First Time Puppy Haul

[jasperwall]

Hi All

This is my first post!

After agonising over and over if we are qualified to get a dog, we finally got ourselves the approval to adopt and add a new member to our family.

we are getting a smooth collie in a few weeks and he's about 6 months old.

Buying for things the dog needs for the first time can be challenging. with all the choices, brands, accessories, and costs... it can get overwhelming.

So for all those experience owners, can you please advice or suggest.

do you buy online or in the shops?

which online shop / local pet shop do you often visit (base on good quality and cheap/reasonable cost)

what would you suggest the first lot of item a new puppy owner should buy?

[benshiva]

Where are you based in NSW?

[benshiva]

Personally I'm not a fan of online shopping. Whilst it's usually cheaper, (and lets face with those of us with multiple dogs we're after the best bargains) I can't help feeling by shopping online, I'm taking away from struggling small businesses (like the one I work at) that work so hard to provide great service and in the case of my shop, the best prices they can. We just can't compete with the big online stores though and I'm truly worried that someday independent pet stores like mine will be a thing of the past.

End rant, sorry for the takeover :)

Edited June 11, 2014 by benshiva

[persephone]

Congrats!

Hopefully the pup's breeder has given you some ideas :)

6 mths old - you are adopting a teenager!! It could be a very steep learning curve ............... What experience has pup had until now ? is it a pet, or breeder surplus, or ?

Absolute Basics are sensible strong collar for the breed (narrow headed dogs need a bit different collars sometimes) and well made leash.

bowls/water containers

appropriate brushes/combs

bedding ( need not be expensive ) which is WARM ..enclosed sleeping areas are draft and cold proof ..rather than just a flat 'mattress'

probably a coat/jammies.

Good strong toys ...

decent food

SECURE fencing

VET appointment

HUMAN skill basket - read/read/watch/learn as much as you can about pups/dogs/your chosen breed ..

[huski]

Personally I'm not a fan of online shopping. Whilst it's usually cheaper, (and lets face with those of us with multiple dogs we're after the best bargains) I can't help feeling by shopping online, I'm taking away from struggling small businesses (like the one I work at) that work so hard to provide great service and in the case of my shop, the best prices they can. We just can't compete with the big online stores though and I'm truly worried that someday independent pet stores like mine will be a thing of the past.

End rant, sorry for the takeover :)

Many small businesses are also online, just because a store is online doesn't mean you aren't supporting a small local business.

I always recommend having a crate, pen, obviously a food bowl and water bowl (I would go with something non spill for a pup). A light weight long line, harness, leash and collar are other things I also have at the top of my list with a pup. Appropriate toys that the pup can learn to self settle with and entertain itself with as well as suitable engagement toys for you to play with.

Too many people get large toys that aren't a suitable surface or size for pups so make sure toys you get are appropriate for the age and size of your puppy.

[benshiva]

Personally I'm not a fan of online shopping. Whilst it's usually cheaper, (and lets face with those of us with multiple dogs we're after the best bargains) I can't help feeling by shopping online, I'm taking away from struggling small businesses (like the one I work at) that work so hard to provide great service and in the case of my shop, the best prices they can. We just can't compete with the big online stores though and I'm truly worried that someday independent pet stores like mine will be a thing of the past.

End rant, sorry for the takeover :)

Many small businesses are also online, just because a store is online doesn't mean you aren't supporting a small local business.

I always recommend having a crate, pen, obviously a food bowl and water bowl (I would go with something non spill for a pup). A light weight long line, harness, leash and collar are other things I also have at the top of my list with a pup. Appropriate toys that the pup can learn to self settle with and entertain itself with as well as suitable engagement toys for you to play with.

Too many people get large toys that aren't a suitable surface or size for pups so make sure toys you get are appropriate for the age and size of your puppy.

My store is online as well and we STILL cannot compete with the purely online stores. This is what I'm getting at, we cannot compete with their prices no matter what we do. I know this for a fact as I live it every single day of my working life.

Anyway, sorry to the OP for taking this off topic. Persephone has given you an excellent starting point.

Best wishes with you new dog and if you let me know where in NSW you are, I can certainly suggest some great stores to go in and browse around.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

we are getting a smooth collie in a few weeks and he's about 6 months old.

