Guide: The Best Thing I Ever Bought My Puppy
One of the most popular questions we get is: “Help, I’m bringing home a new puppy. What should I buy?!” A couple of weeks ago we posted on Instagram and asked you about the puppy products YOU loved that made life with your puppy easier and helped you survive the craziness. Once again we were blown away by your responses, and decided to turn them into an easy to reference guide. We will keep adding to this list as we get more great recommendations from YOU, the amazing pet parents and pro-trainers in our TOC Fam! [Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning TOC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through our links, at no cost to you.]
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Enrichment
The Rumbl
From @lumosdogtraining: “The rumbl is so versatile. You can put a toy in the top hole, seal the smaller hole with wet food, add a variety of food sizes.”
2. The Kong Wobbler
From @lumosdogtraining: “I absolutely love my @kongcompany wobblers ... I’ve had one of my wobblers since my first guide dog puppy I raised over 10 years ago 🙈.”
3. The Toppl
From @lumosdogtraining: “The toppl is an easy way to provide frozen enrichment and if you have both sizes it can be a good dispensing toy, too!”
4. A Food Dispensing Toy
From @frostbitesleddogs: “Food dispensing toys have been an absolute lifesaver"…” Note: TOC found this Planet Dog Orbee-Tuff Snoop Interactive Treat Dispensing Dog Toy on Amazon.
5. The Puppy Kong
From @eearthchild: “Puppy Kongs!! Freeze a tiny bit of peanut butter inside to make it more challenging to lick out :).”
6. Frozen Wash Cloths
From @bugthestreetdog: “Not something I’ve bought, but freezing old wash cloths to make frozen teething rings. Since we foster, it’s a cheap way to help the baby sharks.” Note: TOC found these wash cloths on Amazon.
7. A Flirt Pole
From @kusherwood: “A dog-sized flirt pole! I had a lot of trouble trying to teach my pup impulse control aka not go after every single bird, squirrel, piece of trash in the wind 😂 with the flirt pole, I’d practice having her stay in “place” command while I would move the flirt pole around. I would reward her with an “ok/free” command to catch the toy at the end of the flirt pole! Also was a great tool for rainy days where she didn’t get as much exercise or outdoor stimulation.” Note: TOC found this flirt pole on Amazon.
8. The Okra Tire
From @the_mojitomoji: “Orka tire. It’s one of the most looked over enrichment toys and gets a stupid amount of attention in our house.”
9. amazon boxes and paper stuffing
From @_shnatalie: “One of the best things I learned with our pup was to give an outlet for their natural puppy behaviors. Ours liked to shred. After finding her with several shredded full toilet paper rolls, we started giving her our Amazon boxes and paper stuffing that came with them so she could happily shred in peace. It was such a great energy outlet for her and I think also helped with her teething (this worked because she didn’t have a desire to eat what she shredded, just spits it out). Find what natural puppy behaviors their exploring and give them a safe way to do it that doesn’t harm your valuable things! “ Note: TOC found these plain moving boxes on Amazon, but if you buy one of the other products on our list from Amazon, you can just use that free packaging for enrichment.
10. The Benebone
11. A Higher Quality Snuffle Mat
From @thesnuffleclub: “I bought a low quality snuffle mat on Amazon, it was awesome til it ripped (they had fun ripping it up though) so I decided to make my own! Loved it so much I have my own snuffle business because I wanted to share it with all the dogs!!” Note: TOC found this snuffle mat on the site that @thesnuffleclub links to in their IG bio!
12. A Food Puzzle Toy
From @lb_and_doggg: “…Lots and lots of enrichment toys were our favorite and best way to get through a day of puppyhood. Food puzzles…I wish I’d known about the canine enrichment page on Facebook sooner.” Note: TOC found this puzzle toy on Amazon.
13. The Busy Buddy Magic Mushroom
From @lcherub121: “I see a lot of kong wobbler and west paw recommendations but none of my favorite enrichment feeder: the Busy Buddy Magic Mushroom!!! The wobbler was way too easy for my dog after a week or so, and when I couldn’t get her to eat filling up the magic mushroom was always a hit.”
14. Carrots, Celery, or Cabbage
From @lumosdogtraining: “…something that cost very little is letting your pup shred carrots, celery, or cabbage! It feels good on their teeth and meets some of those land shark needs!” Note: TOC found these celery sticks on Amazon.
