Hi Roxanne,
Basically a puppy is going to need a bed (when he's small, a sturdy cardboard box is fine), blanket (fleece is nice and snuggly), food bowl, water bowl, soft brush, ordinary house-collar (soft leather or webbing), light lead, and some toys, preferably hard rubber and ragger-type.

Then you build up from there as he grows!
:)

Im not an authority,but I would say on top of the things mentioned,

toothpaste and brush- good to start early!
maybe a puppy nylabone
an ex pen unless you can watch the pup ALL the time, but I think its nice to know the pup is safe and yet can watch you get on with everything in the same room. I think it might also help the pup to learn to have some quiet time and relax on his own. A site I have seen is -http://www.barjo.co.uk/Feb03/content/Products/pp.htm.

Hope that helps! (what breed is your pup?)

He is a Min Schanuzer :)

I have been picking things up here and there and all my animals have their teeth brushed daily so he will have to get used to it too :) I have also got him a Nylabone because i want to encourage him to chew on that from day one!

Hmmmm, I have been thinking about a pen but my dog is never away from me and i am home all day and i would like the pup to do the same. There should not be any time that he is unsupervised, if he will be ie going out or i need to do something and he can not come i am going to put him in the bathroom and it has been suggested that i sould time this so that he has had a play and food and been outside so he will be sleepy and full! :)

Another question that springs to mind..Treats. I have picked up some puppy treats and they all say 4 months and up, what am i supposed to give him now? I presumed that he could have them but they say he cant. Should i perhaps use some of his dried food untill he is older?

Thanks for your replies

Roxanne 3 days to go :)

Hi Roxanne,

I have a mini schnauzer puppy too, he is 6½ months now!

We used dog chocolate buttons as treats, and found them priceless
for toilet training. i.e. first few days we gave him half for each time
he 'performed' in the garden, then after a few weeks cut it down
to one for doing 'both' outside.

We also gave him the odd puppy markie or a pedigree milky biscuit.
I think as long as you use common sense and moderation, he will
be fine (well Rufus was anyway)

Seeing as the first few weeks are so important for laying down ground
rules, toilet training I think distinguishing between normal food
and treats is really important.

Also a slicker brush is ESSENTIAL as the soft puppy brushes
won't groom properly, just be gentle and use the puppy brush
round ears, eyes etc.

Lots of luck and cuddles to your little one!

Louise x

Dylan's breeder told me to use cat treats made by Thomas. I've got a packet of those and Dylan loves them! (They were 39p in Tesco or 64p at Pets at Home!). Quite small, so I can give several a day. He's currently trying to get one out of a Kong! :)

Sarah

There is not much you actually NEED before a pup arrives
Food - although hopefully the breeder will give you some
Bed - cardboard box and blanket will do to start with
The phone number of your vet - VERY important
Water bowl
Something for it to play with - cardboard box, the middle of kitchen rolls, toilet rolls, empty margarine tubs and plastic plant pots etc

That's about it for when it first arrives as you can then buy things that suit your individual pup as they are needed.

Something else that you might find useful is camera and plenty of film :)

Christine

Another peice of equipment that is extremely useful is a good pair of nail-clippers. Until pup can get out and about on concrete and tarmac he is likely to need his nails clipped every week. (Even though my lot now do at least 3 miles a day on roads, I still need to do their nails each week!) When he's little it's easy to just take off the sharp curving tip of the nail. The earlier you start, the better he'll be at having them maintained when he's older.
:)

I have been advised that the best treats are natural ones... dogs love tiny little bits of cheese!! dried liver has also been mentioned at times!

Is the pup staying with you over night in a room? or is he being left in the bathroom? (just curious!)

GOOD LUCK, have fun!