A 6 month old herding dog - you have bought yourself a dog that will need training, and exercise, and something to do. Or he's going to remodel your garden, eat all your shoes, and decrotch your underwear.

Hopefully the people you are getting him from have provided you with an information pack with all the instructions about how to look after him?

Is he vaccinated and microchipped? A visit to the vet might be your first option - for a full checkup, get a microchip if he hasn't got one, vaccinations and a worming/flea plan, get him booked in to be desexed if he isn't already...

Dog Star Daily has a digital dog owners text book which has all the info you could need about raising a puppy and helping it fit in to your home. You might have to sign up but it's free and you get way more than your money's worth because Ian Dunbar wants all dogs to have loving happy forever homes.

http://www.dogstardaily.com/taxonomy/term/182

Is it going to be an inside dog or an outside dog or bit of both?

[alpha bet]

Jasperwall

The best advice - don't rush out and browse thru the pet supermarkets and get tempted to buy everything.... before you realise you will spend hundreds of dollars on poor purchases..... I give my puppy buyers a list of items to consider and also the brands I have found useful for my breed.... My breed is Aussie sheps so not dissimilar to your choice. So here are some ideas....

* BEST bed I have found for being robust, easy to clean and a favorite for my dogs is the BonoFido bed - available in different sizes and fairly competative in price just under $100.

* BEST flat collar i found - Personalised Pet Collars (Australian Co and can order online) Cost about $30 but has great clip and strong - added bonus of embroided name and phone number on the collar.... Definate must.

* Advantage Flea Treatments - I buy these online (yes from overseas) but they cost about $7 each instead of $15 from the local vet.....

* Kong Frisby - expensive in the pet shops but buy online for about $12 - lasts for ages and soft on the dogs mouth - buy two.....

* Dog toys from the discount store cost $3-$10 compared to $20 at Coles or Pet Supermarkets.

* Stainless steel dinner bowls - I pay about $2-$3 from the discount stores get a few at once.

* Short steady water bucket for indoors - deep enough to prevent splashing around your floors

* Heavy metal bucket for outdoors - don't want it tipped over or chewed - I buy them from local discount store for $6-$10 each and use them in the boarding kennels.

* Plastic moulded kennel - comes in two parts and clips together - easy to clean and lightweight to move - mine cost $90 from the local discount store and I place a washable mat inside. In really cold weather I place an old canvas horse rug over the top to give more warmth.

* Travel Crate - Soft Sided and folds down when needed - can use as a mobile bed so very useful. Careful what brand as some have poor quality zips that break easily - I found some from an Australian Company and they are terrific and available thru mail order - brand K9+ Crates

That gives you all the basics at a reasonable price and then you may have items you need as you go.....

Good luck with your new dog - smooth collies are terrific.

Edited June 11, 2014 by alpha bet

[Yonjuro]

The best thing we bought that will never wear out and the most valuable of all is a Personal Trainer :) Of course we bought all the usual stuff as mentioned above, but when putting your budget together please consider adding training to your shopping list.

Knowledgeable people here will help you select someone good and appropriate to your breed and wants.

Have fun and please post some photos.

[jasperwall]

WOW!

Thank you so much for sharing your wealth of experience. This is priceless.

yes, I'm in Sydney, NSW. we are getting our puppy from a great breeder.

we have visited her kennel and we are so impress and just fell in love with her dogs (smooth and rough collies).

they're so gentle, calm and affectionate - specially with my two daughters (age 10 and 4)

yes, the breeder has been very helpful with her experience and she has given me some info.

she will also give me plenty of other useful information once we get the dog... but i'd also like to be proactive and start doing some research ahead of time.

we live in a 3rd floor apartment. (that's why we agonised over whether we should get a dog) i was concern about our home not

being adequate. but i find that collies are very adaptable but yes i am committed in ensuring this new bundle of joy will have plenty of love, walks, exercise and training daily and regularly. i am also looking for a dog school to ensure he stays socialise with dogs and other people and to help me train him. any advice around bankstown area?

we've already started puppy proofing our place and have started plans on how to incorporate our lives around the needs of our new dog.

with the school holidays coming up, it'll be a perfect time for us to bond with him

and give full time supervision - i would literally tether his leash to my waist with a bag full of treats and a clicker to mark his

good behaviours.

my plan is to get a bed with a playpen. the playpen will only serve when we cannot physically supervise him or when we go out of the house that we can't bring him with us.

again thank you so much for your advice.