15. The Kong Easy Treat Spray Can
From @untrainablenorahbones: Kong Easy Treat spray cans make filling treat dispensers so much easier.
16. An Old Towel
From @marvelousmaisienj: “Best (mostly?) free things: an old towel for DIY snuffle snacks…” Note: TOC found these towels on Amazon.
17. Kong Ball With Ridges
From @pippinalab: “The toy we really liked was the Kong ball with ridges that can also be filled with treats. It was the best for teaching him how puzzle toys worked because it is not very hard and PB can be smeared on it for extra chewing. We don't use it as a puzzle anymore but we do still use it as a ball!”
18. A Lickimat
From TOC: We found this LickiMat on the Lizo Bandana Co site. They are featured on our friend, Kassidi Jones’, Black Pet IG list here.
For the Home and Management
Baby Gates
Baby Gates
2. A Primo Pad For the Crate
From @mollieandcollieandmerle: “The one that saved my bacon this time around was a Primo Pad for the crate. They are waterproof and highly chew resistant. You can even get them with zip tie attachments so the puppy can’t dig it up or flip it. Anthem had “hunger pukes” in the early am for awhile and had thrown up on his crate pad multiple times. Fortunately all it takes to get the Primo clean is a quick wipe down. And I have never worried about him chewing up or ingesting it because he’s not tough enough to damage it which means he actually has something to lay on when unsupervised (Valor spent awhile laying on nothing but the crate pan because I didn’t trust her)! Great family owned business with good customer service and prompt shipping too! 😁 @primopads.”
3. An X-Pen
From @meghandvolta :”I’ll be real, I packed up an entire ex-pen and brought it to an air bnb for three nights with our puppy a few months ago. When your puppy isn’t fully crate trained yet but you need SOMEWHERE to put the gremlin because you want to shower, they are invaluable. You don’t have to rush because fido will not be eating your shoes when you get out. It also doesn’t allow them access to cupboards/drawer pulls like just gating off the kitchen does (I say that from experience having lost molding to puppy teeth)!” Note: TOC found this x-pen on Amazon.
4. A Crate
From @lindsayeberts: “…Crates! Crates everywhere! (Car, office, bedroom, living room).” Note: TOC found this crate on Amazon.
5. A bed with bolster sides
6. A Water Wicking Mat
From @lindsayeberts: “…water-wicking mats at my door for wet feet…”Note: TOC found this mat on Amazon.
7. A Dog Bed with a Washable Cover
From @untrainablenorahbones: “Investing in a dog bed with a removable, machine washable cover was a game changer. Don't fall for beds simply advertised as "machine washable" as they may mean you have put the entire bed in the machine, which is not very helpful with large dog beds.” Note: TOC found this bed on The Houndry site. PS: Use the code OTIS for 20% off on any order.
8. A Privacy Screen
From @untrainablenorahbones: “When it comes to management: Privacy screens for windows or see-through doors (storm doors, sliding deck doors) has helped minimize passerby distractions…”Note: TOC found this privacy screen on Amazon.
9. An Extra Tall Pet Gate
From @untrainablenorahbones: “…Extra tall pet gates that open and close are great for keeping my dog out of the kitchen.” Note: TOC found this baby gate on Amazon.
10. The Furbo
From @lkee507: “The Furbo! Expensive but worth it with the barking/cry[ing] notifications. It definitely helped my anxiety when I left the house but could still check in on him. Plus the daily video recaps are so cute!!”
11. A Waterproof Bed
From @lb_and_doggg: “One thing I didn’t have that I would get now is a waterproof bed!!! I didn’t know that they were a thing and we lost many a bed because they were the best place to pee 😅…” Note: TOC found this bed on Amazon.
12. Dog Blankets
From @katiestacy: “…We used blankets instead of dog beds because they are easier to wash and she was less interested in chewing…”Note: TOC found this dog blanket on Amazon.
13. A snuggle puppy
From @dntblink: “Heart beat puppy for those first few weeks. When they start using them as a toy instead of a pack member you can remove from bedtime routine.”
