Puppy Shopping Checklist
Below are some of the items you should consider when preparing for your new Moss Creek Goldendoodle puppy. You will not need everything listed before your puppy arrives - this list is intended to help you consider all your puppy's basic needs. You can print this and take it with you when you are shopping for your new puppy.
General
- Paper towels - a lot of paper towels. : )
- Nothing in the crate for the first few weeks. Then use old towels. Once puppy is reliably crate trained, a "real" crate bed can be used.
- Old Blanket or Towel (s) to cover wire Crate.
- Acrylic (Fake) Nail file, cardboard with sandpaper type, for smoothing nails, if desired.
- Hydrogen Peroxide - to induce vomiting, if necessary.
- Baby Gate (s) - Try baby supply stores and Target - generally more choices and cheaper than pet stores (Beware that horizontal bars provide a foot-hold for climbing puppies. Also consider spacing between bars, as some times it is large enough for little puppies to get caught).
Pet Supplies
- Nature's Miracle (gallon size) or similar stain/odor neutralizer.
- Storage bin for dry food - air tight.
- Poop Scooper
- I.D. Tag - See boomerangtags.com for their flat collar tags for adjustable collars. They also sell collars with tags included for the smaller sized dogs. You can also make them yourself at PetSmart or PetCo.
- 15 foot or longer (up to 50 foot) training leash.
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Wire Crate for crate training - Double door folding crate with divider. Check out the Crate Shopping page for the crate we use and recommend. Medium - Standard sized Goldendoodles need at least a 42 inch crate - If you have room, get the 48 inch. Doodles sleep stretched out like frogs. They like a lot of room to be comfortable. Small Doodles can use a 36 inch crate.
Collars, Leashes, and Gear
- Adjustable Nylon collar w/plastic clasp. 8 - 12 inch size for standard and medium Goldendoodle puppies. This will work for them for several months. Smaller for mini-small Goldendoodle puppies.
- 6-foot leash
- Car harness that snaps into the seat belt
- Bitter Apple (bitter taste deters dogs from biting, licking and chewing.)
- Food and water bowls (stainless steel or ceramic, no plastic.)
- Waste Bags
- Poochie-Bells to hang by back door. Helps with house training - they learn to ring the bell to alert you that they need to go out. I highly recommend them for house training your new puppy.
Food and Vitamins
Puppy Food - Purina Pro Plan Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice Formula. We wean our puppies onto Purina Pro Plan because it is widely recommended by the AVMA. Nutrition is incredibly important for our puppies, and we want to make sure that we are in compliance with current, science-based recommendations. Read more about this Food on our Puppy Food page.
Order your puppy's NuVet Vitamins. Your puppy will start them at 6 weeks old. You cannot purchase these at the pet store, you will need to order them online. Visit our NuVet Vitamin page to order online or call 1-800-474-7044 order code - 4576151.
Chews, Treats and Toys
Puppies don't need a lot of treats for the first month until they are about 12 weeks old - treats can upset their stomachs and cause diarrhea. It's best to treat them with pieces of their dog food and lots of praise.
- Medium or Large Kong Toy
- Stuffed Dog Toys w/ squeakers
- Balls (squeaky rubber balls)
- Sterilized bones or bully sticks for chewing
- Nylabone Keys and Dinosaur for chewing
Health and Grooming Supplies
- Pin Brush
- Medium tooth Comb
- Puppy Shampoo
- Puppy Conditioner / Grooming Spray
- Ear Wash solution See the Puppy Care Info page
- Plier-style nail clippers w/nail guard
- Ear cleaning/drying solution. Cotton balls for cleaning ears.
- Firm-up Pumpkin or 100% Pure canned Pumpkin (from the baking isle of your grocery store) Pumpkin is a good source of fiber. When puppy has diarrhea or constipation, a tablespoon or two with every meal for several days should help alleviate symptoms. Freeze excess in ice cube tray.
Additional Items
- Ownership and Training books recommendations include: "The Dog Listener", "Puppies for Dummies", and many more... See the Books page.
- Start shopping for Obedience classes
- Lots of Love and Patience :)
