The Puppy’s Bed: Buy a hard plastic bed for your puppy. I have tried all types on my own dogs. When Bracken came to us at the age of six weeks, I bought a large and rather expensive basket. I never thought for one moment that a tiny, six-week-old puppy could destroy such a large bed, but Bracken proved me wrong. Within fourteen days he had chewed the whole thing. I then provided him with a comfortable, soft foam, bed. This didn’t take him as long to destroy as the basket. Within one night he’d shredded it into one inch square pieces of foam. Then I discovered the hard plastic dog beds which are still in my dog room, unchewed.
Try to find an out-of-the-way, secluded, draught-free, spot for your puppy’s bed. The most sensible place is the kitchen, or utility room if you have one, where floors are uncarpeted and easily washed. And do remember that puppies are full of mischief and keen to explore. Any cables and plugs should be well out of puppy-teeth range. Vegetable racks and rubbish bins are a positive lure to a young puppy. Puppy’s sleeping room should be completely cleared of any chewables, except his own toys. You will need a good supply of doggy blankets. These must be washed very regularly, or your puppy will begin to smell.
Toys: Collect a store of chewable things for the puppy. There is no need to spend a lot of money at the local pet shop on rubber bones and squeaky toys—you have plenty of fascinating chewables in your home. Washing-up liquid containers with the top taken off and well washed out will give your puppy hours of amusement; old socks and tights knotted up; the cardboard tubes from kitchen towels and toilet rolls can be shredded by a young puppy with safety. Put all these things in an old washing-up bowl that you can give to puppy when you want him to amuse himself.
Bowls: It is a sensible idea to write out a list of your puppy’s needs before visiting the local pet shop. Beds and bedding; bowls—your puppy will need two: a heavy pot bowl for water and an aluminium bowl for his food. These are completely unchewable and very easy to keep clean. I have discovered that plastic bowls do tend to get scratched or chewed very easily. Buy the heaviest pot bowl you can find for puppy’s water. This will prevent him from knocking it around, although Katy, one of my puppies, was fascinated by her large pot water bowl and, from the age of eleven weeks, would carry it, water and all, about the house and garden, leaving a tell-tale trickle of water wherever she went. For a long time I was mystified when I found the water bowl under a chair in the lounge or down the garden on the lawn. I never imagined it was Katy. She was so small that I thought it would be impossible for her to lift such a heavy bowl. I began to believe we had gremlins in the home, until one day I actually saw her carrying it. I never stopped this little trick of hers. She enjoyed it so much, and it is a Labrador’s instinct to carry things around, even if it be a large pot bowl full of water.
Brushes and Combs: If you have a long-coated dog, you’ll need a metal comb and a brush. I have found the human plastic bristle brushes are far better for long-coated dogs than the ones sold for the purpose. A smooth-coated dog will need a rubber brush. This fetches out the loose fur far easier and quicker than a bristle brush and an old pair of tights or silk scarf rubbed along a smooth-coated dog will leave the coat gleaming.
You will need a collar and lead even before your puppy gets to the age when he can go into the outside world. A soft leather collar is a must for a small puppy. If you have a toy breed, a cat collar will be ideal.
Be certain that the day of your puppy’s arrival is completely clear of other commitments. The worst thing you could do is to bring a new puppy home and then find you have to leave him alone for two or three hours. When I have a new puppy arriving, there’s a blitz on the housework the day before so that I can spend every available moment with him. An old hot water bottle is always a useful asset. For the first few nights your puppy will be alone, deprived of canine company. The warmth of a hot-water bottle under his blanket could be just what he needs to send him off into a peaceful sleep. And, on the subject of sleep, try to get plenty before your puppy arrives. The next two weeks could see you haggard and worn dealing with a night howler.
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