Doggy Help!!! im getting a dog in april. SUPPLIES? FOOD? what do i need?
Saturday, December 19th, 2009 at
9:48 am
I want to take very good care of it. Best food, best treats, best toys, best supplies, etc. Websites would be helpful also! or from experience! plz answer
also im getting an f1 mini golden doodle
Tagged with: best food • best toys • mini golden doodle
Filed under: Pet Supplies & Pet Care
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Terra-Nova books are really good books, which you can find at petco, and probably at some online shopping sites, like amazon, or ebay or something. the books are all breed specific, so for example, it will say " Terra-Nova The Golden Retriever" this will tell you all about the golden retriever. common allergies, if they are prone to certain illness/ health problems, what kind of personality they normally exhibit, what kind of environment is best for them, what their normal weight should be- all sorts of things! as for treats and toys, those are all really just a preference. just make sure the toy is not something they can get stuck in their throat, or get hurt by. With foods/treats, it’s usually just what you think would be best for your dog’s nutritional needs. most dog foods come with the base standard of nutrition required, while others, like Eukanuba, and Beneful have a higher content of nutrients. Some dog food comes in different styles, like Weight management, senior dog, puppy. etc. if you can’t decide on your own, just ask your vet. They will consider what is the best for your dog’s needs.
For websites, try: http://www.petco.com, http://www.petsmart.com , http://www.petstore.com , or if you are looking for more upscale puupy supplies, try http://www.poshpuppyboutique.com
hope this helps, and have fun with your new best friend!
It depends on what breed/size/age dog you’re getting.
EDIT: Well, if you’re not going to update the question, I’ll just answer to the best of my ability.
1) Food is up to you. Something without wheat, corn, flour, and I don’t feed chicken, but it’s all up to you and your dog. It should be a dry food, wet food can cause tooth decay and is mostly water. Brands I recommend are:
Natural Balance (I use this)
Wellness
Innova
Canidae
Fromm
Science Diet, Pedigree, Purina–commercial brands–are mostly crap.
2) Best treats would be those made by the food you choose. I give my dog Wellness treats and he eats Natural Balance food. Just use the same general rules for selecting treats as selecting food.
3) Best toys are just ones that won’t be torn up in a matter of seconds, and can’t be ingested or cause problems if digested. I give my dog everlasting treat balls (a rubber-like ball with two treat disks on the outside and you can fill it with smaller treats or peanut butter on the inside), Nylabones (make sure you get a size too big for him to try to swallow whole!), Flossies, Kongs, Kong Wubbas, and stuffingless animals (I forget what these are called).
4) Supplies: you’ll want a crate. It makes life a LOT easier, trust me. Just google crate training. Also, if you’re getting a low-maintenance breed that won’t require a lot of groomer visits, some things like toenail clippers, a brush (I LOVE my furminator), a comb, ear cleanser, dog toothbrush and toothpaste, maybe some fur clippers (depending on the breed and whether you’ll be using a groomer), some gentle shampoo (I like Pethead, but it’s expensive, so anything with oatmeal or aloe and no perfume is great).
Also, you’ll want things like dog bowls, leash and collar (your preference, nylon is great), ID tag, carrier or seatbelt (depending on the size of your dog) etc. You can just go to a pet store in your area (local, small business type is best, I work at one and they’re fantastic), and tell them you’re getting a new dog and they will be happy to help!
Anymore questions, feel free to message.
It depends on the breed of the dog. Probably: food and water bowls, toys, chew treats ("Flossies" or Bully sticks are good- rawhide is very very bad), dog food, leash, harness or collar….all depends on the breed/size of you new dog.
Please be careful about what sort of dog food you buy. Most of it is bad…like the equivalent of your dog eating at McDonald’s everyday. gross. Be sure to read the ingredients. Here is the good website to research commercial dog food:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/
Have fun with your new dog!!
1) First and most important thing you can do: Get these 2 books – The Art of Raising a Puppy and How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend, both by the Monks of New Skete. Read them BEFORE you get your dog, then go back and re-read the Raising a Puppy book as you raise your puppy. If you follow their advice, after a couple of years people will wonder why your dog is so cool. And you’ll say "Monks of New Skete". It’s the best way to raise your pup.
