New Puppy Supply List

Once you pick your perfect puppy, you can begin to shop for the supplies you'll need to care for him. If you take the time to prepare, you can avoid rushed trips to the pet store, and you'll have more relaxed time to spend with your puppy.

Video describing the items that typically come with your puppy: Click Here

Example of what we might be sending home with your puppy:
** Quart-sized bag of food (3-6 days of food)
** 6-day starter of antioxidant supplements
** Veterinary inspection/health certificate (to cross state lines...once home, this can actually be thrown away)
** Blanket with littermates' smell
** Health history for your veterinarian, with vaccination sticker
** Registration papers (usually AKC or UKC or UABR or APRI)
** Summary of topics we talk about when we meet, to help you remember what we discussed.
** A bag to carry the supplies in

Some of the links below are old, and those web sites no longer exist.  I can't keep up with all of the changing addresses and defunct pages, unfortunately. But, some still work! :-)

Safety

Remember that not only supplies are important. Similar to child-proofing a home, you must puppy-proof your home and yard.

• Move plants (some are poisonous) out of areas puppies can reach.
• Also, check for electric cords that are on the floor or within puppy reach.
• If your yard is fenced and you plan to turn puppy loose to potty, check for holes large enough for a soup can to slide through. If you find them, it's possible a young puppy could shimmy through! There is a handy item called a "puppy bumper" (see picture below) that you can attach to your puppy's collar to prevent him/her from fitting through gaps until he/she grows too large to squeeze through: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=puppy+bumper
• Read through a list of poisonous foods and household items that can sicken or kill dogs, such as Xylitol-sweetened chewing gum, plants, etc. This isn't a comprehensive list, but here are some ideas: Poisons in the home/yard/garage.

Puppy Bumper

Once that is done, you're ready to think about supplies. Keep in mind the following tidbits as you plan:

1. Our parent beagles are generally 10 to 14" tall, and 14 to 30 lbs (most are 18 to 25 lbs). Look at your puppy's parents' sizes to see where your puppy might end up on that scale.
2. Puppies will reach most of their mature size by the time they are 8 months old. Remember that for those first months you have your puppy, he will rapidly outgrow collars, winter clothing (if you use that...beagles are hardy, and don't "need" it...but it's fun!), etc.
3. Puppies are in need of food specifically designed for a puppy's growing body. Buy only "for puppy" foods. Click here to learn what kinds of foods we recommend.

Made in America
(these links might need to be updated)

As you look through the ideas below, also keep in mind that you can find products that are Made in the USA.   :-)

1. Pet Supplies: http://americanmadeyes.com/

2. Pet Supplies: http://www.madeinusa.org/nav.cgi?data/pets

3. Pet Products: http://www.americansworking.com/pets.html

4. Pets and Wildlife: http://www.stillmadeinusa.com/

5. Pet Supplies: http://www.americanmadeproducts.com/

6. Pet Supplies: http://www.buyamerican.com/petsupplies.html

Collar/Harness and Coat/Sweater Sizes

COLLAR: You will need a small collar at first, and then will have to buy another one or two to fit your puppy as he grows. So, don't break the bank buying that first collar, as it will not be in use for a long time.  We generally find that collars adjusting for the range between 8" to 12" work to start (as your puppy will weigh about 4.5-6.5 lbs when you get him/her from us, though the range can be from about 3.5 to 7.5 lbs at 8 weeks). You can try one that fits the range of 6" to 10", but he/she will grow out of that one fairly quickly.   Find recommendations for choosing a dog collar and dog leash for your puppy.

HARNESS: If you get a harness, measurements for an average 8-week puppy will be close to 8" neck and 13" girth, give or take a little bit. Again, he/she will grow quickly!

