Getting a new puppy can be terribly overwhelming if you haven't had one for a while. Here is a list of helpful resources and "10 Must Haves" to help you get started!
Bringing home a new puppy is like bringing home a new baby! So much stuff! So many things to think about! Here are some must haves for your first few weeks with your new puppy!
1. An established relationship with a vet, and insurance! I cannot stress this enough. Having an established vet clinic is extremely important to make sure your new little one stays on track with vaccines and any growing pains that come along. We also require that you carry insurance for your puppy for your health guarantee to be valid (we will provide you with a coupon to enroll with trupanion, but you can also choose a different company). This is because we have seen 100's of sad cases in our animal-related forums on FB and other places, where people end up having to put their animals down or surrender them because they cannot afford to care for them when they develop an injury or illness. We strongly believe vets deserve to be paid what they are worth for the wonderful care they provide our animals, and animal care can get very expensive very quickly (ask us how we know). So please, please, please carry an insurance policy. You can have a huge deductible, but I can almost guarantee it will save you heartache down the road sometime!
2. Leash and harness. All of our puppies will have been started on the command "dress" to get into their harness, but they will still need lots of practice!
3. A kennel or bed. We start familiarizing your puppy with a kennel from the time they are a few weeks old. We strongly recommend Kennel training. Even if you do not use a kennel on a regular basis, Kennel training helps with potty training and in an emergency, having a dog that feels safe in a kennel can make the difference between them being horribly traumatized and being fine. (In 2020, we had to evacuate for wildfires, and we would have been in tough shape if our dogs had not been comfortable in their kennels)
4. A fenced area inisde your house where you can keep your puppy when you are not able to directly supervise it. This area doesn't need to be huge, but gives the puppy access to their bed, a play area and possibly a potty area. This highly decreases the risk that your puppy will get into dangerous mischief while not being directly supervised.
5. Large breed puppy food from a reputable brand. Please note that grain free diets are not recommended for Golden Retrievers, as they can cause heart problems and Large breed puppy foods are a must for growing puppies bones and joints! Click Here to learn more!
6. A good potty spot. This sounds basic, but your pup will come to you with only their first puppy shots and so will still be vulnerable to a lot of deadly diseases. Plan ahead for potty training! Whether that means puppy litter inside your house in their fenced area, or a designated clean area outside that puppy can go potty in, they will need an area that is safe from catching diseases until they are fully vaccinated. I will add that potty training to "outside" if possible will decrease your potty-training headache significantly in the future once they are vaccinated. I only use potty litter for as short a time as possible.
7. Plenty of toys and enrichments. Some popular ideas are kongs, Bene bones, balls, scuffle mats, etc. The Avidog e-book linked below has dozens of great ideas.
8. A plan for puppy training/socialization. Plan ahead to give your puppy the first 3-5 days with you to get used to their new environment, but after that, let the socializing commence. A puppy stroller to take them on walks before they are vaccinated can be a great idea, or a clean, neutral area with a proven puppy friendly other dog for play dates. Please get signed up for puppy classes before you even get your puppy. The first 14 weeks are so vital for socialization and if you procrastinate you will miss the window. If you live in our area I can give you some info on some great trainers.
9. Safe treats. Golden Retrievers will eat anything, and as a lot of trainers say, "don't waste a meal". We recommend that you use mealtimes to do little mini training sessions with your pup, and use their food as their treats. This makes sure they are getting balanced nutrition with all those treats!
10. Carve out time!! Having a puppy is like having a 2-year-old again. To properly train and care for them, they require almost 24 hour attention the first several months. It is worth it, I promise! But please, before bringing home your puppy, have a plan for how you and your family will give it the time it needs to continue to become a happy and well-adjusted dog!
1. An established relationship with a vet, and insurance! I cannot stress this enough. Having an established vet clinic is extremely important to make sure your new little one stays on track with vaccines and any growing pains that come along. We also require that you carry insurance for your puppy for your health guarantee to be valid (we will provide you with a coupon to enroll with trupanion, but you can also choose a different company). This is because we have seen 100's of sad cases in our animal-related forums on FB and other places, where people end up having to put their animals down or surrender them because they cannot afford to care for them when they develop an injury or illness. We strongly believe vets deserve to be paid what they are worth for the wonderful care they provide our animals, and animal care can get very expensive very quickly (ask us how we know). So please, please, please carry an insurance policy. You can have a huge deductible, but I can almost guarantee it will save you heartache down the road sometime!
2. Leash and harness. All of our puppies will have been started on the command "dress" to get into their harness, but they will still need lots of practice!
3. A kennel or bed. We start familiarizing your puppy with a kennel from the time they are a few weeks old. We strongly recommend Kennel training. Even if you do not use a kennel on a regular basis, Kennel training helps with potty training and in an emergency, having a dog that feels safe in a kennel can make the difference between them being horribly traumatized and being fine. (In 2020, we had to evacuate for wildfires, and we would have been in tough shape if our dogs had not been comfortable in their kennels)
4. A fenced area inisde your house where you can keep your puppy when you are not able to directly supervise it. This area doesn't need to be huge, but gives the puppy access to their bed, a play area and possibly a potty area. This highly decreases the risk that your puppy will get into dangerous mischief while not being directly supervised.
5. Large breed puppy food from a reputable brand. Please note that grain free diets are not recommended for Golden Retrievers, as they can cause heart problems and Large breed puppy foods are a must for growing puppies bones and joints! Click Here to learn more!
6. A good potty spot. This sounds basic, but your pup will come to you with only their first puppy shots and so will still be vulnerable to a lot of deadly diseases. Plan ahead for potty training! Whether that means puppy litter inside your house in their fenced area, or a designated clean area outside that puppy can go potty in, they will need an area that is safe from catching diseases until they are fully vaccinated. I will add that potty training to "outside" if possible will decrease your potty-training headache significantly in the future once they are vaccinated. I only use potty litter for as short a time as possible.
7. Plenty of toys and enrichments. Some popular ideas are kongs, Bene bones, balls, scuffle mats, etc. The Avidog e-book linked below has dozens of great ideas.
8. A plan for puppy training/socialization. Plan ahead to give your puppy the first 3-5 days with you to get used to their new environment, but after that, let the socializing commence. A puppy stroller to take them on walks before they are vaccinated can be a great idea, or a clean, neutral area with a proven puppy friendly other dog for play dates. Please get signed up for puppy classes before you even get your puppy. The first 14 weeks are so vital for socialization and if you procrastinate you will miss the window. If you live in our area I can give you some info on some great trainers.
9. Safe treats. Golden Retrievers will eat anything, and as a lot of trainers say, "don't waste a meal". We recommend that you use mealtimes to do little mini training sessions with your pup, and use their food as their treats. This makes sure they are getting balanced nutrition with all those treats!
10. Carve out time!! Having a puppy is like having a 2-year-old again. To properly train and care for them, they require almost 24 hour attention the first several months. It is worth it, I promise! But please, before bringing home your puppy, have a plan for how you and your family will give it the time it needs to continue to become a happy and well-adjusted dog!
Free e-books from Avidog
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