I have listed below some of my favorite items to help you prepare for your new puppy's arrival. 

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Included in your gift pack when you pick up your puppy:

 

• Starter supply of food – Diamond Naturals Small/Medium Breed Puppy formula

• Toys, Treats, a Blanket with mom and litter mates scent, and a couple of Surprises too

• Health Record and Puppy Care letter

• Havanese Purchase Agreement and, if requested, AKC Limited Registration Application (Havanese only). Sometimes the AKC Limited Registration Applications do not arrive before puppy pick up so they will be mailed out as soon as I receive them.

 

Some items you may want to consider buying in advance:

 

• Crate - for crate training

• Puppy harness and leash - Small breed dogs have been known to damage their trachs with collars from pulling too hard when they are learning how to walk on a leash. If the puppy knows how to correctly walk on a leash by the time he/she grows out of the harness, you can graduate him/her to a collar

• Treats - I like Bil-Jac Little Jacs, Little Gooberlicious, & Zukes Mini Naturals soft treats. They are soft and easy to break apart. I like to break it into little pieces right under their mouth so that they get used to my hands being in or near their food. This way he/she won’t become too possessive with their food. I also like anything made with natural human grade ingredients. Some good options are Buddy Biscuits, Old Mother Hubbard, Pupcorn, Charlee Bear Bear Crunch (mine prefer the Chicken, Pumpkin, & Apple flavor), and Mother Nature Scooter & Friends Mini Biscuits

• Pooper Scooper - self-explanatory!

• Gates to confine puppy during potty training and beyond

• 2 dishes - 1 for food, 1 for water. Elevated designs are recommended for better digestion

• Doggie Bed/Pillow/Mat (Washable). Use baby blankets in their crate until they are consistent with a dry crate in the morning, then you can put the doggie bed in their crate

• Carpet Cleaner - I have found Woolite Pet Stain & Odor Remover+Oxygen works best

• Pin Brush - long tines with rounded tips for grooming

• Comb – grooming (I prefer a handled comb)

• Toothbrush or Finger Brush and toothpaste for dogs

• Toys - rope toys, soft stuffed toys, Mini Skinneeez stuffingless toys, tennis balls, and squeak toys. I love the Pet Stages brand and the Kong brand toys.

• Chew Aids - you can't have enough of these. Puppies are teething until they are about 10 months old. They want to chew everything in sight. Save your furniture...be prepared with plenty of chew aids. I don’t recommend rawhide chews because puppies can choke on them and they can also bind their digestive systems. Bully Sticks are a good alternative to rawhide chews. They don’t break off into big pieces and they last a long time. I love the Nylabone chews, Paragon Dental Chews, Himalayan Dog Chews, N-Bone Puppy Chew Sticks & Puppy Love Chews, Cow Hooves, Antlerz Dog Chews (I buy mine from Elkusa.com), any form of bully stick (spirals, barbells, etc) and my favorite is the Merrick Flossies Spiral Chews (Puppies LOVE them!)

• Grannicks Bitter Apple Spray - deters puppies from chewing on items that you want to protect

 

If you plan on doing your own grooming:

 

• Shampoo & Conditioner– Gentle/Moisturizing. I like Cloud Star, Bio-Groom, and my favorites are Kelco Puppy Tears, and Wild Animal Wild Thang

• Nail Clippers

• Blood Stop/Septic Powder

 

Here are some wonderful books that I highly recommend:

 

• “The Art of Raising a Puppy” by The Monks of New Skete (my favorite!!). The Monks of New Skete also have other books and DVD’s on raising puppies as well

• “The Joyous Havanese” by Kathryn Braund

• “The Havanese” by Diane Klumb

• “Cesar’s Way” by Cesar Milan

 

Helpful Tips:

 

• Most puppies love yogurt and it is good for them too. I use the Activia Vanilla flavored.

• Baby carrots are a wonderful teething treat…keep them cold so they are soothing to the puppies gums. Carrots don’t hurt their digestive system and puppies love them

• They also enjoy broken ice cubes. I actually bought mini ice cubes trays for my dogs & puppies - just the right size!

• Puppies and dogs love to bat around and play with empty water bottles because they love the crackling noise they make. Just be sure to throw it away if it gets cracked

Throw away any treat that has become so small that the puppy could choke on it. Watch for toys that are falling apart as well. Discard anything that the puppy could harm him/herself with. I personally don't buy any treats that are not made in the USA. AVOID ANY TREATS THAT ARE MADE IN CHINA!

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Happy Puppy Shopping!

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