COAT/SWEATER: Remember that your puppy will grow very quickly! If you do choose to buy a coat/sweater for your puppy, keep in mind that it will quickly be outgrown (so don't spend a lot!)  The typical size for our puppies at 8 weeks is close to 8" neck and 13" girth (around the body behind the shoulders/elbows), give or take a little bit.  I might try to find pictures of my homemade ones....just cut the sleeve off of a large sweatshirt and cut holes for the front legs. The head comes through the wrist cuff. It works in a pinch!  This search link might show you how to make a DIY sweater with no sewing required:  puppy coat made from sweatshirt sleeve (or other no-sew options)

Dishes

Pick bowls that are easy to clean, the right height for your puppy's mature height down the road (beagles will generally be between 11.5 and 15" tall at the top of shoulders), and that are not easily broken or turned upside down. Check out this dog dish buying guide. Purchase with his adult size in mind.

Food and Vitamins/Antioxidant Supplements

Click here to learn what kinds of foods we recommend. We also recommend NuVet Plus Immune Support antioxidant supplements for puppies (actually, for their whole lives), as these can help puppies develop a better immune response with their vaccinations than puppies not given immune support vitamins. Learn more about ordering NuVet Vitamins on the food page.

Indestructible Chew Toys

Puppies like to chew on things, so have a few chew-approved items around. Talk to your vet about this when you have your first appointment, too. For example, some vets do NOT recommend rawhide chews, because pieces that are swallowed can cause bowel irritation, injury, obstruction, and bloody stools. Visit this guide to dog chew toys. Some favorites we hear about are Nylabones and Kongs. You don't need a lot of toys. Just a few good ones will be quite sufficient.

Also, some people keep their dog's toys in a basket. We even have friends that have trained their dog to put toys away in the basket on command. A "place" for the toys when not being played with is a good idea. Like with children, you can also rotate toys. When puppy becomes bored with a toy, put it away for a few weeks. When you get it out again, it will be like it's a new toy.

Most people don't buy this, but I'll toss it out just FYI. You can buy Puppy Anti-Chew spray to put on items puppy wants to chew on...but that you don't want him to chew on.

Comfort Products

Just to consider...some people consider these helpful in the first couple weeks puppies come home!

Your new puppy will cry off and on for several days most likely after leaving his littermates. A new home, new family, and new schedule creates stress, and puppies are confused until they begin to forget their previous environment. To help reduce your puppy's stress, and also your own distress, you might look into these:

• A dog bed or soft place designated as a bed, preferably in an appropriately-sized crate (see next section)
• Comfort Zone comforting spray
• ***Heartbeat-sounding pillow/toy: Petstages Heartbeat Pillow or Comfort Pup Dog Nest or SnugglePuppie, etc. (if these links don't work, search for an item name in a search engine such as Google, MSN, Bing, etc.)  People seem very happy with this type of pillow!

Potty Training, and Yard Fence, Invisible Fence or Tie-Out Line

You can teach your puppy to ring a bell to alert you when it's time to potty! We like to take them to the door, set them on the floor, and either tap their paw on the door or ring a bell (hanging from a string or a bell that is sitting on the floor) before proceeding outside. This teaches them that they need to "give a sign" at the door to signify that they need to go outside. If we pick them up and carry outside, without stopping and asking them to make a signal, it may take longer to get them to give us a sign.

Dog Doorbells on Amazon

Mighty Paws bell (the ones we have)

If you plan to turn your puppy loose in the yard to potty, be aware that it should be fenced! Any dog...not just beagles...can SO quickly dart into the street that an un-fenced yard is truly not a safe place for any puppy to be turned loose in.

Yard Fence: Lots of options for yard fences will work. Make sure there are no holes small enough for a soup can or regular can of vegetables to fit through, and your puppy should be contained. If the holes are larger (such as in some privacy fences), just keep the puppy on a leash until he/she has outgrown those gaps. Even a temporary roll of fencing 50' long and 3' tall (with 2" wide rectangles) held up with step-in fiberglass fence posts will work to contain the puppy until he/she is 4 months old, and possibly longer. Pop up the posts and move it around to mow!

Invisible Fence: If you don't have a fenced-in yard, consider an underground invisible fence. You'll see references online about beagles not staying inside the constraints of an invisible fence, but we have several puppies in homes that have them...and they have been successful! Read instructions online before buying, and only commit if you promise yourself and your puppy that you'll do the training correctly. Invisible fences are also inexpensive and don't present a problem for mowing/trimming grass. Nice! They don't always need to be buried. If carefully tucked down into the grass, they can be beneath the mower and will soon bury themselves into the grass roots and even end up under soil eventually.

