There are so many pet products out there! It’s hard to know what you really need and what you could do without. I have compiled a list of products that I love and would recommend to anyone who is bringing a puppy home. Enjoy!
First, and very importantly, is the dog crate. I am a big fan of crate training your puppy. It aids in potty training, keeping your house safe from puppy havoc and gives your dog a safe space they can call theirs. I prefer these wire crates over the solid, plastic crates. I feel like the wire crates are easier to keep clean and look nicer in your home. Because these crates fold up, they are easier to store and transport as well. If your new pup is having anxiety, you can place a blanket over the crate and create a nice cozy den. I like the two door feature because it allows you to have a little more freedom where you place the crate to fit just right in your home. You also want to look for a crate that comes with a divider, so you can keep the crate the right size while your growing puppy is being potty trained. When you place a deposit for one of my puppies, I will let you know the best crate size to buy for your future puppy.
The next thing you will want to buy is a good collar for your little pup. There are so many fun options for collars. So have fun finding the collar that is just right for your puppy! I recommend that the cute collar is sturdy (no break away collars) and that you attach a name tag with your phone number on it in case your little one ever gets lost.
When it comes to dog leashes I like the simple nylon leash. This is the ideal leash for leash training.
When I would take my dogs for walks I was always forgetting to bring
a bag to pick up their poop…until I bought this! It is a little poop bag holder/dispenser that you can attach to your leash.
a bag to pick up their poop…until I bought this! It is a little poop bag holder/dispenser that you can attach to your leash.
And here are the poop bags to put in your poop bag dispenser.
You will need to get dog bowls for water and food. I didn’t provide a link because you can get less expensive dog bowls at the dollar store or Walmart.
This is my all time favorite dog training book. The first few chapters are for breeders, so skip through those parts unless you want to read about all the hard work good breeders are up to!
When no one could leave their house during Covid times, I found an amazing online puppy training program! And it’s still my favorite place to send families who are looking for a great puppy training program. Baxter and Bella is a comprehensive, lifetime training course for your pup that you and your family can follow in the comfort of your home! I love that the course has easy to follow daily checklists, the option to chat with a trainer when your puppy needs extra direction, and how the course involves kids too. The courses creator, Amy Jensen, is a professional dog trainer with years of experience and a handful of dog training certifications. If you use our code, ThePuppyFamily, the lifetime course is only $191. Worth every penny! Click here to check it out!
I recommend buying this puppy pen as an aid in potty training and a way to help contain your little one. I like the shorter pens so they are easy to step over but tall enough to keep your puppy secure.
I have cleaned up a lot of puppy accidents in my day…This is my favorite cleaner because I like the smell of it and I feel like it does a good job eliminating residual puppy pee odor. That is very important to keep your house nice but also so the puppy does not keep returning to that same pee spot and going to the bathroom. When dogs smell their urine, it triggers an instinct to go to the bathroom. That is not an instinct you want triggered in your house! For puppy accidents on hard floors or in their crate, I recommend cleaning it with a mixture of 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts water. Cleaning up after you puppy is very important to encourage puppy to go potty outside, not in your beautiful house! You can purchase this product at any grocery store.
My puppies have already begun clicker training when my clients take them home. It is a great way to communicate and reward you puppy. All my clients will receive one clicker to take home when they pick up their puppy.
If you chose to continue clicker training your puppy, this book is a great resource. It breaks clicker training down into easy, illustrated lessons.
Here are the puppy treats I use to train my pups. I love these treats because they are yummy, soft and inexpensive. Since they are soft, it is easy for the dog to quickly eat and then continue with the training lesson. If you give a dog a hard treat, it seems like they get a little distracted from what you are trying to teach them
while they are chewing. I also like that they are soft enough to break into smaller treats. While dogs love these treats, nutritionally, they are like candy so you don’t want to give them too many. These treats are $1 at Walmart but I have also included this amazon link in case you are unable to find them. I send my puppies home with a package of these delicious treats.
while they are chewing. I also like that they are soft enough to break into smaller treats. While dogs love these treats, nutritionally, they are like candy so you don’t want to give them too many. These treats are $1 at Walmart but I have also included this amazon link in case you are unable to find them. I send my puppies home with a package of these delicious treats.
To keep dogs teeth clean I recommend rawhide bones. My trusted vet stated that most dogs who had good teeth in their elderly years were given rawhide bones to chew on regularly. My vet instructed me to be careful and supervise the dog while chewing so large chunks of rawhide are not chewed off and swallowed. My vet instructed me to let the dog chew on the rawhide every other day for 15-20 minutes, when they were hungry, to keep my dogs teeth looking great. I give my dogs their bones while I am cooking dinner and it has worked out great. 
