Organize your home for a new puppy.
Don’t let her cuteness fool you, she is a ball of fire!
This is our new pup, Scout, who is a black Labrador. Scout has added a mixture of hilarity, frustration, exasperation and irresistible cuteness to each day. Since we haven’t had a puppy for 8 years, I forgot how labor intensive these little creatures are. It helped that we were organized and ready for Scout the day she came home. Before you bring your first puppy home, here a list of supplies I recommend.
Baby gates: will keep your pup confined into a small area. This makes it easier to watch for all the trouble they get into, like chewing or accidents. It seems their life revolves around looking trouble. If you don’t own any baby security gates, check out www.craigslist.org, ask your friends, or look at yard sales.
Stuck in the kitchen!
Dog crate: safely confine your puppy when you aren’t able to have your eyes on her 100% of the time or you have to leave the house. In my case I also used the crate when she started biting me with her little shark teeth.
Time out for Scout
Leash, small collar and a strong cable to safely tie your pup up outside. It would be sad to lose your dog or have her accidently hit by a car. It’s amazing how fast a puppy can run…..faster than me!
Food and water bowls as well as puppy food. Special treats aren’t always needed. We used her puppy chow as training rewards.
Plastic grocery bags, newspaper bags, or produce bags: you will need LOTS of these bags to clean up their little deposits in your yard, at the park or on a walk. Start saving bags, without holes, as soon as you know you are getting a puppy.
Chew toys: to prevent teeth marks or worse on your furniture and body parts. A good variety of textures and sizes will prevent bordem. It’s fun to buy toys, right? Just don’t break your budget. Scout has hand-me-down toys from our last lab as well as stuffed toys purchased from thrift stores.
Recyclables are entertaining toys, with supervision, since puppies tend to eat everything.
I’m grateful they grow up fast because our lab pup has tried my patience and wore me out. Good thing she is so dang cute!
Dog tired!