If you are in central Iowa (or any part of Iowa...still contact them!), this company comes highly recommended by one of our puppy's families. They came, installed the fence, AND trained the puppy. If a second puppy is added to the family later, they will come again with a second collar and train that puppy. That's service! 

There are also "wireless invisible dog fences," which allow you to set a distance that the dog can freely travel in (usually from 50 to a few hundred feet...you set the distance). They don't require wires to be placed in/one the ground, so have a quicker set up time, but still the same type of training time. And, there are GPS invisible fences!

Chain Link Kennels: Many people opt to fence in a 10 x 10 or 10 x 20 foot area for their potty turnout time. Most farm-and-home stores and lumber yards sell 10' long, 6' high panels that easily connect together to make an enclosure. You will need a truck or trailer to haul the panels home, but it's sure easy. I can set one of these up myself, without help. That says a lot, because I'm not handy with tools!

Tie-Out Lines: There are many available, in lengths up to 30'. Consider whether you will want to take the stake out of the ground to mow...if you don't want that hassle, get one that is designed to hug the ground below mower blades. Just remember to detach the cable/line before you mow! These are just for short times, as I feel dogs should NOT live staked out on a line. DANGER!!! Ensure the dog can't jump over anything while on the line. I know of dogs that have hung themselves by their leash by jumping over a chair or dog house while attached to a line.

Dog Crate

Crate training is the easiest way to foster good house training habits, according to many trainers. A crate can also serve as a safe, comfortable place to keep your puppy while you're away from home or when you travel with him. View this guide to choosing a dog crate. Our beagles will generally mature to 11 to 14" tall at the shoulder and 15 to 30 lbs. Purchase with his adult size in mind.  Also, determine your size based upon whether you will use the crate in the home (to crate train and to confine the puppy while you're at work) or just for travel to and from the vet or on vacations. My favorite size is about 30" long, 2' wide, and 2' tall for an adult beagle (two can fit in there if they need to be crated for a short time), and a removable divider wall is great to reduce size inside while the puppy is growing (too large encourages them to pick a corner to potty in).

Grooming Tools

These are an enjoyable part of puppy care for both puppy and owner (well, maybe not the nail trimming time). Beagles don't

When your puppy is a few months older, check out a Furminator! This is the most amazing tool to remove hair that is getting ready to fall off onto your carpet, floor, or furniture. Used gently, it will reduce doggie shedding by "supposedly" 90%....and by the looks of it, it's true! You may have to do a search online for Furminator, but we found the best prices at E-bay. There are also off-brand knock-offs that I've heard work just as well as real Furminators.

Dental Care...a friend of mine swears by this!  It doesn't require brushing teeth, and removes tartar that has already built up plus keeps tartar from forming if used as directed (or even less often, according to her). Try applying it to teeth (with your finger or a Qtip) once a week beginning as a puppy. It may prevent annual dental cleanings. TropiClean Clean Teeth Gel may be found on Amazon, in pet supply stores, or possibly on eBay. I think I have even seen a version of it at Wal-Mart.

Ear Cleaner / Cleanser for Dogs: I like ADL Foaming Ear Cleanser, and also the ear cleaner from NuVet the best. The NuVet cleanser is all natural and very gentle, but still works well!

Name Tag or ID

No puppy or dog should be without an ID tag. A tag and a microchip work together to help ensure that your puppy can be traced back to you if he's ever lost.

The safest ID tag doesn't dangle, and slides on the collar to lay flat on the collar. Look for "silent ID tag" to get ideas and find other key words to search for.  The dangling bone-shaped tags are cute, but can get caught in cracks in wooden furniture, furnace vents, or cracks in decks and strangle dogs.

***A note regarding microchips:  A microchip is NO GOOD at all if the paperwork isn't filled out and submitted online or sent in to the microchip company that maintains the database! Don't forget that step!***