14. Krud Cutter Pet Carpet Cleaner
15. Bissel SpotClean
16. A little microwaveable heating pad
From @amystew20: “A little microwaveable heat pad. I had her in with me the very first night but she was crated beside my bed at the start and the heat source kept her sleeping all night from the second night I had her. A must, I think, as small animals cannot regulate their body heat.” Note: TOC found this pad on Amazon.
17. A Waterproof Play Mat
18. A Head Torch
19. A Dog Bandana
From TOC: We found these bandanas that are perfect for the holidays on the FurTheCulture Etsy Page. FurTheCulture is featured on our friend, Kassidi Jones’, Black Pet IG list here.
Leashes & Collars & Harnesses
A Biothane Long line
From @pneuwarum :”A biothane longline. Easy to clean, stands up to wet West Coast weather, and allows my deaf dog to explore and sniff safely on walks.” Note: TOC found this long line on High Tail Hike’s website. PS: Use code TAILSOFCONNECTION for 10% off on all products!
2. A Backclip Harness
From @jacuzzagram : “…Essential dog products I would consider are: 1. Back-clip harness…” Note: TOC found this harness on Amazon.
3. A Biothane Collar
From @catinarium: “…a biothane collar with stainless steel hardware (@canaancollars) that can handle frequent beach adventures…”
4. A a PetSafe 3 IN 1 HARNESS
5. A Ruffwear Front Range Harness
From @catinarium: “…And TWO good harnesses for when one is inevitably wet and dirty! I like @ruffwear front range…”
6. A Rope Leash
From TOC: We found this leash on The Lofty Leash site. They are featured on our friend, Kassidi Jones’, Black Pet IG list here.
Play
An Outdoor Tunnel
From @zoology.rocs: “He LOVES his outside tunnel. Just a cheap kids crawl through tunnel but great for exposing him to small spaces, weird sounds and textures.” Note: TOC found this tunnel on Amazon.
2. West Paw Toys
From @mich_leung_: “Love West Paw toys my Lab can’t destroy them! Has had a few since he was a puppy and lasted over a year and a half now.”
3. Gouhnuts Toys
From @mollykcrandles: “…Our dog is an incredible chewer, and the only brand he hasn’t been able to destroy is Goughnuts…”
4. Toys From Kong
From @untrainablenorahbones: “After months of torn up toys I finally invested in durable and rubber toys from @kongcompany and @westpawus and they have lasted longer and in better shape than other toys, saving me $$. With an AmStaff mix who loves to chew to destruction I had to find toys that would LAST.”
5. A Chuckit! Ball
From @tinesnub: “We‘d take the Chuckit! ball to an island with us - indestructible, versatile (play fetch, chew, hide it for search), fun!…”
6. A Kiddie Pool
From @katiestacy: “…For a summertime pup, we loved filling the kiddie pool and “bobbing” for treats…” Note: TOC found this kiddie pool on Amazon.
7. A Plush Pizza Slice
From TOC: We found this plush pizza slice on the In Pups We Trust. site. They are featured on our friend, Kassidi Jones’, Black Pet IG list here.
For the Car or Travel
A Seat belt Harness
From @untrainablenorahbones:”A seat belt harness + tether and car hammock to keep my dog secure and my car clean. When I brought her home she was jumping all over the car which was a huge safety hazard. Now she's learned how to sit nicely in the car, is less distracting, and is safer…” Note: TOC found this harness on Amazon.
2. A Back seat Hammock
From @untrainablenorahbones: “…A car hammock to keep my dog secure and my car clean. When I brought her home she was jumping all over the car which was a huge safety hazard. Now she's learned how to sit nicely in the car, is less distracting, and is safer. Plus the hammock can convert to hammock or seat style.” Note: TOC found this back seat hammock on Amazon.
3. A Travel Water Bottle
From @lindsayeberts: “Also…doggie water bottle for hiking…” Note: TOC found this dog travel water bottle on the Lizo Bandana Co site. They are featured on our friend, Kassidi Jones’, Black Pet IG list here.
4. A Travel Crate
From @taralfk: “…a travel crate-we started traveling really young. She would not sleep in a hotel unless she was in her crate!” Note: TOC found this travel crate on Amazon.
5. A Stroller
From @lkee507: “A puppy stroller. My Pomeranian puppy was way too little to go outside but I still wanted to expose him to different environments.” Note: TOC found this stroller on Amazon.
