What supplies do we need to get right away for the first few weeks? She is a jack russell / rat terrier, 8 weeks and 1 day old.
Tell me EVERYTHING. best brand of food?? best toys for puppies??
Answers:
Puppytime! Congrats.
Not sure I can think of EVERYTHING, but I will give you what I can...
First, in the house:
Find a bunch of old towels that will now be designated "doggie towels," I suggest various sizes for various messes and at least one for bathing. Puppy proof the house-meaning move items that you don't want chewed up and out of the way. also move anything that could be a choking hazard. Detemine where you puppy will be at first. This should be a smaller area that will progressively become larger. Too big of a "den" can be very overwhelming to a pup, so you want them to feel secure as their den increases. It will also rduce accidents.
Jacks are tough little terriers and will probably chew through a lot of toys. I suggest you find tougher ones, or cheap ones you don't mind them destroying. Also, he will probably want to play tug. This is a great energy outlet, but it should be done following the rules. There is a great link below to explain the "rules."
Second, at the store:
-Crate for dog at estimated full growth (1 minimum)
-treat ball (for feeding kibble, don't even bother with a bowl, you have an intelligent, active breed so keep him stimulated even at meal time), start with a Kong, but buy one or two other items as the pup will learn quickly.
-2 to 3 puppy kongs, small size. Again for mealtime, also playing entertainment etc.
-3 ft high adjustable pen (optional-but helpful for puppy proofing and adjusting the "den")
-premium pup food->look for real meat/protein as first ingredient. Good brands typically will site the percentage of meat protein (60-70% or so). Most any will do. Check the FDA websitre for the recalls, ask the pet store owner (but avoid their store brand, it might be good, but often it is just a big markup). Some common brand names are Merrick, Natural Balance, Newman's Own.
-bitter apple-and use it, especially on electrical cords!
-at least one mat for settling, putting in crate, etc.
-baby gate (one minimum depends on area)
-squirt bottle (at least two, you have a mischievous breed;-)
-Nature's Miracle or other enzyme odor killer.
-carrier for the vet, and/or leash and a training halter (don't get the expensive one at first, he will probably outgrow the first one).
Training, handouts, for your knowledge:
-Plan to feed your pup half of it's daily food by hand. Have other folks feed by hand, too, when they meet him. This will teach him to not be handshy.
-read as much as you can. a good puppy book and some of the handouts listed below will be a good start.
-crate training will really help with separation anxiety and potty training. Start young.
-remember at first your pup will probably need to go potty every hour, so plan to go outside frequently. I put a great link for housetraining the puppy in the links.
Treats:
If you buy treats get teeny ones. They should be used predominantly for training and introductions to other people, pets, etc.
Phew. that's alot. Others will have more. At first all you need is the crate, a baby gate, food, and some snuggly towels you don't mind destroyed. Oh and a couple of guidelines.
have loads of fun!
We get our dog eukanuba dog food, and she loves it. great toys for a puppy are a red kong toy, a tennis ball (don't throw too far though!) a rope (tug-o-war), and a sqeaky toy. if you plan on keeping the dog in a cage at night or during the day, get a nice comfy bed to put inside. also, a nice tip is that you put a peice of your clothing in the cadge with the dog so it picks up your sent. great treats for dogs are greenies because they freashen breath. hope that helps!
Well, really any dog food will work, but you want dry food AND wet food. of course, you need a leash, a bed... probably some chew toys (the rubbery kind), and probably some books. But you will definitely need a LOT of time, cause puppies need to be house trained and such.
I would say get a vet in place... find one that you like. You need a crate, and toys.
The food I use is called Organics... I buy it at the local organic grocery store. Read the ingredient list first. A name is not all you want... a lot of more expensive foods are the same ingredients as the cheap stuff. You really want your first few ingredients to be things like chicken, rice. not bymeal, or cornmeal.
Take the pup to the vet ASAP!
Food: We don't know what brands are available in your area!
Look for: made of mostly meat, as opposed to cereals and grains; the very best are made of human-grade ingredients. (Did you know "by-products" can include ground-up beaks and nails and feathers that have zero nutritional value?) Dry is all you need, and cheaper than canned. There's no need for canned, it stinks, it spoils, and it costs more. Besides, dry is better for their teeth.
Chew toys that won't break into smaller pieces. Ones with squeakers entertain dogs for about 5 minutes, long enough for them to tear the squeaker out... then choke on it if you're not careful. Given the size of your dog, get small ones, one each of different types, because dogs have definite preferences and you don't know yet what she will like.
Ball: get one (or several!) specially sized for a small dog.
Wait until she's older for things like rawhide, etc.
Adjustable collar, that can grow with your puppy.
ID tag with at least your phone number on it.
Harness, if your breeder advises you to use that instead of a collar for walks. Dog should still wear collar for ID.
Choke chain (trainining collar) if you plan to do obedience work (which you should) to be worn ONLY for training. Never leave a choke chain on a dog.
Leash: 4 feet for walks, 6 feet for training.
Long lead (15-20 feet) if you're going to train off-leash outside.
Retractable leash, so your dog has more room to run on walks
Food bowls, stainless steel is best.
Water dispenser: I like the ones with the upside-down bottle on top, holds more %26 doesn't spill
Kennel: smallest size available, 'cause you're getting a tiny dog. Best to get one that "just" fits, if she outgrows it you get a bigger one.
