First Time Dog Mom & Dog Dad Shopping List
I know there are a lot of first time Dog-Mom and Dog-Dad’s out there. Data is showing that during Covid-19 Quarantine, animal adoptions were at an all-time high, which is so lovely to hear in such a shitty time. Here’s a new dog mom and dog dad shopping list to help new puppy parents out.
Two and a half years ago, when Matt (the guy in the pictures above) and I adopted our dog Tyrion, we were so nervous. I had dogs growing up, and Matt has been a cat person his whole life and this was his first doggie adventure. We brought the little mixed-breed home from the SFSPCA, and we were at a loss on what we needed, so we took to the internet.
There were really comprehensive lists, and I felt we ended up over-doing it in a lot of areas. In other ways, we missed the mark and kept ordering from Amazon or going to our local pet store. I felt I was missing the mark as a first time dog mom! We have a little dog, who is now 15 lbs full grown, and we have an urban lifestyle living in Berkeley and the San Francisco Bay Area. Our needs could be slightly different, but this list should fit most dog owner’s needs with a couple tweaks. There may be a couple things that don’t align with having a larger dog.
I’ve put together a comprehensive yet concise list for you new dog owners. Don’t be nervous! You’re here reading, which shows you care and that’s the biggest part.
I’ve included links to Amazon and EntirelyPets which is our local pet-store chain that ships anywhere within the US. A lot of items ship free, but all orders ship free in the US when the cart is over $85. I like supporting the Bay Area when possible. Their prices are comparable to PetCo, PetSmart, and Chewy and oftentimes are even better. Since I used to live in Toronto for a while, I like to provide Canadian options when I know of them and Canada Pet Care has great prices in Canada as well.
Dog Food
There are just so many options here for different lifestyles, diets, dog ages and price-points. I went with Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Dry Dog Food Puppy Recipe. It’s on the lower price end for the higher quality category. He seems really happy with it, and we’ve stayed with Merrick even as an adult dog. He’s always eaten around ¾ cup a day and the 12 Lb bag lasts us around 5-6 weeks at a cost of $40. We also treat him twice a week with “gravy” or canned dog food. We liked the Purina ProPlan Focus Puppy Wet Food for gravy nights! The SPCA sent us home with a few cans, and we just stayed with it for a while. We now give him Purina Beneful Small Breed Wet Dog Food Variety Pack because he likes it, and the cans are small for the occasional treat. FYI, wet food isn’t as good on their teeth!
I recommend not going grain-free unless there’s a specific reason to. The FDA posted a study where the grain-free trend in dog food can be leading to heart problems in dogs.
Again, there are so many options. This is just what we’ve done. If you’re a busy professional like we are, this can just help take the brain-work out of it for you if you so choose to go with our dog food options.
Dog Food & Water Bowls
Don’t put too much thought into this. We like a larger bowl for water, and we have a couple smaller bowls for food so we can throw them in the dishwasher after gravy nights. Porcelain/Ceramic works better for us than metal or plastic for this reason. Plus, they just look nicer! We have something similar to this one or this one, but this double bowl Neater Feeder Express has been tempting for us to switch to since our dog is such a splasher!
We ended up buying a placemat for under them because the water bowl splashing was ruining our wood floors in that one area. Pro tip!
The Crate
Even if you’re not going to crate train your dog in the long-run, it’s a nice transitional thing to have so you’re cleaning up puppy mess every morning from a contained area. I’ll include the link to the one we have. This isn’t a carrier, but folds up well and we’ve taken it in our car and opened it up in hotel rooms for him to stay in when we traveled with him.
The Leash OR Lead
I first got one of those retractable leashes thinking I would like the length option. I used it twice and hated it. It’s so hard to leash train a puppy on and it’s for experienced dog walking. Go with a 6ft lead for small to medium puppies. You can wrap the slack around your hand easily and you get used to it.
Here are a few options that look good, but you can find them online just about anywhere:
Option 1 — Option 2 — Option 3 — Option 4
Harness
We went through about 5 of these when he was a puppy. We weren’t sure if they were supposed to act as his collar or be just for walks. The reason we were confused was because no harness fit well over a collar, until we found Gooby. It’s the best, and they have it in all dog sizes. The Gooby dog harness I will vouch for. It’s the only one that doesn’t choke our dog at all.
Collar
Anything that fits you and your dog’s style, and fits their neck with at least two adult fingers loosely when it’s clipped closed. This is the dog collar we bought. We got orange and brick red because of his golden coat.
Dog-Tag
We got ours at our local pet store, but here are some online options. I can’t vouch for any of their service or quality. Make sure the dog tag lists your dog’s name, your phone number, and at least a city. We have Berkeley, so people know that if he’s found in Oakland, he’s gone far from home.
Puppy Pee Pads
You’ll want these to change out every morning. Back when people read newspapers, my Dad used those as puppy pee pads. Either works fine, but puppy pads are just easy to take out in the morning and throw out. Our dog was easy to potty train, so we only used about 15-20 of these and had tons leftover from a pack of 100. Save the rest in a closet for if/when you travel with them just in case.
