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Originally Posted by Suzetteb523  Hello again!! 
I am bringing Baxter home on Tuesday (YAY!!!!!). I went to the pet store tonight and finally got most of the things I think I will need...I spent WAY!!! too much money but I had to do it. My bottom lip almost hit the floor when the cashier told me how much my little "necessities" added up to be, lol. Do I need a bristle brush and a slicker? I bought both because I wasn't sure.
I would like to know what you are feeding your puppy? I got Royal Canin, Puppy 33 because that is what she is feeding him but it is not sold at my local grocery store. I would really rather get something from the same place I buy my food. I am not sure if this is the "best" puppy food because I haven't looked it up yet but I'm very curious to know what you all are feeding your puppies/adult dogs. (and yes, I know if I change his food it needs to be gradually introduced).
I didn't buy any raw hide but I got lots of chew toys. I am worried about him being in a crate though, but my ex-co-worker is going to let me borrow hers that she brought her kitty home in. I am going to sanitize the heck out of it because Baxter doesn't have all his shots yet. What kind of sanitizer should I use? Vinegar? The crate will be used to bring him home (I want one of those puppy car seats but I can't afford one right now) and will use the crate while I am at work, etc.
I hope I don't have a hard time putting him in the crate to bring him home. I bought a retractable leash, too, but won't be using that right away.
I am so nervous and want to do everything right so that he is a happy and well adjusted pup. I may have more questions during the weekend so PLEASE bear with me!!!
nervous new Yorkie mommy |
Congrats on the new puppy! You don't particularly need a slicker brush (unless you're really dealing with mats.) What you are definitely going to need though is a pin brush. The two brushes that come highly recommended is the Madan (
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...hing-else.html) which I have and the Chris Christensen wooden pin brush (
Pin Brushes). A lot of people love the Christensen brushes, but the Madan ones are a good choice too. (I adore mine, and am buying one for my hair one of these days.) A good normal grooming comb is good to have to as well as rat tail comb is you have to have a top knot.
You're going to get
a lot of opinions on food. What I really recommend you do is to go into the health and diet section and look at the kibble grading chart. Read over how the grading system works, and then keep those things in mind when you shop for dog foods (like, do you mind if your dog food has dye? additives that might cause cancer (ie, worth the potential risk?), has wheat?) Some things are a bigger deal to some then others - as I think you'll soon find out a lot of people are opinionated about what to feed and what not to feed, but its really all up to you. I do recommend avoiding corn and by-products. Meat
needs to be the first ingredient. All the other items in the grading chart are good things to avoid, but I would definitely make sure on the other 3 points at the very least. Don't focus so much on whats recommended as you do on...
learning about it, and then making a personal decision based on what you learn and what you think matters most to you in the end. Royal Cain isn't a "top notch" food, but its not something you really or necessarily have to feel bad about feeding either. To be blunt though (and I mean no malice in this) you're really not going to find anything worth feeding in your normal food store (unless you homecook). I really recommend just investing in a large air-tight container and buying a larger 12-15lb bag. That bag will last you months and if you store well it will be just as fresh and less trips to the pet store.
Don't do the rawhide. Its really not digestible and it can cause serious problems with your dog. Some are fine, but
many are not - its not worth the risk. Go with something like "bully" sticks instead, they are safe and 100% digestible. If you don't want to do a crate you can do an exercise pen (I suggest one with a lid if you go that route, many are climbers.) You do want to get it used to being in the crate if you're going to crate train - make it a happy place and reward it for going in the crate. Give it time to get used to it, start from about a minute and work your way up rewarding all the time. You don't have to go crazy with the crate cleaning. I would suggest washing it out with dawn (or any other dish detergent) and then maybe wiping it down with some vinegar to lightly disinfect. You can use bleach if you're careful about rising it out well, but unless you know their cat was sick I think its most likely overkill. Don't feel guilty about the ride home in the crate - its actually the safest thing you can do in case you're in a crash. (Buckle it in though.)
Have you picked up a harness yet? (Collars should only be used for id tags, their trachea's are delicate.)