If you’re reading this, it’s likely because you are bringing home a new bundle of joy…your new puppy! Congratulations! Bringing home our pup has been so exciting and we can’t imagine life without him now.
Things get pretty crazy in the first week of puppy/dog ownership. Between waking up all hours of the night to potty train or keeping a very close watch at all times, you have very little free time! That’s why it’s a good idea to stock up on all the puppy essentials before your little pup even steps through the door.
Here are some items I really recommend when first getting a puppy:
For the ride home:
A cardboard box filled with an old towel, a t-shirt that smells like you (seriously, go on a run wearing this shirt and then put it in the box – it helps them learn your scent quicker!), baby wipes (in case of accidents), a collapsible water bowl, and a small toy. The cardboard box was preferable to the crate as we cut off the edges and placed it in the backseat with the towel in it so I could sit with Winston while he got used to us and the car. Of course, he did have some accidents throughout our long car ride, so it was nice to just be able to throw away the box when we got home – and the baby wipes will come in handy then too, trust me!
A leash – This leash was perfect! I loved the bright color and the comfortable handle. It feels very durable.
A harness – This is the one we chose for Winston. We opted for the XXS and it fits him pretty well! It is a little big now but since it is adjustable, we make it work. We know we’ll have to grab him another one when he gets bigger, but this one is perfect for a new pup!
Once you’re back home:
A good crate – You’ll want to get your pup used to having a spot they can call all theirs! We opted to crate train and it has been going really well! We chose a crate he could grow into, with a divider to make it small enough for his puppy phase. You want to give them a small space as a pup, as they will sometimes mess in their crate if they can create a separate place to sleep and go to the bathroom.
Puppy Gates – We actually have two different types of puppy gates. One is a little bit larger to fit a larger door opening we have. We like it because it has folding panels, so we can stretch it to fit the door opening we have and also easily open and close it. The other gate is for our stairwell. This one has a door that can be easily opened and closed but is still very puppy-proof.
Stair treads – If you have stairs like us, you’ll want to get some stair treads to make your stairs less slippery. This is for the protection of your pup and YOU when you wake at 3 A.M. to go outside, so you don’t slip down the stairs. They have all kinds of these, some that look more like rugs and the clear ones that we purchased. I barely notice them anymore and they make me feel much more comfortable when I carry our baby down the stairs.
Play Pen – We like having a puppy play pen for Winston for when we don’t want to crate him and when we can’t keep a close eye on him. This one is great because you can re-shape it to fit your needs. We stretch it out to fit a nook in our house and so that Winston can still get to his crate. It’s also great for meal times as the pup can be left alone while they are eating!
Nylabones – Nylabones quickly became one of Winston’s FAVORITE toys. He weirdly really likes the dental bone – I say weird because my other dogs never liked them that much. But he loves the bacon flavored one – I give this to him when he’s being a bit bitey. It keeps him occupied for awhile!
Chicken for training – We bought puppy treats that were supposedly high rated, organic, etc. but they made Winston’s tummy very upset. We think that the treats were too rich for him. I’ll spare you the details, but you might wake up to a lot of messes in the crate if you train with treats. When you’re training, you want to reward the dog with tiny morsels every time he or she gets it right. The vet recommend boiled chicken to us. Once we cooked it, we shredded it into teeny tiny pieces and use it for training every day! He loves it.
Toys – I have been enjoying picking out the cutest dog toys for Winston. There are so many great ones out there! We signed up for BarkBox and plan to use that as our main source of toys for the little guy. I’ve linked a few here that I love:
We’ve been liking the BarkBox toys that have multiple parts that fit into a larger toy. We have one that is an apple pie with mini apples that fit into the pie. It’s good now because we give him the small little apples as they are the perfect bite-size for his tiny puppy mouth. He will eventually grow into the larger toy and we hope it will be a stimulating play experience for him to try to remove the apples from the pie!
Another note about toys – our breeder DOES NOT recommend toys with hard eyes. The dog can easily remove those eyes and choke on them. We’ve tried to find plush toys that aren’t full of squishy stuffing too, but we do watch him closely while he plays just in case.
A good cleaning product – Messes are inevitable…your multipurpose cleaner will become your new bestie. There are lots of good ones on the market so stock up and clean away!
Baby wipes – Baby wipes will be your new best friend. I never saw this on any of the lists I read prior to getting Winston, but they have been a game changer for us. Obviously, as I mentioned above, a great must-have for the car ride home. One thing to note with corgis – since they typically do not have tails, their little butts are more exposed to the elements (your white t-shirt, your couch, etc) than another dog with a tail covering their butt. For this reason, we will often clean Winston up with a baby wipe after he goes #2. Maybe TMI, but I want you to be prepared. We also use the baby wipes in between baths to keep Winston’s fur clean.
A bed to line the crate – We picked up a nice comfy bed to line Winston’s crate. We don’t plan to give it to him for a little while now, but we know this will be so soft and nice for him to sleep on. For now, we’ve given him some old bath towels so he has something soft to sleep on but won’t be ruined if he has an accident. The bed IS machine-washable, which will come in handy in the future.
A retractable water bowl – These bowls come in so handy whenever we’re on-the-go with Winston or even just playing in the yard. He actually loves it and ends up splashing in it more than drinking (haha) but it is great when he gets thirsty.
Food and water bowl stand – I love the look of this stand and that it keeps the floor clean. I’m pretty sure these type of stands are better for dogs in the long run as they don’t have to bend down so far to eat or drink.
Blanket to cover top of crate – We use an old blanket that we already had to cover Winston’s crate at night. I think it helps him sleep when we cover his crate. Since we began doing that, he is sleeping longer throughout the night – last night he slept from 12-7:45AM!! It also hides the crate a little bit.
Some items I haven’t bought yet but probably will:
A good vacuum – I’ve been considering purchase a Dyson vacuum for a long time, even pre-Winston! But now, I know how much corgis shed – Winston isn’t shedding yet, but adult corgis shed like crazy! So I am strongly considering stocking up on a nice vacuum that is easy to use and powerful.
A robot vacuum – I KNOW… another vacuum. But how nice is this? You can just set it to clean up ALL THE FUR while you’re doing other things.
Furminator Long Hair Deshedding Tool – The Furminator is supposed to a game-changer for dogs that shed a lot. We plan to be proactive once Winston starts shedding and brush him every day. Hopefully this will cut down on fur balls around our home!
Snuffle Mat – This mat was designed to help your dog stay engaged and away from destructive behavior. We plan to hide kibbles, small treats, or even small toys in the mat. It can also be helpful for weight loss and training your dog’s sense of smell.
That’s all for now – pet owners: what are some of your must-haves? Share down below!