Dog Bed
Don’t invest a lot until your dog is trained and until you know if your dog is a bed eater or chewer. Ours is. He loves shredding beds and we’ve had to train him out of it. Go cheap at first, then go nicer later if you want. This bed won’t likely be your last dog bed purchase while they’re a puppy. My dog gravitates towards things that have fluff in them, like blankets and my robe etc, so we only buy him beds with a fluffy lining like this one.
Dog Carrier
If you have a little dog and can bring them to work, you ride public transit, or plan on traveling with them on an airplane… I recommend not doing air travel for the first year, but here’s the soft dog carrier we have. It’s the official Delta Airline carrier with their branding on it, so there shouldn’t be any complaints about it being aline approved. It’s a one time purchase for all your dog carrying needs for those first time dog mom’s out there.
Dental Chews
Again, there are so many options. Dental work for a dog in the SF area costs more than human dental, so Tyrion gets 1-2 dental chews a day, plus a few rawhides a week. I’m proud to say he’s 2.5 years old and his teeth look pretty good still.
We like Greenies and Pedigree DentaStix and rotate between those two brands. I think Greenies are likely better quality, but our dog is just a tad more excited about the Pedigree DentaStix brand. We can nab the Pedigree ones at Costco sometimes too.
We tried a toothbrush and dog toothpaste (please don’t use human toothpaste). He didn’t take well to that experience. He loves playing with our hands, so we got exfoliating gloves and we made a game out of us rubbing his gums and teeth with those on. You may have better luck with dog-toothpaste and brushing their teeth than we did.
Soft cloth toys help too… which brings me to the topic...
Toys
I went way overboard here. Going back, I would’ve bought way less. Options make them pick favorites and leave others behind. Only put out a few toys at a time. Make sure to have chew worthy toys. Our dog loves these cloth toys with no stuffing inside, and he still has a couple from when he was a puppy because the ones with stuffing were shredded. You’ll also want a rope to play tug-of-war with them. Most dogs love this!
Pro-tip on the toy front! I got some human toddler teething toys. I thought they would be less likely to have lead in them and the care in the product creation had to be better (or hopefully).
Blankets
Just use old ones from around the house. Only buy blankets if you really don’t have any spares. They will potty train on everything!
Nail Clipper
Pro Tip! After you can walk your dog (post-vaccinations) their nails will wear on the pavement. Dew claws are the only ones we have to trim on our dogs now. He hates his nails trimmed, but there are tons of recommended tips online. I saw one where a guy put saran wrap on his forehead, put peanut butter on it, then let his dog lick his head while he trimmed nails. So funny! My dog wouldn’t fall for that, but this nail trimmer we have works like a cigar cutter and my husband gives Tyrion kisses while I trim one dew claw… Then we get the other the next day. It’s just how we have to do it to keep the peace!
We also tried the electric file style, but we needed to make it quick and easy for our guy and the vibrations frightened him.
If this is a truly difficult experience, you can take them to a groomer. If it’s really bad, groomers sometimes decline service. Vets can help too, but it’s spendier.
Dog Shampoo
I got some dog shampoo, but I now use my Dr Bronner's Castile Soap or The Honest Company Shampoo and Bodywash I use on myself. Both are gentle enough for their fur. The Lavender scent is my favorite, but you can sometimes pick up the Orange Vanilla scent in a well-priced double pack at Costco too.
Ultimately, the point I’m making is that you can use products you use on humans as long as they’re gentile. Make sure not to shampoo too often. Dogs need skin oils.
Dog Treats
The dog trainer we went to kept using this term “treat value” and expressed that dog treats lose value if you give them too much of the same thing. We rotate some goodies and brands we like. Most higher quality. A couple lesser so. All of these we gave to him as a puppy and still do as a full-grown dog. Here are our favorites.
Make sure to keep the dog treats little for little puppies, and even small with larger dogs. As puppies, you’ll be training them and they get more treats than when a dog is full-grown.
Merrick Backcountry Big Game Real Lamb & Venison Jerky
Merrick Lil Plates Small Breed Treats
Poop Bags
If you live in the country with lots of space, you may not need these. If you live in an urban or suburban area, you’ll need a lot. Amazon sells dog poop bags with a dispenser for a really good price.
Love
This is the most important item on the list. Just remember that you’re bringing a new member into your family and dogs just want to be loved. You don’t need to go overboard. I thought I needed to buy a dog comb right away (and maybe for your breed you will) but there are things that make more sense to gauge their needs first before buying. There will be a lot more items to purchase down the line, but this should get you through the beginning of being a first time Dog Mom and Dog Dad. You got this!
I’ll be posting another article soon on what Flea, Tick, and Heartworm medication to use. We were pushed Trifexis at first, but found better options for us. Keep a look-out!
