Now that you’ve decided to get a puppy or dog, the next few weeks will be busy and at times, more than a little bit crazy. That’s why it’s important to plan in advance for the arrival of your new pet. If possible, get as many necessities ready before your puppy comes home.
The Basics
Travel crate: Even if you don’t plan on crate training your dog, consider the benefits of owning a crate for other reasons, like transporting an ill or injured puppy to the veterinarian.
Food and water bowls: If you have a puppy, keep the bowls low and shallow. Tip-proof works well, too. As they grow, you’ll likely need to upgrade to larger dishes to accommodate your pet’s size.
Food: Choose an age-appropriate food. Ask your vet or local pet store for recommendations if you’re not sure what kind to purchase. Remember that high quality dog food keeps your puppy healthier and happier.
Collar: Pick a collar that fits properly now. You can always upgrade later if necessary.
Leash: A six-foot lead works well. Choose the right thickness and strength for your dog. A Chihuahua’s needs are very different from the needs of a Rottweiler.
ID tag: As one of the first things people search for when finding a stray dog, an ID tag can help make sure your puppy makes it home safely. At a minimum, have your phone number engraved on the tag.
Grooming supplies: Different breeds require different levels of grooming. However, every pup can benefit from a good weekly brushing. It’s also a great way to have quiet, bonding time with your new dog.
Housebreaking supplies: Even adult dogs have accidents, so be prepared with good cleaning supplies.
Veterinarian: If you don’t have a favorite vet already, ask family, friends and neighbors for a recommendation. Have an appointment scheduled within the first few days of bringing your puppy home, so your vet can check for worms, other health conditions, and start her vaccination regimen.
The Extras
Obedience classes: Every dog can benefit from learning some basic obedience skills.
Puppy treats: Yummy treats are the perfect reward when you’re working on obedience. Or for when they’re just being adorable.
Toys: Chew toys help satisfy your new puppy’s teething needs. If you’d like to teach your dog to retrieve, look at purchasing a few balls, but make sure they’re not so small that your dog chokes. A lot of people swear by Kong, an awesome rubber toy you stuff with treats to keep your new pal busy.
Sour apple spray: Use this product to spray on spots your puppy loves to chew on. It’s a terrific deterrent for naughty puppies.
Baby gates: Want to keep your dog in one area of your house? Use baby gates to corral him. Let’s face it; for a lot of us, dogs are our babies anyway!
Dog house: If your pup will spend any time outdoors, he’ll love having his own little house. Fill it with great chew toys and a cozy blanket, and it will be the perfect home away from home.
Doggie door: Training your dog to use a doggie door when she needs to go outdoors makes life easier for you and your pal.
Clothing: Depending on where you live, sweaters or snow boots may be required outdoor gear for your dog.
Now that you have the basics on hand, don’t forget the most essential items for your new puppy: lots of hugs, kisses, and sweet talk. Best of all, they’re free!
Jennifer McVey
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/your-new-puppy-must-haves-for-your-dog-712864.html
#1 by PBJ on November 28, 2009 - 10:28 am
Should they have a Law, that your dog must be fixed before entering a dog park?
I was at the dog park yesterday, and there was this male mixed breed dog, who was obviously NOT fixed. (Very easy to tell, you could just see.)
And this dog was trying to Mount every dog he could! Now, doesn’t an unfixed dog with an unfixed female = unwanted puppies?
Shouldn’t they make it a law your dog must be fixed? What would happen if a female dog wasn’t fixed, and then the male dog got her pregnant? There would be more unwanted puppies.
What do you think? Am I right, Or Am I Wrong?
#2 by the petco monster on November 28, 2009 - 3:31 pm
you are very right! try to get ahold of the park director and complain to them please!
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#3 by You know what I'm sayin' on November 28, 2009 - 3:33 pm
You are right. It does happen and that’s why so many dogs are in shelters, irresponsible humans.
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#4 by SaveThePits! on November 28, 2009 - 3:35 pm
I agree with you 100%
It stinks for the dogs that aren’t fixed that they can’t play with the other dogs but we have too many pups in the world already. Unneutered males are much more likely to start fights and a female in heat is just asking for the males to act stupid and fight for her attention.
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#5 by Fur and Fiction on November 28, 2009 - 3:37 pm
I don’t think there should be a law about it, but it is clear that dog should not have been in the park. At my dog park, people scream at you if your dog barks too much. They probably would have jumped the owner of an unneutered mounting male.
