Preparing for Puppy

Because I had never had a pet before, I tried to be as prepared as possible before his arrival and I'd love to share the things that worked, the things that didn't, and what I got after he moved in that really helped.

DOG MOM DIARIES

5/21/20245 min read

two Siberian husky puppies sitting on green grass
two Siberian husky puppies sitting on green grass

As I've mentioned before, I didn't know anything about having a dog until I got mine. It's been a huge learning experience and if you're in a similar situation or if you just want to get some new things for your dog, I'd love to share what's worked well for us. Links are at the end of each section.

Food

The breeder and veterinarian both recommended Purina Pro Plan. Initially, I didn't think he liked it but I learned that huskies just aren't the biggest foodies. He eats when he's hungry and stares at it or walks away if he's not. Because I was so worried at first that he wasn't eating enough, I tried other foods like Farmer's Dog and Honest Kitchen. I unsubscribed from Farmer's Dog relatively quickly because he was indifferent to it and it wasn't worth the money or the space in my freezer. Great quality food but I'd only recommend it if your dog loves food but is picky. Then it could be worth it. Honest Kitchen is dehydrated food. So you mix it with water, let it sit for a few minutes, and then its ready to be eaten! He LOVED this. I used this for a few months before we transitioned completely back to kibble. One thing about changing the food brand is that your dog's bowel movements will probably be runny for a little bit as their stomach adjusts. I ultimately got him back on Purina Pro Plan kibble and only that because it's easier to transport and give him when he's with a sitter or when we have to go somewhere for the day.

We've gone through a variety of treats to see what works best. You hear trainers talking a lot about "high value treats" and it works! I found that he loves Blue Buffalo training treats more than any other ones I've tried. I like them because they're heart shaped and that's cute. He also loves Stella & Chewy's treats and Stewarts Beef Liver treats. He also likes Pup-Peroni treats. From time to time, I also give him cucumber, carrots, and berries.

I have also heard that dogs love peanut butter but according to my research, human peanut butter isn't the best for them because of the sugar content. So I found peanut butter that's made for dogs! That's fine with me because I don't like peanut butter so it's only in my home for him. He LOVES it so much!

If you're interested in checking any of these things out, we hope you love them as much as we do! Here are the links:

Supplies

Crate

Huskies have a reputation of being escape artists. So I was really nervous about getting a durable crate and ordered a heavy duty one from Ruffland. It didn't arrive in time and I needed something to put him in so we could begin crate training right off the bat so I ordered a wire crate from Amazon. That one actually worked way better and he prefers it over the Ruffland crate. He also sleeps better when the crate is covered, so I have a cover that fits perfectly. We had such a good experience with this crate and cover that I ordered a second set to take to my parents' house for when we sleep over there.

Playpen

I'm not used to sharing my space so this was an adjustment for me. I was also extremely nervous that he would mess up my furniture and decorations but I wanted him to have his own space where he could have all of his toys. So I got a playpen and had that set up in my living room for the first 6 months. I tried a few different playpens before I found the perfect one. I got the cheaper wired playpens from Amazon and they scratched my apartment floor and were really difficult to handle. So those went back ASAP. I finally found a playpen that was made for indoors and felt sturdy. This one, however, was expensive compared to the others that I had returned but it was worth every penny. I ended up getting one for outside too because he's opened the patio gate on his own a couple of times and the outdoor playpen was able to be set up in a way that allows him to hang out in the patio without me having to hover over him with a leash the entire time. I very highly recommend this brand of playpen if you're open to spending more than you'd expect. Again, not cheap but they work really well. We don't use the indoor playpen anymore because we've learned to coexist efficiently and he knows what he's not allowed to mess around with. So I took it to my parents' house so he can play safely over there.

Leashes

Oh my goodness I have so many leashes. I got a simple plain leash in the beginning. It worked fine but he pulls a lot so my hand was hurting. I then got one with a padded handle and he has since torn off all the padding because why not? Then, the dog sitter recommended a slip lead, which I liked but it didn't help a lot with the pulling. Then I found one that wraps around your waist so that you can use your body as an anchor instead of relying on your arm to stop the dog from pulling. That leash worked wonders. Helped so much to have both of my hands free to give him treats and not worry about accidentally letting go or falling over from the pulling. He wore out that one and I got another one with a back support strap and that has been the best one so far in my experience. If your dog is big, heavy, and pulls and you're a smaller person, then the waist leash is a big game changer.

Puppy Pads

The only thing I didn't realize before I got him was that he wouldn't be allowed to go pee and poop outside the building because he wouldn't be fully vaccinated until 4 months old. I had no idea about the dangers of Parvo and other deadly illnesses that dogs can get so easily. Luckily, my cousin gave me some puppy pads before he arrived so that I could train him on those. I did not realize how quickly you go through puppy pads! I've tried a few different sizes and brands but the charcoal ones are my favorite because they turn the pee into some sort of gel substance and it's way less messy. We don't use them anymore because he's able to use the bathroom outside now but the pads were essential to our survival in the first few months.

Here are some links for my favorite supplies (and some extra ones that are good to have but don't need a whole description):

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