You need less than the shop wants you to buy and more than you think in one or two specific areas. Here is what fifteen years of sending puppies home has taught us about the list.

Buy before the puppy arrives

  • Crate — sized for the adult dog, with a divider you move as they grow. A crate too big lets a puppy toilet in one end and sleep in the other, which undoes house training.
  • Bed or crate pad — washable, and cheap enough that you will not resent it when it gets chewed.
  • Food — the same brand the breeder uses, at least for the first fortnight.
  • Stainless steel bowls — dishwasher-safe and not chewable. Plastic harbours bacteria and gets destroyed.
  • Flat collar and ID tag — legally required in many places, and a lifesaver if the puppy slips out.
  • Harness — much kinder on a puppy neck than a collar for lead walking, and essential for a Dachshund.
  • Two leads — a 4–6ft everyday lead and a long line for recall practice. Skip retractable leads.
  • Enzymatic cleaner — not ordinary detergent. Enzymatic products break down the odour that tells a puppy "this is the toilet".
  • Puppy-safe chews and a stuffable rubber toy — a frozen stuffed Kong is the single best invention for crate training.
  • Soft brush and metal comb — for a doodle, start on day one even before the coat needs it.
  • Baby gates or a playpen — the cheapest sanity you will ever buy.

Buy in the first month

  • Nail clippers or a grinder, plus a soft toothbrush and dog toothpaste.
  • Puppy shampoo — dog-specific, never human shampoo.
  • A car restraint: crash-tested harness or a secured travel crate.
  • A training treat pouch and a lot of very small, very good treats.
  • A puppy training class booking — book early, good ones fill up.

What you can skip

Expensive designer beds while the dog still chews. Rawhide, which is a choking and blockage risk. Retractable leads, which teach pulling and cause injuries. Enormous toy hauls — puppies engage more with four rotated toys than twenty available at once. And most "puppy starter kits", which pad the price with items you will replace immediately.

Setting the house up

  1. Pick the crate spot — central and social, not a spare room.
  2. Gate off one puppy-safe zone rather than trying to proof the whole house.
  3. Get down at floor level and look for cables, small objects and toxic plants.
  4. Choose the outdoor toilet spot and use it every single time.
  5. Agree the house rules with everyone who lives there, before arrival.
  6. Put your vet's number and the emergency clinic on the fridge.

Frequently asked questions

Buy for the adult size and use a divider to shrink the usable space while the puppy is small. A crate that is too roomy lets a puppy toilet at one end and sleep at the other, which slows house training considerably.

Every puppy goes home with up-to-date vaccinations and health records, a comprehensive health guarantee, a bag of their current food, a blanket carrying their litter's scent, toys, a training guide and lifetime breeder support.

It is optional but worth considering, and it is cheapest when taken out before any condition exists. Typical premiums run $300–$700 a year, against emergency surgeries that routinely reach several thousand dollars.

Rawhide (choking and blockage risk), retractable leads (they teach pulling and cause injuries), human shampoo, and expensive beds bought before the chewing stage is over.