It is all about owner responsibility.
It would also be very hard to monitor every dog that enters the park to see if it is spayed or neutered, especially when it comes to females (where usually the only proof you can get is a certificate of spay).
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#6 by PkPanda on November 28, 2009 - 3:39 pm
I completely agree. Where I live, some of the parks don’t have any requirements as to shots either. It’s pretty scary. Who knows what some of the dogs there are bringing in with them?
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#7 by tentoes on November 28, 2009 - 3:41 pm
Great law, but how is it going to be enforced? Most police agencies are already understaffed.
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#8 by there_she.goes on November 28, 2009 - 3:43 pm
The dog park I go to has had a "no females in any stage of heat" rule for a long time. However, I live in Los Angeles and now, legally your dog over 4 months has to be spayed or neutered. The dog park is supposed to have no unfixed dogs in it, at all. Of course, people break that rule.
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#9 by Lani on November 28, 2009 - 3:45 pm
I happen to agree with you! At the very least dog owners need to be more responsible with this very topic! Unaltered males not only are a risk for the people who riskily take their in season girls to the dog park but are also more prone to pick fights.
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#10 by Miracle Paws™ on November 28, 2009 - 3:47 pm
Your 100% right. I don’t go to dog parks anymore for that and many more reasons.
I am so happy!! are mayor just passed a law which is requiring you spay and neuter your dogs by the age of 6 months. And if you don’t you will get a 1,000$ fine and community service. WOOT WOOT. Don’t i just love are new law
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#11 by Mrs. N™ on November 28, 2009 - 3:49 pm
I think dog parks should be banned all together. There are too many problems there, you don’t know the temperment of the other dogs, you don’t know how stupid their owners may be in raising them, you are walking in there blind and letting your dog play with whatever. In general dog parks are just not a good idea.
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#12 by puppypal on November 28, 2009 - 3:51 pm
I agree with you totally. But with dog ownership comes responsibility…I think it is as much the owners who is silly enough to bring a female in heat to a public dog park, as the male on the trail of a mate. Boy dogs are born to breed. LOL seriously though. Until you take away the jewels making their life all about making babies they will. Also Believe it or not i have actually seen 2 females mount each other. It is not only for the baby making thing but a thing dogs in general do to establish pack line up so to speak. Head dog if ya will.
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#13 by Meaghan on November 28, 2009 - 3:53 pm
I go to dog parks with my unaltered male. (He is a show dog). He does not ever hump dogs! Humping is a dominance thing, not necessarily an unaltered dog thing. If my dog was ever humping, I’d take him and leave.
I think it is irresponsible for people to bring their bitches in heat to a dog park. I have seen this with my own eyes.
Some parks do require fixed dogs. There is a dog park in my area that requires a membership and once you prove your dogs are fixed and vaccinated, you get a magnetic key to enter the park gate.
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#14 by ♫♪ Nekkid Bootie ♪♫ on November 28, 2009 - 3:55 pm
I think it should be a law.
9 times out of 10, when you have a fight in a dog park, an intact male was involved..
You also get retards who bring their females in heat to the dog park.
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#15 by Hurri on November 28, 2009 - 3:57 pm
wrong
people and animals have right to life and right to vasectomy
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#16 by woooh! on November 28, 2009 - 3:59 pm
To me dog parks are like hanging out at a kid’s playground. No one is watching the kids and who knows what you will pick up.
You could confront the owner of the humping hero and suggest they control him or you could pack up your dogs and skip the dog park all together. People that let their dogs behave unruly like that probably don’t vaccinate them either.
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#17 by Proud owner of 6 cats and 2 dogs on November 28, 2009 - 4:01 pm
Many dog parks have rules about un-neutered dogs in their park. Check the rules of your park.
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#18 by Kermit the Dog on November 28, 2009 - 4:03 pm
Nope.
That is a training/behavior/control issue.
My boys are not fixed. If I take them to the park, they do NOT behave in that manner. If they did I would put them on leash and STOP them.
Heck, they are frequently at shows where ALL the dogs are unfixed, and there are often females in season. They still know better than to behave like that, unless she is waving her butt in his face.
And if you have a female in heat, you would be foolish to take it to the park where there are male dogs. But when she is not in heat there is no reason not to bring her.
