Hello furiends,
When the hoomans got me in 2015 there was no constant influence of social media yet. Therefore the products they bought for me as a pup where mainly the essentials. Nowadays we are all encouraged to buy more and more stuff.. but do we really need al those things?
Being a first time dog owner can be overwhelming and confusing. Let me give you some tips what are the absolute no brainers:
Dog bowls:
You will definitely need a set of bowls for your dog. Think about it, this piece not only needs to be functionable but also fit in your interior. Here are a few tips what to look at:
1. Make sure you go for high quality materials, our personal favorite is stainless steel. Easy to clean and maintain and can be found in almost every petshop (or online ofcourse!. Another great material is ceramic. Both of these options are also non toxic.
2. Go for a minimal design, no weird patterns or rubbers around it. They are a trap for bacteria's and make it harder to keep things hygienic.
3. Go for the right dept, big dogs can have a deeper bowl then the little ones. If you are unsure bring your dog to the petstore and ask a professional for assistance.
4. Get some anti slip, whether it's a placemat underneath the bowl or rubber pads that are attached to the base, make sure the bowl is stable and doesn't move around while eating.
Dog bed: I personally prefer natural materials such as cotton or wool. A big plus with wool is that it regulates the temperature which comes in quite handy here in the Mediterranean. Very impawtent: The bed and/or cover needs to be washable.
Toys: Don't go for the fancy looking toys but opt for the ones that are safe to withstand lots of chewing and also non toxic. Also don't forget that dogs release stress while chewing so it's an essential part of the day. My personal favorite is the Kong which can be stuffed with yummy snacks.
Walking gear:
Collar and leash: Go for natural and durable materials. Important is that your dog feels comfortable at all times. If you are an adventurous outdoor type think of waterproof materials. Always go for collars with stainless steel or hardware, you don't want your favorite piece to catch rust! My go to collar is from Ezydog. I have used it now for about 4 years summer and winter and the hardware hasn't rusted even though I swim in salty waters.
Harness: While a harness is not essential for puppies (I mean we can learn to go on walkies without it. It definitely can help in activities like hiking, biking, canicross etc. If you know you want to go do some sports with your dog I would suggest to invest in a good canicross harness. The most important of all is to avoid shoulder restrictions and Y-shaped harnesses. See also my blog about dog harnesses: Luna's favorite type of harness and why you could consider it too..
Long leash: Great option to train the recall, we personally prefer a long fabric line and not a rectangle. The reason for this is that rectangle lines encourage pulling and can be sharp when a little leg get wrapped in them. Also consider getting a long line without handle. This way the leash cannot get stuck on branches, etc..
Dog ID: Must have with the owners identification like phone number and name. You hope it never happens but if your pup runs off you will be reunited much quicker.
Tracker: Back in the days in 2015 a dog tracker wasn't a thing yet. Nowadays they can be found both online and in store and are quite affordable. Can come in pretty handy if you are training recall or go on a crazy adventure in the forest. Better safe then sorry.
Well friends, this is quite a list already. What do you think? Is this a good list of basics or are we missing something impawtent?