@benshiva i know what you mean.

i visited one of the biggest petstores which has an online store... didn't get any help

i then visited a small business self owned petstore and the customer service was great. very friendly and

gave plenty of free advice.

Edited June 11, 2014 by jasperwall

[persephone]

with the school holidays coming up, it'll be a perfect time for us to bond with him

and give full time supervision -

..unfortunately - this then suddenly leaves a dog totally alone after 2 weeks of humans 24/7 , and mega attention. not a very good situation for any dog

....coming from a breeder with lots of company, smells, sounds, and dogs

..then to an apartment with humans in close contact .

.then................................ .............................

..I know it has been done before ..however a collie has a pretty good bark/howl ..and can also cause a LOT of damage in a short time . These problems are best never let develop , rather than have to be fixed ..

A good trainer is a must ;)

[raineth]

HI there, congrats on the puppy :) exciting times ahead for your family :)

One of the most important things you need to do is teach him to be ok with his own company right from the beginning. This is especially true as you will be having time at home with him for the first couple of weeks he's in your life. I think the penned area sounds good.

Start with small amounts of time alone (with a special chew to keep puppy occupied) and progress to longer times. Also actually go through the motions of leaving the house without him, the normal things you would do before leaving and then leave out the front door. You can enter again in a minute or two.

I personally think in your situation some of the puzzle toys and chew toys would be good. So things like Kongs.

Don't go out and get hundreds of toys.

I would say you need:

a crate with durable bedding

a collar and lead

water and food bowls

Chews (e.g. bones)

and a roast chook to make training treats with.

A treat bag to clip on for when you take him outside for toileting

Paper towel and white vinegar on hand for accidents.

A toy container to hold the toys, so you can give them out to have a game and put them back in when you're done (this makes puppy less likely to be bored with them).

[Dogsfevr]

with the school holidays coming up, it'll be a perfect time for us to bond with him

and give full time supervision -

..unfortunately - this then suddenly leaves a dog totally alone after 2 weeks of humans 24/7 , and mega attention. not a very good situation for any dog

....coming from a breeder with lots of company, smells, sounds, and dogs

..then to an apartment with humans in close contact .

.then................................ .............................

..I know it has been done before ..however a collie has a pretty good bark/howl ..and can also cause a LOT of damage in a short time . These problems are best never let develop , rather than have to be fixed ..

A good trainer is a must ;)

Was going to post the exact same thing & something we also tell our puppy owners not to do because it makes life for the dog so much harder.

I would suggest you reassess what you plan to do during this time keeping in mind the routine it must adapt to when life goes back to normal .

So walsk during the time you plan weekdays, teaching it to be comfy alone in its area ,no pampering to the extreme ,this is about setting the dog up for success & not for failure .

'

Personally i would worry less about what to buy & plan more what is going o happen

* Toileting ,will pup have toilet access during the day or expected to hang on ??

* Toys need to be rotated to allow daily enrichment if its going to be inside

* Playpen won't keep a Collie in if that is your plan ,you will need something like a expen that will be safer & have a roof .

[jasperwall]

with the school holidays coming up, it'll be a perfect time for us to bond with him

and give full time supervision -

..unfortunately - this then suddenly leaves a dog totally alone after 2 weeks of humans 24/7 , and mega attention. not a very good situation for any dog

....coming from a breeder with lots of company, smells, sounds, and dogs

..then to an apartment with humans in close contact .

.then................................ .............................

..I know it has been done before ..however a collie has a pretty good bark/howl ..and can also cause a LOT of damage in a short time . These problems are best never let develop , rather than have to be fixed ..

A good trainer is a must ;)

thanks for that.

and yes, we've thought of our own work and school schedules.

i agree with you that we definitely need to invest not just money and food to our pets but more importantly time.

as much as possible, this new member of our family will be involve in everything we do because whatever we do, all family members are always in it together so our new puppy will never be left out. the only time i can think of when he will be left alone is when we do our groceries and/or go to church. during this time of unsupervised time, i plan on keeping him in a playpen with some interactive toys.

i would definitely seek a good trainer to help me train him. i'm also looking for puppy schools. any advice on that would be great.

my goal is to nurture and shape this puppy to be a good manered part of our family. i am committed to invest my time with him.