We have tried MANY brands of dog food in our quest to find a great dog food. Victor, Kirkland, Life’s Abundance, Hill’s Science Diet, Purina, and Pedigree are a few. I like Purina Pro Plan the best! My dogs seem to enjoy it more and my vet prefers Purina Pro Plan. So our puppies go home on the Purina Pro Plan Puppy Lamb and Rice formula. You can order this food on Chewy.com, Amazon and certain pet food stores carry it. Other dog food brands that my vets recommend are Hill’s Science Diet, Royal Canin and Iams. I will send your puppy home with a small bag of Purina Pro Plan Puppy formula.
We have tried MANY brands of dog food in our quest to find a great dog food. Victor, Kirkland, Life’s Abundance, Hill’s Science Diet, Purina, and Pedigree are a few. I like Purina Pro Plan the best! My dogs seem to enjoy it more and my vet prefers Purina Pro Plan. So our puppies go home on the Purina Pro Plan Puppy Lamb and Rice formula. You can order this food on Chewy.com, Amazon and certain pet food stores carry it. Other dog food brands that my vets recommend are Hill’s Science Diet, Royal Canin and Iams. I will send your puppy home with a small bag of Purina Pro Plan Puppy formula.
Brushing your doodle in between grooms is very important if you want to avoid matting and keep them cute and fluffy. I love using this Bath Fresh Mist in between baths to keep my dogs looking and smelling great. It makes their coats so soft. I just love it!
When the bath fresh mist won’t cut it and a bath is in order, this is my go to shampoo. It works amazingly well and smells great! It gets my white dogs coats so clean they look pure white. And the shampoo’s smell lasts so your pet will still smell good days after you bathe them. Doodles tend to have more sensitive skin when it comes to shampoos and I have never had a problem with this shampoo causing skin irritation.
I have never personally used this mist, but my brother has a dog who was experiencing severe skin irritation. His poor little tummy was one big red rash. He used this spray on it and the rash was gone within 24 hours. Now whenever he sees a rash on his dog he sprays this on and it is gone. So I would recommend trying this soothing mist if your doodle is having skin sensitivities.
This is more of a want than a need…but I had to put it on here because I use it and love it so much! Before I spray the Fresh Bath Mist, I use this pet dryer to blow dry all the dust out of my doodles fur. It is like a dry bath and you will be amazed how much dust your doodle’s cute, fluffy fur collects. I also use it after I bathe my dogs to quickly get them warm, dry and fluffy. The dryer really helps you keep your doodle looking fluffy and soft between groomings.
This brush is great to get mattes out without hurting your dog. And unfortunately, mattes are part of doodle life!
This metal comb is the tool you will use to brush your doodle. It combs all the way to the skin to prevent the hair from matting.
You will need to purchase some nail clippers to keep your dog’s nails a healthy length. I like this model because they are easy to position and it has a safety guard on the back so you do not slip and cut the nail too short.
If you do accidentally cut your dog’s nails too short it will start to bleed and it takes a really long time for the nail to stop bleeding on it’s own. This styptic powder stops the nail from bleeding instantly. Hopefully you never have to use it, but it is good to have on hand just in case.
My dogs LOVE these Kong chew toys. And I love that they chew these instead of my couch! I have tried several of the dupe brands for Kong and have never found a brand of chew toy that is as durable against heavy chewers as Kong.
These are some other great toys doodle puppies would love.
Puppies love playing fetch! So get yourself some tennis balls. There are more fancy balls that are meant for dogs, but I have found that they are more expensive and can be torn apart just as easily as a plain old tennis ball.
I love Potty Bells. It is so easy to train your puppy to use them and they really are a great way for your dog to communicate that he needs to go outside without barking at the door. I can hear the bells throughout my house and we humans are trained pretty well to open the door whenever we hear them. Definitely a potty training must!
Doodle puppies are perfect…except that they are CHEWERS! Especially when they are teething. So do yourself and your furniture a favor and buy this awesome spray. I have never had a problem with this spray staining or damaging objects I spray it on… and I spray it on everything that the puppy’s cute, little, razor sharp teeth can get at. With the help of this spray your little pup should grow out of destructive chewing around the time he/she turns one year old.
I love these cots for dogs. If you want to train your dog to go to their “place” this is a great tool. The frame comes apart and you can replace the fabric portion when it gets worn. In general they are very durable and the company guarantees the fabric to last for 1 year.
I buy all my puppy families one of these heartbeat stuffed animals to take home with their puppy. I put them in with the puppies at night. It has a synthetic heartbeat that the puppies become used to hearing. Once the puppies go to their new homes these heart beat stuffed animals help to reduce the puppy’s stress and anxiety from being separated from his/her litter mates. It gives them something familiar to snuggle up too. Many of my clients say their puppy made it through their first night without crying and I feel this anxiety reducing toy helps achieve that great first night and helps reduce the puppy’s overall anxiety of being in a new place.
