A Variety Of Toys (including puzzle toys) – Puppies Chew. It’s what they do. But puppies also like to chew on different things at different times, and just like babies, they have a tendency to explore the world by putting things in their mouths. Because of this, it’s important to have a variety of chewies and textured toys for him to chew on, or toys that you can put food into that require him to figure out how to get the food out of (Puzzle toys)! We recommend puppy specific Kong toys because they have soft rubber designed specifically for puppy teeth, Nylabones, unstuffed dog toys and rope toys. It’s also important to monitor your puppy with these toys, as strong chewers can sometimes break pieces off and ingest them. Be sure if you have kids in the house with stuffed animal toys, to NOT get toys for your pup that resemble a child’s stuffed animal toy as it will be very hard for your pup to distinguish between his stuffed toy and a humans stuffed toy. 

Food and Water Dishes – Puppies need to eat and drink too! And unless you want them thinking it’s okay to eat or drink out of YOUR dishes, we highly recommend you get a set of dog dishes, so there’s no confusion on which ones are for him. If you like to travel a lot, a collapsible water dish that hooks onto your bag or purse is priceless!

A Quality Puppy Food – Puppies require more calories and a different macro nutrient ratio as adult dogs. Puppyhood is also an important time in health development. Because of this, it’s important to feed them a high quality puppy food for the first year. Note: You can also use puppy food as a training treat. Most dogs will accept this without any hesitation. 

Poop Bags – Because part of being a pet owner is being responsible for cleaning up after them. Always make sure to pick up your dog’s poop and dispose of it in an appropriate trash can. 

Paper Towels/ Enzymatic Cleaner – Most puppies have accidents and because of this, it’s best to be prepared. It’s all part of the process. Paper towels and a pet safe enzymatic floor cleaner will help you keep your sanity. The importance of having a pet safe enzymatic cleaner on deck is because it will not just get rid of the mess, but eliminate the mess in its entirety! A dogs sense of smell is up to 300 times better than ours. Where we might not see or smell any remaining signs of a pups potty, it does not mean that they can’t – and pups will continue to potty where they smell their potty – which is why you need an Enzymatic cleaner to get rid of the odor completely. According to Steve Jenkins, who does great product reviews, substrates are the smelly things in pet messes. Enzymes “bind” to them on a molecular level, jump start (or “catalyze”) the chemical reaction that breaks it down, and the result is called a “product” (or products) that no longer smell. In layman terms – it cleans both the seen and unseen mess, helping set your pup up for potty training success!

CLICK HERE to review The Best Pet Odor Eliminators in 2020

Patience – Because puppies will be puppies. :-) 

Dog Training – Training your puppy is one of THE most important parts of dog ownership! Many people think that taking a basic manners course is all a pup needs to be a well behaved dog, but if you follow this notion – you will be sorely disappointed. Dogs, like people, have mental growth stages, and need to have positive learning experiences. They are thinking and decision making creatures so they need lots of mental stimulation and direction in their decision making to grow up and be mentally well balanced adult dogs. To have the best chance at raising a model pup, consider putting them through school!



• Elementary School – Beginner Obedience Class like our Delightful Dog class,
• Middle School – Intermediate Obedience Class
• High School – Advance Obedience Class
• College – all the fun stuff – Agility Class, Nose work Class, Treibball Class, Flyball Class, Freestyle Dance Class, Barn Hunting Class, Postivie Gun Dog Training Class, Therapy Dog Class, etc., etc.

Yes, a whole slew of great classes are out there to help your dog reach its full potential and even have a job when he/she grows up, but they will need solid schooling to get there! 

Even if you choose not to send your dog to college, for your dog to have a solid understanding of how to communicate with humans, live in a human world with human rules, and have a solid understanding of basic manners and obedience no matter where they go, who they are around, and no matter what time of day – they need a solid and consistent practice. The good news is, where it takes on average 18 years to raise a child (sometimes longer), on average it takes about 3 years to raise a dog!

We are very lucky as there are many great trainers here in Colorado for you to choose from! When picking a trainer, we highly recommend a trainer that focuses on opening up the lines of communication by building a positive trusting relationship with your dog first. Equally important, we recommend a trainer who helps dogs learn by teaching – not punishing, a trainer who believes in continued education (ask them what recent courses or seminars they have taken), a trainer who is willing to let you watch them in action before hiring them, and a trainer who give you clear concrete answers to any and all of your questions.

That’s it! So now that you know everything you need to successfully begin this new adventure, have fun and enjoy having a new fur baby in your life! 

For more information on our classes, click here!