Future dog owners plan the arrival of their new four-legged family member well in advance. As exciting as the decision to take in a dog is, the planning that it takes to be able to give your four-legged friend a nice home is just as exciting. First and foremost, your dog wants to be warmly welcomed as part of the (family) pack, but he still needs a few things in everyday life in order to feel really comfortable. Below you will find out what initial equipment for dogs, especially what initial equipment for puppies, is needed to get started.
As the soon-to-be owner of a four-legged friend, you need good basic equipment to meet your dog’s needs. What shouldn’t be missing from the list and why, read here.
Dogs want to eat their meals regularly. To do this, set up a fixed place in your home and place food and water bowls there. It is important that you choose the right size for your dog, because smaller dogs eat less and larger dogs eat more. The bowls should also be non-slip, stable and easy to clean. A waterproof and dirt-repellent bowl base also protects the floor.
A collar and leash are essential basic dog equipment. Leashes are required in many public places. When choosing a collar and leash, pay attention to the material. This can be a little elastic so that it doesn’t constrict your dog or rub his skin. In the dark season, an LED collar is also recommended, so you can spot your dog on your evening walk even in less lit corners.
Dogs need to eat, play and exercise every day. Apart from that, they like to sleep and relax. As with choosing bowls, the larger your dog, the larger the dog bed needs to be. Smaller four-legged friends, on the other hand, feel more comfortable in smaller beds. Suitable fillings for dog beds are visco foam or microbeads, as these conform to your dog’s lying shape and thus relieve the strain on the joints.
Grooming brushes or combs are essential for long-haired dogs. They are used for daily fur care and effectively prevent matting. Dogs with shorter fur do not need to be brushed daily, but once a week is still recommended. Pests such as ticks can also be discovered more quickly in a shared care unit.
The selection of dog toys is large. It is therefore hardly surprising that new dog owners in particular cannot see the forest for the trees. There are different categories of toys for dogs. These are the most popular:
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strategy toy
These games require tactical skills from your four-legged friend. Your dog must find hidden treats on his own, using his highly developed sense of smell. Classic are sniffing carpets or board games with recesses as well as folding and sliding mechanisms.
Chew and sniff toys
The “Kong” represents this toy like no other. The toy challenges both the chewing muscles and the fine sense of smell. You simply fill the chew toy called “Kong” with treats and your dog has to get his food out on his own.
Fetch toy
Most dogs love to fetch. As a dog owner, you can play the game with classic balls or sticks, or you can also use a food bag that you fill with food. Throw it like a stick and encourage your dog to retrieve the bag to encourage his hunting instincts in a playful way.
Tug toy:
Every dog is happy about a well-groomed tugging competition. Tugging toys such as ropes for chewing, gnawing, tugging, throwing and romping are best suited for this purpose.
A dog whistle is a useful tool for training your dog and is therefore often used for puppies or young dogs. It can be used to condition commands such as “sit” or “come here”. The latter is particularly important on walks when your dog has to obey the command over a greater distance. If you can whistle very loudly, you don’t need a dog whistle, but for everyone else it can be a useful gadget.
Dog owners who do not clean up their four-legged friends’ remains face fines. But out of consideration for those around you, you should always have poop bags ready when walking your dog. Small dispensers that can be attached to the dog leash are particularly practical, so you can neither forget nor lose the poop bags.
Fur brushes, poop bags or bowls are suitable for both adult dogs and young offspring. However, some things differ and so when it comes to initial supplies for a puppy, you have to make sure that the products are tailored to the young dog.
While you have the choice between a harness and collar for older dogs, you should definitely use a puppy harness for small dogs. It protects the puppy’s neck and distributes the pressure of the leash more evenly. The material should be made of flexible material such as nylon so that it does not rub against the skin. It should also be adjustable in size, otherwise you will have to buy the dishes again every few months. When choosing a leash, you should pay attention to robust material, because the little puppies have sharp little teeth that can bite through almost any material over time.
For traveling by car or other means of transport, you will need a dog transport box. This means your puppy can travel safely and cannot get injured or unintentionally obstruct traffic. It’s best to put a dog blanket or favorite toy in the dog transport box so that your puppy has something familiar that smells to cuddle by his side.
Puppies have a strong play instinct. The little four-legged friends don’t like boredom and if it gets out of hand, they’ll try their hand at shoes or door frames. The offspring especially loves chewing, which is why puppy toys should be robust and suitable for chewing. This not only satisfies the play instinct, but also cares for and cleans the puppy’s teeth.
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Interactive toys:
Support your puppy’s cognitive skills with interactive toys. This can happen with the help of smells and sounds that the toy makes.
Chew toys:
Chew toys not only help puppies clean and care for their teeth, but can also provide relief during teething periods. The change of teeth is not comparable to that of humans, but puppies also lose milk teeth and so a teething toy can help. A coffee wood chewing stick is made of natural material and is said to be splinter-free.
Outdoor toys:
Puppies love to romp outside because there is a lot of space and there are lots of new things to discover. New dog owners should always have entertainment ready for the small dog, including sling balls or frisbees to throw. However, the toy should not be too big or heavy for puppies.
Cuddly toys:
Cuddling toys give small dogs a feeling of security, especially when they have to stay in the dog bed without their master or mistress. The softer the material of the cuddly toy, the more comfortable it is for your puppy.
The dog bed should provide your puppy with enough space to turn and move while sleeping. But it shouldn’t be too big so that the small dog can feel safe. As with adult dogs, we recommend a filling made of visco foam or microbeads, which fits comfortably to the way the puppy lies.
Puppies have a lot to learn and as a new dog owner, training your little dog is part of your everyday life. Use reward snacks to show your dog what he is doing right. To always have snacks at hand, we recommend a treat bag that you can easily carry on walks. If your dog is not rewarded immediately after the correct behavior, he will have difficulty making the connection between action and reward. In the treat bag, the snacks are always there when you need them, stay fresh and are well protected from air and light.
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