[andreangil]

I get my new puppy (a bichon frise) on June 13th from his breeder! I'm very excited! I'm a list person, and I need to start looking for sales and some really good deals on the items that I need. So I put together a list of everything I think I need. Please add to my list, or delete items I don't need. Also, if you can recommend any brands or specific types or even the cheapest and best place to get them I'd appreciate it! I'm more concerned about quality than I am price, but I still like a good deal! I also plan on grooming him. Here's my list:

Crate/Carrier
Food/Water Bowl
Dog Bed
Toys--Kong
Bullysticks-(www.bullysticks.com) costco
Training Treats--Freeze Dried Liver, Zekes all natural treats (from Amazon?)
Dog Food--feeding raw-(do I feed the whole chicken wing, or the drumettes?)
---------PMI nutrition from breeder-one month
Clicker x2--in case it breaks
Collar w/tags
Harness
Vet appointment
Bitter apple
Pet odor --enzyme based-natures miracle
Nail clippers--guillotine style
Thinning Shears
Straight and curved scissors
electric clippers
greyhound comb
pin and slicker brush
Shampoo/conditioner--for white dogs, moisturizing and sensitive skin-(I plan on bathing him monthly or a little more than that)
Hemostat
grooming powder.

www.petedge.com--spend 60 or more.
grooming seminars??
Puppy classes?

 

[BobSD]

I would not start a puppy out on raw, just my opinion, I would find out what the breeder is feeding and use that food type until your pup is at least adjusted to his new home and settled in, to cut down on the runny stools, do to sudden change to food type. Hope you have some grooming experience or taken lessens, so you do not hurt your pup? There is more to it then you may think and and the first sessions can be tricky, the pup most likely will not want to cooperate.

 

[BentletheYentle]

For the "pet odor eliminator" I highly suggest an enzyme based product like Nature's Miracle. These will completely get rid of the spots, not just cover up the smell.

 

[spugs]

thats a lot of stuff!
For mine I got/used
an old fleece blanket i already had,
hot water bottle (warm not hot),
bowls,
dry complete food (same as the breeder),
collar and lead set (need to sort tags),
baby brush,
claw clippers,
wormer,
kong stuffable toy, squeaky ball, old teddy,
odor neutraliser stuff,
pee pads,
at the minute he sleeps in a cat carrier but i will get him a crate when he outgrows it.
With hind sight i also have quite a lot of stuff

Appointment wise he'll be visiting the vet and groomer and i need to look into puppy classes in more detail.

I wanted a breed book but since hes mixed i dont know whether ot get his mum or dads breed! oh and a good training book

 

[briteday]

First, as a raw feeder myself, leave the dog on the same food as the breeder uses for at least 2-4 weeks, until the dog settles in to the new environment. It's stressful enough to take a pup away from the only family it's ever know without creating more hassle of food changes. Also, if the pup develops loose stools, is it the food or worms???

Crate-Varikennel...they are so sturdy, you will end up passing it down through many generations of dogs

bully sticks...Costco is the cheapest place I've found. One dozen 12" sticks for ~ $20.

Everything you need on your list could be purchased at PetEdge.com at a very reasonable price. They are the main wholesale supplier to Petsmart and carry most major brands of stuff. And as long as you are buying more than $60 worth of stuff you don't pay a small order handling fee.

Looks like your list is pretty complete. However, I wouldn't stock up too much on things like treats. You may think they are a wonderful brand but your dog may hate them. I usually keep turky hotdogs in the freezer and slice / microwave them as needed (slice into the right size, microwave them until the moisture goes out, then cool, they keep for quite a while in baggies at room temp)

 

[andreangil]

Hope you have some grooming experience or taken lessens, so you do not hurt your pup? There is more to it then you may think and and the first sessions can be tricky, the pup most likely will not want to cooperate.

No, no grooming lessons. Has anyone ever heard of vet clinics or someone offering a seminar on it? I looked into grooming courses online, they're expensive! I bought a book on grooming, and it goes into ways to get the puppy to cooperate, it talks about introducing the tools and giving treats before really trying to use it. Im going to try and groom myself, because it is cheaper in the long run, if I just can't do it or I am not confident enough, I'll take him a groomer and vet and pay to get all that stuff done. I read that bichons really need their ears cleaned to prevent infections, is that something the groomer does, or vet?


Spugs, whats the warm water bottle for?

First, as a raw feeder myself, leave the dog on the same food as the breeder uses for at least 2-4 weeks, until the dog settles in to the new environment. It's stressful enough to take a pup away from the only family it's ever know without creating more hassle of food changes. Also, if the pup develops loose stools, is it the food or worms???

I didn't think about that! After he adjusts, I just stop kibble cold turkey and start raw, right? I'm pretty sure I've asked this question before.. its just a confidence thing..

THanks Bentle for mentioning the enzyme cleaner, Ill add that to the list.