As the time approaches to bring home your new English goldendoodle puppy, the excitement & anticipation are certainly building. One thing you can do to prepare for your new bundle of fur is to go shopping! Here are some suggested items to purchase for your goldendoodle puppy:
Please note: although the pictures are links to products on Amazon, we don’t necessarily recommend that specific product over a similar one. A picture is worth a thousand words, so the pictures and product links are there simply to serve as examples to assist you in preparing for your new goldendoodle puppy.
Food & Water Bowls
Look to purchase stainless or ceramic bowls, as they are healthier for your puppy and easier to clean than plastic.
Collar
Your mini puppy will likely need a 14”-16″ collar when full-grown (the collar will probably adjust from 13″-19″ like this medium one) but may benefit from a smaller collar at first. She has been wearing a collar that is adjusted to about 9″-11″ during her last few weeks with us. Be sure to browse through the myriad of gorgeous and unique handmade collars on Etsy!
Identification Tag
Your puppy will go home with a microchip, but it’s always a good idea to have a tag on her collar to make it easy to identify her (without a microchip reader!).
Dog Crate with Divider
Metal is preferable over plastic, as it is easier to clean and allows your puppy to watch everything going on around her. Consider purchasing a 36″ crate with dimensions with a moveable divider for medium puppies (mini goldendoodles may be comfortable in a 30″ crate). You may prefer to use a smaller crate can be used while your puppy is little rather than using the divider.
Dog Treats
Treats should be soft, small, and easy to chew quickly. Purebites dog treats are a good option. They are made with just one ingredient (i.e. lamb liver) and don’t contain ingredients such as BHA that you don’t want your puppy to consume.
Metal Comb or Grooming Rake
A metal comb is a great tool for curly coated Goldendoodles and a grooming rake works well for wavy coated Goldendoodles. These will help keep in undercoat free from tangles. For more information on grooming, check out our goldendoodle haircuts post.
Slicker Brush
A slicker brush is handy for fluffing the outer coat on your goldendoodle.
Nail Clippers or Cordless Dremel
We like to use normal human toenail clippers for trimming our dogs’ nails. Either nail clipper or a cordless dremel will work for trimming your puppy’s toenails as well – it’s a matter of which you prefer. Your puppy will have had it’s nails trimmed prior to going home and your vet & groomer will likely offer to trim her nails when you take her in for appointments, but it’s still important for you to trim her nails at home.
Styptic Powder
It’s a good idea to have styptic powder on hand just in case you trim your puppy’s nail a little too short. Styptic powder is located next to the nail clippers in the pet store.
Doggie Toothbrush
You may find that the finger toothbrush is easiest to use when your goldendoodle is a puppy.
Carpet Cleaner (Stain/Odor Eliminator) & Paper Towels and Clorox Wipes
To clean up those inevitable puppy accidents…
Bell for Housebreaking
A bell is handy for housebreaking, so your goldendoodle has a way to tell you when she needs to go out. Any bell will work, it doesn’t have to be a bell specifically for dogs.
Toys
When your goldendoodle puppy is young, she will enjoy soft toys, but keep in mind that her sharp teeth will eventually allow her to chew through stuffed toys quickly. As she gets older, Jolly Balls, chew ropes, etc. will last longer. Food dispensing toys are a fun way to encourage your puppy to channel her energy into something productive. Look for toys that specifically say “non-toxic” on the label.
A Book about Puppies
If you’re interested in doing a little preparatory reading, The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete is a great choice. You’ll find this book is a handy reference as you tackle housebreaking, etc
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Baxter & Bella Online Training Program
Baxter & Bella is a unique online puppy raising resource that helps new owners with everything from preparing your home to basic manners to make a socialization checklist. Use the code Timberidge for 25% off Baxter & Bella!
puppy food
You puppy will be used to eating TLC Puppy Food, so order a bag from TLCpetfood.com and they’ll ship it to your home, where it will be eagerly awaiting the arrival of your newest family member
Misc. Items:
- A piece of material to hold the mamma dog’s scent (i.e. a wash cloth) and/or a Snuggle Puppy
- Old towels or small blankets for the crate
- Pure Pumpkin paste – Going to a new home can be stressful and some puppies develop runny stool in response. If your puppy starts having runny stool, give 1tbsp/serving of puppy food.
- Baby gate(s) – you may need a gate or two to section off your house during housebreaking
- Chew Toy – It’s good for teething puppies to have something to sink their teeth into. Split elk antlers (use the code TRGD15 for 15% off at RidgeRunner Antlers) and yak chews are great options. Avoid raw hides, as they are not healthy option for your puppy, and never give your dog poultry bones, as they can splinter easily.