Puppy Starter Guide: What We Actually Used
Bringing home a new puppy is equal parts exciting and overwhelming—trust me, I’m right in the middle of it and honestly sometimes questioning my sanity! As a first-time puppy parent (all our other pups have been adopted at older ages, so we’ve missed this stage), I did plenty of research, started with the basics , and then learned what really worked for her. I created this Puppy Starter Guide based on what’s been a hit with our new pup, Rhaenyra (yes, she’s named after Game of Thrones and yes, she already rules the house).
Here’s what we’ve found super useful during the first few weeks:
🦴 Treats, Snacks & Training Tools
Freeze-dried treats + puppy-safe puree pouches These have been great high-value rewards during training sessions (or bribery—let’s be honest). It took me a while to find treats she would want, she’s not highly motivated by food (YES this makes training hard!). One thing I always have on me is a baby food pouch. They’re portable, come in great flavors, don’t have any bad stuff in them (if it’s safe for your baby, my puppy can have it), and I can easily squeeze out tiny bits to keep her engaged and happy. The freeze dried chicken treats have also been create as a topper for her food when she’s being finicky. I just pulse them quickly in the blender to make a powder and sprinkle on her food. Voila! She thinks she’s had some treat added to her meal but it’s just chicken.
A treat pouch is a must-have for walks and quick reinforcement. I found a small cross body bag from Ikea that I’ve dedicated for all things dog walking, but there are actual treat pouches you can buy as well. I fill my bag with treats, poop bags, portable water dish, and a small toy I can use when I need to distract her.
Chews and chew toys like yak chews, Nylabones, and that trusty red Kong help with teething and keep her entertained. The teething period is ROUGH. Finding things that she wants to chew on have helped so much during this phase. I’ve also soaked some of her plush toys in water (or low sodium/no sodium chicken broth) and frozen them. I pull them out for her to chew on when the teething gets really bad.
PRO TIP - don’t underestimate the power of a good stick! She’s found a few lately that I’ve let her bring home and they have been a go to when nothing else works for her chewing.
🧠 Mealtime = Brain Game Time
One thing we’ve learned fast: mealtime is the perfect chance to burn mental energy and honestly, it’s the only way I can sometimes get her to eat. She HAS to think we’re playing a game, so why not benefit from that. All of these not only slow down eating, but also provide enrichment and help her settle afterward. Rather than feeding Rhaenyra from a bowl, we often use:
A snuffle mat to let her “hunt” for kibble. She enjoys this, but I only pull it out a few times a week. This helps keep her excited when she sees it!
A Kong stuffed with frozen treats or her meal. I like to build layers in the Kong - start with kibble, add some fruit and meat pieces, smother with a bit of peanut butter and then top with more fruit or veggies that she can easily start on.
Lick mats with a bit of yogurt, pumpkin, or wet food. These are also great for getting your puppy to eat slower. You can also find all kinds of lick mat recipes on pinterest and instagram.
Kibble + FIND I measure out how much kibble she needs for a meal and then we play “FIND” where I throw the kibble for her to either find or chase after. This has been my most successful way to feed her at the moment. Its times like this I wish she was a golden retreiver or lab. Those dogs LIVE for food, this girl just doesn’t.
🧸 Toys That Keep Her Busy
Her current loves (note these change on the daily, but these have been a consistent for the past 4 weeks):
A squeaky rubber chicken (go figure)
Stuffed fox with crinkle and squeekers. This one also has low stuff, so if your puppy likes to pull out the stuffing, this doesn’t have much.
A soft plush octopus with flappy legs that she can carry around proudly
PRO TIP: rotating toys keeps her interested. We found this cute storage bag at Ikea that we keep them all in and pull out a few each day for her to play with.
🏡 Creating Her Space
A soft crate has been great for naps and quiet time. I’ve found it’s best to let your puppy warm up to the crate. Keep it in their contained space, open and accessible. I hide a few treats in it each day for her to find and make it rewarding for her to be in the kennel. After a few days, she actively sought it out on her own as her safe space and she now goes in there on the regular.
We set up a few dog beds - we have these from Ikea in all the sizes - one for her bike carrier, one in the kennel, and then one in the living room. They are easy to wash, waterproof, easy to clean, are chew proof, and look cute. All around win
Exercise pen and baby gates have helped create safe zones and keep her contained and away from things she shouldn’t have. We used a soft sided play pen for the first few weeks, but she soon discovered she could knock if over if she didn’t want to be contained any longer! This would be ideal for small pups though. Once we stopped closing her in it, she did use it as another safe zone and we kept all her toys in there. Dog gates are an absolute must. We have them in a few spaces to keep her contained with us when we are working so she doesn’t have free access to the whole house. We also have a larger one like this to block off areas where we don’t have doors or a dog gate is too small.
I haven’t bought a cooling mat yet - but it’s on my list to get ASAP. Rhaenyra runs hot and with summer here, I think this will help her stay cool at night. We had one for our black lab years ago and he loved it.
💩 Clean-Up Essentials
Enzyme cleaner has saved us from many a potty-training mess. We bought it in bulk and then placed a few spray bottles around so they were quick to grab when needed.
Puppy training pads are helpful for nighttime or when we can’t get outside in time. Living in an apartment without access to a yard has made potty training interesting to say the least. We are relying heavily on training pads at the moment.
✨ Pro Tip:
One thing I wish we had on day one? A heartbeat toy! It instantly helped calm her at night—next best thing to littermates. This is a great thing to have for those first few nights with you. She doesn’t use it anymore for the heartbeat sound, but it’s a great toy she likes to play with.
Final Thoughts
This list will grow and change as Rhaenyra gets older, but these items have been total lifesavers in the first few sleep-deprived weeks. If you’re prepping for a puppy, this guide might help you figure out what you’ll actually use (versus what looks cute on your Pinterest board 😅).
Have a favorite puppy product I should try? Drop it in the comments—I’m always looking for new recommendations!
