What you will need for your new labrador puppy when you bring it home
Bringing a labrador puppy home is an exciting time, and there are several essential items you’ll need to ensure their comfort and well-being. Here’s a list of things you should consider purchasing:
Bed or crate: Provide a cozy and comfortable space for your puppy to sleep and rest. We favour a crate of a large to extra large size. (Please see below) If you are prone to falling, please opt for one which is soft and open instead. We suggest putting Vetbed inside it. Vetbed is made from double-strength polyester, with the high fibre density to retain extra heat and allow for added air permeability. They also include unique drainage properties in case your pet has any accidents while they are resting.
Stairgate: Stairgates allow you to section off parts of your house. These are also widely available on Facebook Marketplace. If you are epileptic or prone to falling please choose a soft version that won’t harm you when you do this.
Food and water bowls: Choose bowls suitable for your puppy’s size and breed.
Puppy food: Puppy is currently eating – Purina – which you can buy online and on mainland UK be delivered often the next day. PRO PLAN Large Athletic Puppy Dry Dog Food Healthy Start Rich in Chicken 12kg
Whistle: In Pups life so far, they have heard two peeps of the whistle before each meal. That combined with ‘Pup Pup’ have been the calls used to summon them, and as such if you purchase a whistle and continue to do this for their meals you may be lucky enough to set up the foundations to a whistle recall. (Video on the beginning of Puppy Recall)
Collar and leash: Get a properly sized collar or harness and a leash for walks and outings. Identification tags: Include your puppy’s name and your contact information on their ID tags.
Puppy pads or newspaper: For toilet training purposes, you may want to have puppy pads or newspaper available.
Dog crate: If you plan to crate train your puppy, consider purchasing a crate of an appropriate size. We recommend an Extra Large, which will accommodate a full size Labrador. The Extra, Extra Large is more like a mini room for them and you would only want if you had the space.
Toys: Provide a variety of toys to keep your puppy entertained and stimulated.
Chew toys: Puppies have a natural inclination to chew, so invest in some safe chew toys to redirect their chewing behavior.
Puppy treats: Use treats for positive reinforcement during training sessions. We suggest you use their Kibble as a low value treat then tiny bits of cooked chicken or cheese as high value. For example, if you have someone in your life like my mother who cuts the sinew of things like chicken you can cook this water and then tear up into small pieces for pup.
Grooming supplies: Daily brushing of a Labrador, leads to better coat health, less shedding where you don’t want it and when you groom your puppy it allows them to get used to being touched and handled in a different way.
Poop bags: Keep your surroundings clean by having poop bags for picking up after your puppy during walks.
Puppy training pads: These can be useful during the initial stages of potty training.
Stain and odor removers: Accidents happen, so it’s good to have cleaning products designed specifically for pet messes.
Pet insurance: Consider getting pet insurance to help cover veterinary costs in case of illness or injury. We recommend ManyPets as they have different levels of cover but also are pretty dependable in terms of being reliable in their cover of treatments and conditions.
This is a very basic list – there is a lot more that can be brought for new pup so feel free to add your favourites in the comments.