Puppy play pen, large enough for her to have "toilet" area, bed, toys, and "dining" area. Some people don't use this at all. If she's that young, you'll need it, because you can't leave her in a crate for more than 1 or 2 hours at first, and the idea is that she shouldn't relieve herself in the crate. In other words, never leave her in the crate for longer than she's expected to "hold it in" (about 1 hour per month of age), and if you have to leave for more than 2 hours you certainly don't want to leave her loose in the house!
Training treats: I like Charly Bear, fat free, won't grease up your pockets, my dogs love them, they're small.
At some point you might need grooming tools, depending on the kind of coat she grows.
Oh, one more thing: given her breed, she's going to dig! You might want to lay chicken wire or some other deterrents in areas of your yard/garden that you really, really don't want damaged.
Gee, I think that just about covers it!
Ger a small crate just big enough for her to turn around in. Any bigger and she might go in her crate. You will use this for two functions
One to transport for travel and the vet and such, the other to get her to not go inside the house.
next get a metal chain short leash this will be to leash her up inside the house and aid in housbreaking her, she wont go where she is laying down,
Choke chain for training and correction
And Id tag
city dog liscne
her rabies tag
and a regular collar to fit your pup your gona throw it out as she grows so not to big it slips off
if your dog is microchipped make sure the vet het the number so he can enter it into the data base
Also get a retractble nylon cord leash for walks
dont let her have the length away from you till she already learns to heel by your side
note : I never have seen jck russels off leash so I dont know their reputation be careful you dont want her running loose on ya and you cant catch her.
Of course bowl for food and water
Dont get one of those where food is availible anytime she wants, you wont beable to control a housebreaking schedule like this
Next try a number of differnt toys she will pick the one she likes
next if you have a back yard go around and puppy proof it escape hole etc
For food u will need wet and dry to even out her bowels movents and make sure they pass but are not too firm and not too soft so mix them
Ask your vet for a reccomended food for your new pup
also get some training tapes, and go to google and look up housbreaking dog
their are many helpful sites to assist this most important task
finally you may consider getting one of those door fencings
the key is too train your dog from a confined area and slowly expand his freedom to larger areas of the house once you get her going outside, keep the freedom to rug areas and areas new to the dog strictly supervised in the beginning
then return her to the tiled linoleum areas when yu can afford to take your eyes off like cooking and lundry
Its a good idea to keep her leashed upin the beginning
its seems cruel but she will learn faster where to go and where not too this way
With a jack russel i reccomend a minimum of two walks a day more if you can
A book on how to care for a dog. Read it before you get the dog.
Food and water bowl
crate
toys
leash
collar
dog tag with name and phone number on it
food
The puppy will need:
a nylon collar or harness (NOT a choke chain)
food and water bowls*
a crate
maybe a bed
some toys to chew on*
puppy shampoo (preferably a tearless, unmedicated shampoo)*
toothbrush and toothpaste (specially made for dogs)
Doggie Nail clippers (if you are going to cut them yourself)
treats*
food*
and love!*
Good foods for your puppy would be:
Canidae (All Life Stages)
Solid Gold (Hundchen Flocken Puppy)
Royal Canin (Mini Pupppy 33)
Wellness (puppy Super5Mix)
By Nature (Puppy Formula)
Blue Buffalo (Puppy Formula)
Orijen (Puppy formula)
California Natural (Puppy formula)
Fromm's 4 Star (All Life Stages)
Innova Puppy Food (Puppy formula)
Merrick (Puppy Plate)
There are a few other good foods out there, but those are just at the top of my mind right now.
Please do NOT feed foods like Pedigree, Beneful, Kibbles And Bits, or anything you can find at a grocery store. These are not good foods, and they contain poor ingredients. If it has corn, or by-products on the ingredients list, do not buy it. Also don't feed any food that has been on the recall list.
First off DO NOT buy any rubber toys for your puppy if they bite on it very hard then it is a risk that they will choke on it. You need to get a proper dog hair brush so it will collect the lose hair, you can't just use a regular brush. Also, NEVER feed them any table scraps, this causes begging, but you can give your dog fruits and vegetables since it is healthy for them.
AND NEVER FEED YOUR DOG CHOCOLATE THEY GET KILLED BY THAT. Get a nice collar that will fairly fit it's neck and get a leash that your dog won't gnaw right through. Don't forget about dog dishes and dog toys!
Oh yeah don't let your dog chew on chicken bones because THEY WILL CHOKE ON THEM and also don't buy your dog a big bone or anything like that because they WILL get broken teeth. My dog got 2 broken teeth but luckily those were his baby teeth. Buy your doggy treats but not too many and for a toy you just need to buy something like rawhide bones. Buy any type of dog food it doesn't matter but don't buy a dog food bag thats too big because then when you get to the bottom of the dog food bag it won't be as fresh.
Here's some tips:
Don't talk to your dog in a high pitch voice, it will get excited and confused.
Don't let your dog on your bed, I mean if you want your dog's butt on your pillows and bedsheets go ahead!
When walking your dog, don't let him walk in front of you, he will think he is the leader and this is not how you properly walk a dog. Walk your dog beside you. It's hard at first, but if you keep doing that your dog will get used to it.
Oh yeah and make an appointment with the local vet after you get your puppy in about a week.
...Well thats all my words of wisdom so good luck with your new puppy!
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