[persephone]

Personally i would worry less about what to buy & plan more what is going to happen

*nods*

A 'playpen' will certainly need to be very high and strong- this is no tiny puppy :) .babygates will not be very safe either .

I also hope you can dog proof your balcony - you will have a tall dog who has a good ability to jump...and absolutely no idea what is below ....

[benshiva]

You sound like the ideal puppy owner. There is a lot of wisdom and great advice on this forum. You will be fine.

Most importantly, is secure housing to start with. Get baby used to time alone spent in his space and it will make life easier when you do have to leave him at home.

[Dogsfevr]

[quote name='jasperwall' timestamp='1402463464' post='6501218'

thanks for that.

and yes, we've thought of our own work and school schedules.

i agree with you that we definitely need to invest not just money and food to our pets but more importantly time.

as much as possible, this new member of our family will be involve in everything we do because whatever we do, all family members are always in it together so our new puppy will never be left out. the only time i can think of when he will be left alone is when we do our groceries and/or go to church. during this time of unsupervised time, i plan on keeping him in a playpen with some interactive toys.

i would definitely seek a good trainer to help me train him. i'm also looking for puppy schools. any advice on that would be great.

my goal is to nurture and shape this puppy to be a good manered part of our family. i am committed to invest my time with him.

Actually its very important the dog learns not to be with you all the time & how to deal with being left out especially in the environment it will be living in.

An issue with apartment dogs is they are very reliant on the humans to cater for many things more so than dogs with a backyard so balancing the line of being independent & able to live happily in that environment is so important for life .

Your collie will be to big for a playpen & not a safe option at all

[jasperwall]

all your comments are so so appreciated.

yes, i plan on using our two weeks school holiday to get our new puppy adapt to our lifestyle and routine. not necessarily to pamper him LOL.

but to shape him and be used to our schedules.

definitely high on the list is toilet training, bed training and being left alone training. i've been reading books and watching plenty of dog tutorials in youtube this past several months.

i was going to use the playpen as a means to restrict his access to all the rooms but to his toilet space when he is unsupervised.

but whenever myself or my partner is with him, he'll be tethered to us so we can ensure he doesn't make any toilet accidents or destroy our furniture or harm himself. this will be our daily routine with him even after school holidays anyways until we are sure he is house train. so plenty of training, shaping and proofing ahead.

@persephone

oh definitely, he's big for a puppy. already almost to my knees when we saw him. when he stands up, he can put his front paws to my chest (but so gentle). yes, the balcony is child proof and will be puppy proof.

actually i am also thinking of bed vs crate and would like your feedback about it.

in an apartment, a bed is more ideal but for his need... maybe a crate inside a playpen is better? what size crate should i get for a collie? i was looking at life stages crate... any suggestions there?

[Tatelina]

i am committed in ensuring this new bundle of joy will have plenty of love, walks, exercise and training daily and regularly. i am also looking for a dog school to ensure he stays socialise with dogs and other people and to help me train him.

my goal is to nurture and shape this puppy to be a good manered part of our family. i am committed to invest my time with him.

You've given yourself a challenge with getting a youngster in an apartment! I personally would have gone with an older rescue dog that was more set in his ways instead of taking on the challenge of conditioning and training a teenager, but sounds like you're up for the challenge!

As Ceasar Milan would say:

Exercise, discipline, and affection… in that order – These are the three ingredients for creating a happy, balanced dog. Most dog owners give only affection, or don't provide these three necessities in the correct order.

Read more: http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/basics/glossary-of-terms-from-cesars-way#ixzz34JGj9KJ8

And persephone makes a very good, valid point about the pup not being able to handle alone time after the kids go back to school, and you guys go back into your work schedule if it hasn't learnt how to enjoy it's own company, has been mentally exhausted each morning before you leave, and has learnt boundaries.

Good luck with it, and let us know how you get on!

[Tatelina]

in an apartment, a bed is more ideal but for his need... maybe a crate inside a playpen is better? what size crate should i get for a collie? i was looking at life stages crate... any suggestions there?

How big is your apartment? I would be impressed if you had the space for a pen big enough! (Crates are different and used for different purposes so need less space...I'm sure crate devotees will be able to share more).

Edited June 11, 2014 by Tatelina