What's a Puppy Nursery?
What's a Puppy Nursery?
Whether you are dreaming of a puppy, about to pick one up, or are in the thick of it with scratch marks covering your hands and pee soaking into your carpet as we speak, this is the post you NEED!
I may be extra, but every pawrent-to-be would benefit from a little puppy prep. A year ago I didn’t have a puppy just yet but you know what I did have?
A puppy nursery.
Preparing for a puppy may not be common practice, however if you subscribe to our blog, we know that you aren’t looking to be an average pet owner.
This post is very product heavy so it is important to us that you know:
Here at Dah Heeler Boy we believe the products we choose to buy make a difference. We have a passion for sourcing safe, non-toxic, durable, and sustainable products and we continue to update our suggestions as we find products that best meet these goals.
In an effort to financially support all the work that goes into this blog as well as gather the best deals for you we do partner with brands whenever possible.
Therefore, affiliate1 links are present in this post.
But please know: we will not suggest products we wouldn’t use ourselves nor do we partner with brands we have not first vetted.
I’m Sorry Did You Say Puppy Nursery?
In most circumstances you wouldn’t birth or adopt a child and the same day you bring him or her home go out to buy all the supplies you need to properly care for them. Instead you prepare months in advance.
Yes, dogs are not humans, but the same preparation can be applied for a more successful transition.
And it may surprise you but the puppy nursery wasn’t even my idea, I read about it in the book: How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond.
While Cesar Millan may be controversial, puppy nurseries shouldn’t be. So we want to make it easy for you.
Why Prepare?
The puppy stage is full of ups and downs, it won't always be easy but being prepared for the hurricane of sleepless nights, pee soaked rugs, and general puppy antics will make it more fun than painful.
Whether you have lived with dogs your whole life or this is your first pup, scroll through to see if you have everything you need to welcome your sweet puppy home.
What You’ll Need
Below I have listed all the supplies we got and still use that we would deem important for a successful puppyhood and beyond. The products I feel are the best on the market are linked to the text:
Toys: ball, treat toy, plush, no stuffing tug toy
I want to go into far more detail about each bullet point. Rather than making an incredibly long blog post, in the coming weeks I will occasionally be releasing a post related to one of the above bullet points.
These upcoming posts will expand on why I think the products I linked are the best and suggest other products that may potentially fit your situation better as there are many, many other options out there.
I will be adding links to past and future posts on topic below so scroll down to see if I have already covered an item you are interested in, and make sure you are subscribed.
Subscribing to this newsletter will ensure that the upcoming posts relating to items listed above find their way to your inbox.
First Timer?
If you are a first time dog pawrent, there are a lot of supplies you will need. It can be overwhelming! You might even begin to dream that the idea of throwing a puppy shower was normal.
Because momma is the way that she is, she agonized over even the smallest choice in buying everything she would need to begin her journey as a dog mom. This post will hopefully help you avoid the agony. Because even with the up front research some of those items lasted and others didn’t fair as well.
Our bullet points above will point you in the right direction as far as products that we have found work better than ones we may have originally selected.
Still think a puppy nursery sounds ridiculous, my thoughts regarding preparing prior to your pup’s arrival can be found in this post:
What’s the Bare Minimum?
A puppy AND all the patience in the world, plus a whole lot of forgiveness.
While I can sympathize that a puppy nursery can get expensive it is good to get some skin in the game before a real live animal is your responsibility.
Getting a deep understanding of the cost of dog ownership prior to having a dog is essential because the world needs less people surrendering their pup to shelters. Owning a dog is a big responsibility and knowing you will put in the work to meet their needs prior to bringing them home is a good indicator that you will be a great pawrent.
While I do strongly believe toys are essential, what I see all too often is people prioritizing cute toys and accessories over what really matters: a foundation of trust, safety, and training.
You don’t need more than 10 toys if you have a good variety however you will need a nail trimmer. And I get it a cute toy is way more fun to buy that a dremel, but at the end of the day which do you think will be more valuable to your dog’s wellbeing?
Items you may overlook initially like a crate or grooming supplies are really things your pup needs exposure to early on to develop into a confident, well balanced adult dog.
And I know you are still reading this post so I know that you want to have more than just the bare minimum!
Depending on the skills you expect your puppy to learn as they develop into an adult dog the supplies you will need to help them on their way may vary.
For the general dog owning population these skills include but are not limited to: being potty trained, knowing where and where not to go potty; walk-able, being able to walk on a leash and wear dog tags; groomed/clean, be manageable through necessary grooming and health related procedures; etc.
The various products I share in this post are curated to help you teach your puppy these general skills!
Having these products prior to day one will reduce the stress you have during the early puppy days while equipping you with the tools need to provide the proper socialization during the critical period of development.
If you do not know much on socialization I highly recommend you also pick up the book: Perfect Puppy in 7 days: How to Start Your Puppy Off Right.
This book by Dr. Sophia Yin is a very easy read. In the book she not only explains socialization, she includes checklists for you to follow ensuring proper socialization.
Now that you have a good understanding of why you should prepare a puppy nursery, here is where I will link all the post I create on why these items are essential, and how to select the right product for your situation.
Dah Official Puppy Nursery
Crate and Pen
Pen info Upcoming…
Pee pads and Washable bed
Upcoming…
Toys
We love West Paw because not only do they have a large variety of toys, they focus on creating eco-friendly, non-toxic products for our pups. Plus ‘Oli’s Qwizl is one of the few toys that is still hanging around unscathed at 1 years old. These toys are durable!
We couldn’t be happier to partner with them to help create a world with healthier pups and a healthier planet.
Use Code: DAHHEELERBOY for 10% off beds, toys, and treats!
Post on the importance of toy variety coming soon!
Collar/Leash
How My Dog Named Himself
Bowls and Food
The bowl we originally purchased was potentially radioactive!! Make sure whatever bowls you go with are safe, by choosing a company you can trust.
We trust Basis Products, because of their transparency in manufacturing and materials, and their commitment to safety.
Our post on our bowl drama can be found here:
Is Your Dog's Bowl Safe?
Grooming Supplies
Upcoming…
Training
Join Baxter & Bella using code: DAHHEELERBOY and get 25% off your lifetime membership.
For free resources check out our post here:
Did We miss anything?
Feel free to comment anything else you had or wished you had in that first week home. Most if not all puppies will come into your life with very little skills on how to live with humans. Go the extra mile and be ready to equip your puppy with the necessary skills they need to integrate into your family with ease from day one!
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