Training Gear
A Treat Pouch
From @frostbitesleddogs: “…Also highly recommend investing in a decent treat pouch with a few different pockets.” Note: TOC found this treat pouch on Amazon.
2. A Muzzle
From @jacuzzagram: “…Muzzle or empty yogurt container to desensitize the pup to sticking their face into things. It’s much easier to get them used to wearing things while they’re young, than if you wait for them to be older. It’s a skill that’s suuuper useful in all sorts of situations, but especially cool when you have a muzzle trained puppy that doesn’t eat everything it sees on your walks. Saves you a lot of stress and lets you walk in places you wouldn’t normally be able to take them. Our favorite field was covered in duck poop, but thanks to the muzzle, we were able to walk there without her gorging herself on grossness.” Note: TOC found this muzzle on Amazon.
3. A Rope Toy for Training ‘Drop It’
From @jacuzzagram: “…Rope toy for tug-o-war and “drop it” training! I got the most solid “drop it” without even trying, simply by playing tug with her. Hold the toy and quit tugging until she drops it, then reward by continuing the game. She generalized that skill to dropping food as well, even though I never even set up any training scenarios with food. (Obviously, if I raise another puppy, I wouldn’t take that risk a second time. I’d do actual food centered training sessions just to be sure the puppy learns to drop food as well.)” Note: TOC found this rope toy on Amazon.
4. A WhiteBoard
From @rutabeagle: “A whiteboard where can document when they last pottied and napped. It made crate and potty training so much easier.” Note: TOC found this whiteboard on Amazon.
5. A CLicker
6. A Fanny Pack
From TOC: We found this human fanny pack on the Afropawlitan site. Afropawlitan is featured on our friend, Kassidi Jones’, Black Pet IG list here.
Grooming
A brush
From @kiboodle: “Have a poodle. What's in my grooming bag? Brush…” Note: TOC found this brush on Amazon.
2. A Slicker Brush
From @kiboodle: “Have a poodle. What's in my grooming bag?…slicker…” Note: TOC found this slicker brush on Amazon.
3. A Pair of Clippers
From @kiboodle: “Have a poodle. What's in my grooming bag?…clipper…” Note: TOC found these clippers on Amazon.
4. Baby Wipes
From @tinesnub: “…For grooming we have baby wipes with us in the car (cause I never bath her but she rolled in feces 2-3 times before and they get it out of that few spots right away before drying…” Note: TOC found these wipes on Amazon.
5. A Toothbrush
6. A 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner
From @mollykcrandles: “…We loved Burts Bees 2 in 1 tearless shampoo and conditioner for our puppy, still using it now that he’s 2!…”
Pandemic Puppies: Training Tips and Tricks
We are so honored to introduce our first ever Expert in Residence for our Show & Tell series. Meet Karishma Warr (they/them) who is here to share all sorts of training tips and tricks for your PANDEMIC PUPPIES! As the head of training and behavior at Calm Canine Academy, Karishma is a certified professional dog trainer specializing in treating complex behavior concerns in an urban environment. Keep scrolling for all of Karishma’s amazing content from their Show & Tell residency with TOC!
How To Think About Your Pandemic Puppy’s Routine
So you just got a pandemic puppy?! YAY! What comes next?! Did you know that with a young puppy, it can be helpful to stick to a predictable schedule that meets their biological needs and encourages healthy behavioral habits? There's no single playbook when it comes to scheduling every dog - what your dog's day looks like depends on breed, age, location, resources etc. We encourage you to think about “The Puppy Triangle” when organizing your day with them. As your puppy gets older, they tend to spend less time resting, and have longer periods of activity and enrichment. Potty training and feeding take place within this schedule as needed!
