What do I need for a new puppy?

Before they arrive

• A crate sized for the adult dog, with a dividerBuying a puppy-sized crate means buying a second crate in four months. A divider does the same job for one price.
• Flat collar and a 6 ft leadNot retractable, not yet. You want to know where they are while you teach them where to be.
• ID tag with your phone number on itPut it on before they leave the breeder or shelter. Most escapes happen in the first week, when the dog has no reason to come back to you.
• Two bowls, stainless or ceramicPlastic scratches and holds bacteria, and some dogs react to it around the muzzle.
• The food they are already eatingGet a week's worth of the same brand. Change food gradually over 7–10 days or you will spend that week cleaning up diarrhea.
• Enzymatic cleanerNot a normal household cleaner. If the smell of urine survives, they will go back to the same spot.

The first 48 hours

• Let them sleep near youA crate in your bedroom for the first few nights. It is not spoiling them, it is the difference between a settled puppy and a fortnight of night howling.
• Outside every hour they are awake, and after every nap, meal and play sessionPraise the second they finish, outdoors. This is the whole of house training.
• Do not invite anyone round yetThey have just lost their mother and littermates. Give them two days of quiet before the neighbours come to coo.

The first week

• Vet appointmentWeight, worming, vaccination schedule, and a chance to ask what you are getting wrong.
• Start handling paws, ears and mouth dailyTen seconds at a time. Do it now and nail trims are boring forever. Skip it and they are a two-person job at the vet for the rest of their life.
• Puppy class bookingBook it before you feel ready. The socialisation window closes around 16 weeks and does not reopen.
• A chew they can actually destroy, and one they cannotThey need both. The destructible one is the outlet, the durable one is the default.

Can wait a month

• HarnessFit it when they have stopped growing weekly. A harness bought at 10 weeks fits for about a month.
• BedThey will chew it. Use an old towel in the crate until the teething stops around 6–7 months.
• Grooming kitBeyond a brush, wait until you know what the adult coat is doing.

Do not buy this

• Puppy pads, in most casesThey teach the dog that going indoors is acceptable, then you have to unteach it. Use them only if you are on a high floor with no fast route outside.
• Retractable leadsNo brake control, and they teach pulling — the dog learns that pulling makes the lead longer.
• Anything sold as a calming supplementA new puppy is not anxious, it is a baby in a strange house. Time and routine fix it.
• A cute small collarThey grow out of it in weeks. Buy adjustable.