Re: treats. I found that bits from her ordinary dried food worked fine. In the early days you are doing quite a bit of training so you need something that you know won't upset a possibly sensitive stomach. the vet reccomended that i measure out her total daily ration and use the treats from there so that i am not over feeding her. As she got older i tried various different treats to find out what works. Liver treats and hot dog sausages seem to work brilliantly!

hi,
it's like shopping for a new baby, think you have most things then the list goes on.think about the breed you have,dog guards for the car or crates or harnesses that secure to the seat belt for traveling.old towels for wiping down and for baths look in charity shops or ask friends or relies for old towels,if the dog is allowed access to all parts of the house eg furniture think about covering to go on settees etc.
pooh bags i use nappy bags some people use there supermarket bags, be a good owner and pick up after your dog.identifiction disc for collar,carpet shampoo cleaner if you have carpets incase of accidents.flea comb, regards tina

kitchen roll... disinfectant.... carpet shampoo.... ;)
apart from these essentials i'd say a baby toothbrush, just to get him used to you putting it in his mouth for the time being, a toy - maybe just two, dont overwhelm him, a warm blanket - bed can just be a box although small plastic dog beds are pretty cheap, even some of the pound shops round my way sell good puppy-sized ones. Just make sure it's non-toxic. A flea comb and a soft brush, puppy shampoo, cotton wool balls for wiping cruddy eyes. Choc drops or similar (we used to use tiny cubes of toast when Mindy was tiny, they didn't upset her tum, and toast is now her favourite 'human' food! Most important thing is a whole lot of love and time. :)
Personally i don't hold with crates... i think it's better to put up with the accidents and the naughty chewing while you're down the shops and so on - after a few months you'll be able to trust him to behave and he'll feel perfectly happy to be left alone when necessary - you can't be with him 24 hours a day. Some people prefer crates so it's up to you.
Most of all - have fun getting to know your new best friend!
Lynz and Tilly

Thanks for the advice guys :)

By Lisa Hale On 23.04.03 13:12 GMT

>I have been advised that the best treats are natural ones... dogs love tiny little bits of cheese!! dried >liver has also been mentioned at times!

Hmmm, My 8yr old Schnauzer loves cheese, perhaps the pup might like some too. Also i love the idea of dried toast i am definatley going to use that one! :) Dont like the liver idea tho (we are veggi :) )

>Is the pup staying with you over night in a room? or is he being left in the bathroom? (just curious!)

No no no, the pup will be with me all the time, im going to start him off in a high sided large cardboard box next to the bed so that he is not alone and then see how it goes, hopefully he and my older dog will make friends quickly and depending on how well night toiliting goes im hoping he can sleep with us.

The bathroom idea is incase the pup NEEDS to be safe, perhaps there might be a problem with the pup and the dog or cats and then he will need to be protected. Its nice and warm and he would never be in there for more than an hour or a couple, while we go shopping or somewhere he can not come. All other times i am at home and if we are going out he will come too :)

I dont want to shut him away, i want him to be a big part of the family like my other dog who likes to sleep on his back, snoring away with his big bum taking up all the bed space! lol (i know, dont let them on the bed, blah blah...thats how we like it! Cat sleeps on my pillow too, hehehehe!)

Im getting very excited now! He is coming home day after tomorrow! Im doing a really big house clean today, and tomorrow. We already did the garden and i have done the carpets, just need to make sure everything is puppyfied! lol!

Thanks Again, Roxanne

Hi Roxanne

I would seriously reccommend you getting a crate for your pup.
There are several reasons for this.
One is that it is, imo, not good for a pup, or any dog, to become too dependant on the owner, or it can cause immense distress for the pup when it has to be left alone for a short amount of time, or longer.
The second is, from my experience of getting a small pup, with older dogs in the house, that a crate will give your older dog some time without the pup pestering him. This is very very important.
My two older dogs were very different in their attitude towards Dill when he moved in. Saffi was delighted, someone of her own mental age to play with. Only she would have played with him for 24 hours a day, if i had let her!!!! and played rough as well!
Rocky was unimpressed with 'it', he wanted 'it' out of his way, at all times, didnt want 'it' sniffing him, or biting him, or anything. Now, he loves Dill to bits, well, he doesnt try to eat him!!! they play, adn sleep together and are good friends. However, if i had let Dill roam free, all the time, i think there would have been a distinct falling out, and teethicuffs.

By all means have the pup in your room to sleep, but in a crate or pen. Then you wont have to get up in the night to stop the pup from peeing under your bed, or play fighting with your older dog, or stuff like that. Certainly having a pup in the room with you is a great way to get quick house training, worked for me with Rocky!!!!

