretty basic? But it's such an important thing! A separate bowl or bowls for your puppy is essential. Since your puppy won't be eating solid foods, you want to make sure that the bowl you get is meant for liquid food items.
Bowls come in various shapes, sizes, textures, and designs. You can get anyone that you like and your puppy likes, just make sure that the size of the bowl is appropriate for your pooch. Many times what happens is that parents think that getting one large bowl would do them good as they don't have to purchase a new bowl when the puppy becomes an adult. But, there's a problem with that. Puppies are babies and they don't have that kind of aptitude to know how to eat properly from a large bowl. So, it could happen that your puppy sits inside the bowl or falls inside it while eating leading them to choke on their food. Now, you wouldn't want that, right? So why not get a separate bowl for when they're young.
Melamine bowls are a really popular and durable form of bowls. They come in various designs that are so cute and funky! You can check them out here.
Cerelac/ Milk powder
Just like when babies are born they cannot eat anything that is solid, the same goes for puppies, And the initial diet of a puppy, if the mother isn't present, would be Cerelac or milk powder.
Now, there are many brands that have Cerelac and milk powders for puppies. You should consult a veterinarian and choose the best type of Cerelac or milk powder for your little one.
Some vets suggest Cerelac for your pup, while others suggest milk formula depending on the nutrition requirements of the pup. Here is an example of milk formula for puppies- Pet-O-Lac Puppy Milk Formula. There are various other milk formulas and Cerelac as well, so do explore your options as it concerns your puppy's health.
Scooper/ Poo bags
(Image source: Simply Pets)
When adopting a puppy, you should know that little one is gonna' eat and poop like a little baby, which means it's going to poop very often. So, in such a case, it's smart to have handy tools, like a scooper, or poo bags in reach so that your work gets easier.
A scooper is a tool that is used to pick up or, literally, scoop the poop. It makes cleaning up much convenient and hygienic. And it is also environment-friendly, since your puppy is going to make poop again and again, using toilet roll, or newspaper can be a real wastage of paper. A scooper eliminates the wastage as you can use it again and again by cleaning it. It's very easy to use, and it comes in different sizes for your convenience.
Wondering where to find a scooper? We got you! Check out some great quality scoopers here.
Poo bags are basically disposable bags wherein you can collect your dog's poo and dispose it off. It's used to avoid making a mess around the house and safely dispose off the excreta.
Poo bags are often used with clamp holders, like a silicone clamp holder. You can attach the clip to your dog's tail and the poop will fall and get collected in the bag that you have attached to the clamp. This is a pretty convenient way to handle the poo business.
Check out the Piqapoo Silicone Clamp.
Pee pads
(Image source: Pet Struggles)
Now, pee pads or potty pads have a similar purpose as the poo bags and scooper, it helps avoid the creation of mess. Pee pads are also used to train your puppy to excrete in a particular area only. It's very useful for those parents who cannot arrange for outdoor excretion or don't have a backyard.
Pee pads act like diapers, they soak up the mess and you can toss them in the garbage. It also encourages your puppy to pee or make a poop on the pee pad only as it has some built-in attractant that helps in the process.
Things to keep in mind-
- You should use pee pads only for training purposes and not make a habit of it. As pee pads are good for your puppy to be trained, that does not mean that you shall use it even after your puppy is grown and can visit the outdoors.
After the age of 2 months, your vet may suggest you take your pup outside for walks. This is when you have to switch from pee pads to outdoors for excretion. The transition may take some time, as your puppy has gotten used to the pee pads, but with patience and dedication, you can make the switch. Keep in mind that walks and any form of physical exercise are very important for your furry friend.
- Never leaves pee pads in the crate with your puppy or in any confined space alone. It could lead to a choking hazard as your puppy might chew it, we know how puppies love to chew things! Also, they would think that it is okay to pee inside the crate or the confined area. keep the pee pads only where you want your puppy to poo.
- Later as your puppy becomes accustomed to using the pee pads in their indoor potty area, gradually move it closer to the outside potty area to initiate training to make a poo outdoors. You could also use grass mats and turfs to potty train so the pup becomes familiar with the outdoors.
Kibble
(Image Source:Mr Yip and Mrs Chew)
Kibble is ground meal that is shaped into small pellets. Kibble can be made of meat, as well as, all-vegetarian ingredients. Kibble is a very common type of meal form for pets as it's convenient for pet parents to give nutritious meals without much hassle.
After the age of 8-16 weeks, puppies can be given raw food items and that is when you can start with kibble feeding. There are various high-quality kibble brands that cater to the needs of your little furball.
Puppies have a high nutritional demand and need to be fed every few hours, which is why giving them a kibble diet can be easier for you and can satisfy the puppy’s needs.
While some say that home-cooked or fresh meals are better than processed kibbles, one should only choose high-grade kibble food that ensures quality and nutritional values. It can be a little pricey than lower grade kibble, but it's definitely worth it as it better for your puppy and also makes your life easier.
Want to see some options available in puppy food? Petstreet has a wide variety of puppy food to choose from. Just visit the puppy food section and choose the one that's best for your puppy!
Dry Bath
(Image Source: Doggie Bazaar)
A dry bath is like your regular bath except it doesn't involve water. It's a much easier and quicker way of cleaning your pet. A dry bath is ideally given using a dry shampoo, which is a cleansing product made to give your pup a waterless bath.