If a male in the park gets a female pregnant, BOTH owners are irresponsible.
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#19 by pierced_chick123 on November 28, 2009 - 4:05 pm
I agree that there should be something like this in place not necessarily just for a dog park…
It is also the owner’s responsibility to respect other pet’s and their owners
An intact male to me is only a problem if other owners have intact females in the dog park..
Humping isn’t always associated with not being neutered and the owner should be trying to fix that issue, especially since it causes issues in the dog park.
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#20 by floppity on November 28, 2009 - 4:07 pm
No. If every single dog got fixed then there would be no dogs – that’s just daft. The owner ought to have the right to choose. A male dog only mounts a female in heat, and only a fool would take their female outside while in heat.
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#21 by doxie on November 28, 2009 - 4:09 pm
I don’t think it could be a law because an unfixed dog (male or female) that is campaigning for its championship might use the park. There are intact males there and a female in heat should be kept home by it’s owner. I used to show and sometimes I had a b**ch entered and by the time of the show she was in heat. It was my job to keep her away from all males, and also inform the judge that she was in heat. ( mounting can also be a dominance issue, and should be discouraged by the owner).
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used to show
#22 by alias c on November 28, 2009 - 4:11 pm
Dont you think that if you want the males to be fixed that the female should also? i see it that its the owners responsibility to keep an eye on his dog and if the female is in heat then why take the risk?
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#23 by RACQUEL on November 28, 2009 - 4:13 pm
I guess BUT also if your female is in heat it is not very smart to take ehr out, especially a dog park!
so I guess my answer is no
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#24 by Dr. Dog on November 28, 2009 - 4:15 pm
No, that should be the owners responsibilty to keep the male from mounting, by keeping him on a tight lead close to him. If he sees a female, the owner should be responsible and turn around.
Dr. Dog
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#25 by Spartan on November 28, 2009 - 4:17 pm
Complete crap. The owners of these dogs should keep them under control. If a @itch is in season your asking for every dog in the park to sniff her butt. Chopping a dogs nads off for this reason is stupid. Its not difficult to keep your dogs away from other dogs, i do it because my dogs scrap with other dogs, but there under control and ive never had any problems in my park. The responsibility is on the owners.
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#26 by Nessa V on November 28, 2009 - 4:19 pm
I’m going to disagree. Making a law won’t solve anything. Besides, if you don’t want unexpected litters, then I would make sure that my pet isnt’ in such an environment that may cause unwanted litters.
There are other places you can let you pet run awhile, and you can even set up doggy playmates.
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#27 by Dahlia on November 28, 2009 - 4:21 pm
I agree unaltered dogs should not come into the park It has become a big issue in our area, as the testosterone amps up and humping becomes a battle. Our local area is raising the licensing fee for dogs that aren’t fixed. As far as the park rules, join your local dog park group, go to meetings and try to push for such rules to be posted.
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#28 by CmR on November 28, 2009 - 4:23 pm
I dont think there should be a law. I think stupid owners who dont think right should be banned from the dog park. I have a 14 month old male great dane who is still intact. Giant breed recommendations are that they be neutered between 1 year and 1 year and 1/2 due to hormone levels and the growth rate. He will be fixed in December. My dog has no humping issues and no aggression issues whatsoever. He goes to the dog park all the time and most of the dogs have no problem with him either. If you train your dog and raise them the correct way, then having an altered or unaltered dog doesnt matter. I’ve seen owners bring their dogs in that are fixed "have never been around other dogs" and as soon as the dog walks in, he goes after at least one dog. My dog was attacked (not badly at all)once buy a little german shepard mix, probably around 50 lbs. My GIANT INTACT dog who has 100 lbs on the other dog, was so scared, he fell to the ground and started crying loudly. I go to the dogpark and I know for a fact, its the owners fault and not the dogs. My dog was raised not to have any aggression towards anyone or thing. If I arrive at the dog park and there is lots of dogs, I wont go in. I feel bad for not bringing him in, but theres ALWAYS at least one little fight when there is lots of dogs. There is a group of 4 of us, that all our dogs get along great and we make plans to go to the park at certain times when we know nobody else will be there. The only thing that should be stopped is if a female is in heat. That is just stupidity and ignorance of the owner, to bring a b***h in heat into an area with lots of other dogs.
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Great Dane Owner 20+years
Vet Tech
Frequent Dog Park Visitor