I do think though, that you are responsible for making sure that your pup is mentally equipped for dealing with all life throws at him, and being alone, with out humans is a part of that, unless you never leave the house with out your dogs, which in this day and age is nigh on impossible! I see a lot of dogs, advertised for rehoming because they wreck the owners house when they are out.

Good luck with your new family member
Em

Hi :)

I do intend on making sure the pup can be left alone and also if the pup annoys my older dog he will happily go upstairs for a sleep (out of the way!) I have a child gate that i intend on using. I have the Perfect Puppy book and i agree with a lot of the ideas on pup rearing in there so im going to use that as my guide. As for time alone. i intend on daily putting the pup somewhere away from me where he can have a snooze so he becomes used to being alone, but on the other side he will have the dog to keep him company so that shouldnt be too much of a problem.

Im sorry but i dont like the idea of a crate. I may invest in a puppy play pen but i want to see what the pup is like first. If i feel it necessary because he is messy or chews then i will definatley get one.

Apart from that we pick him up tomorrow! how these last 8 weeks have flown!

Roxanne

i bet you cant wait to go and collect your puppy,congratulations to you. :D
we go and select our puppy tomorow and i am so excited,with our mini he was the only one available,so we didnt get the chance to handle the pups,also zak was 5 months old when we got him.im going to want to take all 3 boys she has,how do you decide which one is right????
we pick the pup up in 4 weeks 6 days after getting back off hols,not sure which one im more excited about,having a fortnight in the sun or having a pup to look forward to...
good luck with your new baby,give him a snuggle from me :)
mel

Kewl,
Sounds like you have it all sorted out then!!! Good luck, i bet your dead excited, i know i was when i picked up Dill!!!!!
Have fun, and enjoy your new pup.

Em

how did it go,i bet you are well excited,lets hope he settles well and you get a good nights sleep.
we have just got back from selecting our baby,we pick him up in 4 weeks,it is so exciting isnt it?
good luck to you all and your new baby
mel :)

Hi Mel :)

I did reply to your last message and tried to give you some advice on choosing your pup, but there was a problem with posting it and it dissapeared. Im sure you picked one thats good for you anyway :)

Well im taking this oportunity to logg on and reply cause little Monty is asleep next to me in his bed :) Ahhhh piece and quite lol!

He is wonderful, i cant believe how quickly we have got tolilet training down to a T! We have had one accident and that was when we put him down for the first time. Now i know his squeeks and i know generally what times he needs to go..I even think we are starting to understand Wee wees! lol!

Last night was better than the first, managed to only wake me up once to go to the toilet, but we had a lie in this morning - he slept in bed with me when hubby had left for work at 7...all he wants is to be near me :) He is so cute..

He is a bit of a nipper and although he has a Puppy Nylabone i think it is still too big for him as he is only 7 weeks so we bought him a puppy ragger and he loves it! (saves my fingers too!)

The other dog and cats dont seem too bothered, my older Schnauzer dog does not know what to do with this little lump of bounding fat! Pup thinks its funny chasing him tho lol! Cats are just keeping away, he is not too bothered by them so thats good!

We were quite pleased to see his pedigree line as he has many champions in him :) Hopefully he might turn out to be quite a nice looking Schnauzer :)

Good luck with your little one! Update me when you see him again :)

Roxanne

hi roxanne,
glad things are going well for you and monty.
the breeder we went to only had 3 males so it was quite easy to choose.1 she said would only be sold as a pet because of his size and the other 2 were nearly identical,we chose one with only a tiny dot of white on his chest,the others has a white stripe.i cant wait untill we collect him,will let you know how we get on.
congratulations and the best of luck
mel :)

This is what I've got for my pup to be so far...

Collar and I.D Tag
Lead
Dog Bed
Dog Create
Pet Carrier
Puppy shampo
5 toys
Food Dishes
Grooming brushes
Pet Toothpaste and Brush
DAP Spray (something to ease the pup while traveling home)
Worming tablets

Bitter Apple Spray (to spray on wires to stop chewing)
Pet Cleaner for carpets and floors
Pooper Scooper and lots of bags