2) The best food is the SOLID GOLD brand – you can get it at specialty shops, but not the major stores like Petco. They also make treats. Don’t get those junk food treats at the grocery store.
3) Petsmart, petco, any pet supply place for toys/supplies. They do a good job sorting out the ones that would be bad for pups and dogs. Try and find a local shop as opposed to a giant store like Petco, though. Develop a relationship with them. It has benefits.
I have a shih tzu (small dog) and her favorite type of food is pedigree pouches it is like wetfood in a pouch then some dry food sprinkled on top for nutrients. get a wiffle ball and put some small treats in side the dogs love this go to http://www.petco.com
For food just find something without corn, wheat, or soy and make sure the first ingredient is listed as a meat meal. If you have a Costco membership or know somebody who does their Kirkland Signature premium dog food costs about as much as a bag of purina beneful but is a much higher quality food.
Familiarize yourself with basic obedience training. You can find loads of information online or at the library. Make sure any books you buy or check out are up to date as training methods have changed frequently over the last few decades due to leaps in canine research.
For toys you want to avoid things that she can easily tear up and swallow that may cause an obstruction of her bowel like rawhide bones and such. Stick with crunchy, low fat treats once in a while. For chewing I recommend raw meaty bones which you can find at most grocery stores. For toys I like Kongs or food balls to keep the dog entertained and busy.
You’ll want whatever collar of your choice, though avoid getting a choker unless you’re in a position that you actually need one for training purposes, as that is what they are intended for. Go with leather or nylon or something. Depending on how much you want to walk her and how far you’ll want to consider a 4-6′ nylon leash or a retractable lash. With either you can reign her in at your side in a "heel" when you want her to be or let her have some slack to sniff around.
1. get a leash, collar, and order a tag.
2. Depending on what breed your getting, you should have some good shampoo and a brush/comb
3. the best dog food out there is Solid Gold
4. the only big doggy treat brand i’ve heard of is Milkbone.
5. Dogs usually have the most fun w/ Kong Toys, Ropes, Squeaky toys,
6. get the dog a bed (some at Petco) so that it won’t sleep w/ you and bother you in your bed
good luck w/ the new pup
start with the dummies guides
http://www.amazon.com/Puppies-Dummies-Pets-Sarah-Hodgson/dp/0470037172/ref=pd_sim_b_3
http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Training-Dummies-Pets/dp/0764584189/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260629696&sr=8-3
Okay, you’ve got 5 months to get ready, for the puppy. Owning a puppy sounds like fun? But, you must consider the fact that puppies are like tiny babies. They can do nothing for themselves, except eat, crap, and sleep.
You are the parent of this tiny puppy that does not speak. It can’t tell you when you make a mistake, or when it’s sick. All it can do is be there. And get ready……it will poop there. Everywhere.
Consider this, what is best for one bread of dog, may not be the best for your bread of dog. Example, a Chihuahua may not have fun with a giant chew toy made for large dogs. But, then again, it may like it? I say dog, because you have to remember that your puppy is not going to be a sweet little puppy very long. Please, be very patient, the longer you have your "Puppy" the bigger the problems get.
The best of everything, may not be the best thing, simply because, some of those "Best Toys" your puppy may not even like. You just lost money. Some of the best treats, he may not like. Again, you just lost money. Or, your parents money.
Do some research on your bread. Your puppies favorite toy may be an old shoe you don’t wear anymore, or even your favorite shoe. Or, Mom’s.
I suggest not spending money now, wait til you get your puppy, then work with it one day at a time to LEARN what your puppy likes, and dislikes.
For now, make sure you get it a nice bed that it can grow into. You may have to try a couple different brands of food for puppies, until you find the one your pup likes. Buy small bags at first.
The most important part of you getting a puppy is to be willing to sacrifice your time for your pet. It’s not always "fun" but, it can be very rewarding having a friend for life. Depending on you. For life.
You really need to state what kind of dog and what age. It makes all the difference.