The Puppy Triangle
1: ACTIVITY
When your puppy wakes up from sleep or from a nap they will need to go straight to potty before engaging in an activity that meets their needs, and builds the skills they need.2: ENRICHMENT
After a period of activity and the chance to use the bathroom, we often give puppies a little 'project' to work on. It frequently involves food of some kind, but the idea is to give your puppy some time to do their own thing, use their brains, and settle themselves down after a period of activity. You can use their allocated daily calories in enrichment toys, or you can simply let your pup sniff around, self play or chew on a bone. Many people will choose to have their puppies in their puppy pens, gated into a room, or tethered to a heavy piece of furniture to keep them in their sight and help condition containment systems.3: REST
Did you know that puppies under five months need 18 to 20 hours of sleep PER DAY? With all of us home 24/7 it can be hard to not interact with your puppy all the time, but lack of proper rest can lead to increased mouthing, whining, barking, and hyperactivity - which is NOT cute when you're on an important Zoom call! After their needs are met through activity and enrichment - and they've had a chance to use the bathroom - puppies must be given time in their puppy pen or crate with a white noise machine to rest and recuperate before it all starts again!
Five Training Ideas to Help Socialize Your Pandemic Puppy Indoors
Many of us are struggling to get our pandemic puppies out and about due to COVID restrictions. However we can do a lot at home to get them comfortable and ready for life post pandemic.
1. CONFINEMENT
Conditioning your dog to confinement systems like crates or puppy pens can help set them up for success when you start to practice leaving them alone in preparation for returning to work or other life obligations!
2. OBJECTS AND SURFACES
To build confidence and prepare them for the unpredictable human world, you can work on new surface and object acclamation. You can use items like exercise equipment, kitchen tools, furniture, couch cushions, vacuums and more! Pairing these items with food, play and attention can help puppies learn that objects that move strangely and look a little bit odd are nothing to be feared.
3. SOUNDS
Acclimate and habituate your dog to new sounds that they will be expected to deal with when the world returns to normal. Plays sounds like sirens, motorcycles, children, dogs barking, construction noise, thunder, fireworks, etc. at a low volume on your phone or speaker and pay them with primary reinforcers like food, play, and praise.
4. HANDLING
Your pups will be expected to tolerate being touched, inspected, injected, brushed, washed, and wiped, which can be very challenging for young puppies and can lead to a lot of nipping. By pairing these things with high-value food like cream cheese and hot dogs, we can start to teach them that it’s nothing to fear!
5. TRAINING
If you want your pups to be able to walk on a loose leash, give you attention, and settle in busy urban environments, at parties, and around people and dogs, training starts indoors. This video shows me playing a fun walking game with my dog around my house! Definitely enroll in an online puppy class or work with a certified trainer to get your pup the skills they need in a low distraction environment before returning to a busy post-pandemic world. BTW Calm Canine Academy offers The Puppy Program, which is a LIVE four-week digital puppy raising course!
Training Tips and Tricks for Prepping Pandemic Puppies for Alone Time
When it comes to preparing our puppies for post pandemic alone time, the biggest advice we can give is to START NOW! Start helping your pup adjust to solo time weeks or even months before a significant absence - aka returning to the office. You’ll do this through a systematic desensitization process - aka slowly exposing your pups to the experience of being home alone in small increments that they can handle without panicking.
For many dogs this starts with simply stepping out of the door for one second, building up to two seconds, then five seconds, then one minute over a series of days. Those minutes will become hours with systematic daily practice, but we are often talking a matter of months not weeks for some pups to get truly comfortable with regular long periods of alone time.
To ensure our pups are always comfortable with our incremental absences it’s vital that we set up a camera or viewing system of some sort to observe and document their behavior. That way, if you have built up to two minutes of alone time, you can watch your pup through your camera and be sure to come back BEFORE you see signs of panic. This teaches your pup that absences are SAFE and that you'll never leave them for longer than they can handle.
Important management tip: While our puppies are still learning to be comfortable when left alone we need to avoid letting them cry it out! Imagine someone who’s afraid of water being pushed in the deep end of a pool - that might actually make them MORE nervous to be around a pool in the future! Well that's what it can feel like to many pups who are 'thrown in the deep end' with regards to isolation. It’s vital we take it at their pace, knowing that's the only way to truly get them safe and avoid sensitization.
For many the thought of breaking down a four hour absence into seconds and putting in place a systematic desensitization protocol seems overwhelming and that's where the professionals come in. We HIGHLY recommend reaching out to a CSAT (certified separation anxiety trainer) to get the coaching and support you need to successfully see improvement with this challenging behavior.
For many more training tips and tricks for pandemic puppies, check out this live interview we did with Karishma on Instagram.