It is an essential item for puppy-parents as you can't give a normal bath to your puppy until the age of 3 months. So, what do you do when your pup gets dirty with all the naughtiness and playing around? You give it a dry bath.
Dry shampoos can be of various types and choosing the one that suits your requirements won't be difficult. If you want to know more in detail about dry shampoos, then read our blog - Dry Shampoo for dogs & its uses.
But trust me, dry shampoos can be your savior! Puppies tend to get messy and it's very difficult to clean them with tissues and towels, dry shampoos are rather easier and hassle-free.
Shop from some amazing range of dry bath products here.
Bed/Blanket
A comfy bed or a blanket is so important for a puppy. Especially because puppies are really sensitive and they need comfortable bedding so that they can sleep peacefully. And oh, can you imagine how adorable your puppy would look sleeping all cozy-ed up in a fluffy mattress? We can!
Also, puppies need a warm, cozy environment to sleep in which is why a bed or a blanket is essential so that they don't feel cold on the floor.
Bedding options for pets come in different designs, sizes, colors, and what not! It's so fun shopping for your puppy and pampering them cuties because they totally deserve it.
So go on, get a bed for your puppy so that it knows exactly where to sleep from the first day and embraces it to the fullest.
Shop for the cutest and affordable beddings from Petstreet, just tap here.
Collar/ Harness + Leash
The purpose of a collar and leash is not just to facilitate walks, it's also used for puppy training. Also, having a collar or a harness on your pup makes it easier for you to take care of it.
There are various collars and harnesses available for puppies which are very soft and gentle on the coat. Also, the type of leash you would want to get depends on whether or not you're training your pup. For training, long or retractable leashes are preferred so that you have control over the pup even when inside the house.
Harnesses are better than collars since they don't possess the risk of choking, and also don't possess force in one place only. Even if your pup tries to pull away from you with all its power, a harness would divide the force throughout the chest area and not hurt the puppy.
You can also get accessories for your pup, like name tags, bells, bows, and so many more things to jazz up your puppy's cuteness.
Health Supplements
Just like a regular food diet is not sufficient for humans and they have to incorporate some multivitamins, nutrients, etc., dogs need the same. Especially if you're giving your dog a home diet, you need to add certain health supplements in the diet to keep your dog healthy.
Consumption of health supplements for dogs shall start from an early age itself, so that their body is growing to its full potential. Now the question arrives: what kind of health supplements are really necessary for a dog? Read the following points to know about the same.
Essential health supplements for dogs-
- Multivitamins: Just like humans, dogs need vitamins too, such as Vitamin A, B (which includes B12 and B6), C, D, E, F, J, K, and other minerals too. Adding multivitamins to your dogs diet can help its overall health and keep your furry friend protected. You can very easily find multivitamins in stores for your pet.
- Probiotics: Probiotic health supplements aids digestive health for dogs too. They help to break down the digestive food easily which enables good absorption of nutrients. You should consult your vet for the right kind of probiotic supplement for your dog.
- Omegas: Omega supplements are good for skin and hair health of the dogs, as well as, their heart health. Also, Omega helps aid kidney function and control inflammation.
- Liver supplements: Liver supplements are essential for your if you're providing it a home diet. Liver supplements help in removing toxins from the blood, help in storing vitamins and minerals, and making bile acids that are required for digestion.
You can shop for health supplements for dogs from our virtual store!
Teether Toys/ Snacks
This is a must have item for puppies! Puppies get a strong itch from their newly growing teeth, and they feel the urge to bite on things. This is why you would see puppies chewing things, like sofas, slippers, and anything they can find to just calm the itch. To avoid getting things ruined in your house, just get some teether toys!
Teether toys are of many types, some are silicone based soft toys, while others are a little hard in texture and more durable.
Likewise, teether snacks fulfil the same purpose, plus they are edible which makes it more interesting for the puppy. Puppies would be more likely to enjoy a snack while calming the urge to chew things. There are multiple chewable treats available, you can check some of them out here.
Puppy Shampoo for Post-Vaccinations
While it is not advised to bathe your puppy after getting vaccination shots, it could be that the puppy got really dirty and needs a cleanup. In such a case, using a puppy shampoo is a good idea as it is very mild in nature. Puppy shampoos are made to cater to the sensitivity of puppies. If you really need to, you can bath your puppy with a puppy shampoo post vaccination.
Travel Bags/ Carriers
Now that you have collected all the essential items you need for your puppy and you have to travel somewhere, where would you keep all the things? In a travel bag! Travel bags and carriers for dogs are designed in such a way that all the essential items can fit inside it and also, your puppy can fit in too! Isn't that the cutest thing? Check out this travel bag for reference.
To sum it up
In this blog, we have tried to add all the essential items that you would require if you adopt a puppy or already have one. If you get your hands on all these things, it's enough for you to start parenting. Best of luck for the beautiful journey that lies ahead of you and let us know if you have any other query related to pets.
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About the Writer
Nandini is a Delhi-based freelance Writer. She has been working as a creative Writer and Copy Writer eversince she was in college. Her ultimate goal is to become a Journalist. She is a foodie and a dog enthusiast.
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