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Getting ready to bring your new German Shepherd puppy home? Or looking to add a German Shepherd puppy to your family and want to know what you might need? Things will definitely go more smoothly if you have everything ready and in place before your German Shepherd puppy comes home. We here at Nevada Haus German Shepherd breeders have put together a checklist of items that you’ll want to have on hand and ready before the big day.
Crate- Crate training is important for your puppy's safety and education. It makes potty training your GSD much easier, too. If your German Shepherd puppy has been through any training here with us, he’s been crate trained. There are two types of crates: wire or plastic. We prefer the wire ones in most cases. Get the size your puppy can grow into and will fit as an adult, this is usually the 48 version. Wire crates typically come with dividers so you can make it smaller when they're a baby and allow more room as they grow up. Cheaper is not always better. Some crates are poorly made with thin weak wires that will break and you’ll end up having to replace it. Invest in a quality name brand crate for the safety of your puppy.
Dog Collar- start with a nylon adjustable collar. 12-20 inch or medium is typically about the right size for a while. You can get fancier if you'd like when your pup is an adult, but while they're growing you’ll need to be making that collar bigger constantly, so- adjustable is the way to go.
Leash- a six foot non-retractable leash is an essential. I prefer lightweight leather, there are many types of nylon ones that are also good. Retractable leashes such as the flexi-leash are unsafe and detrimental to training, we do not recommend these at all.
Food- your Nevada Haus German Shepherd puppy has been raised on a balanced raw diet from Texas Tripe. They run delivery routes all through Texas and other places. They also offer shipping. You can find them online and order through their website.
Food/water bowls- there are many options for these, I prefer stainless steel bowls as they clean easily and don't absorb germs the way plastic does. They're also less chewable than plastic. A lot of these pups do like to play in water, and their dishes are no exception. In this case, if your pup is one of those individuals, it's sometimes best to keep the water outside.
Toys- Puppies love and need to chew. Nylabone toys are excellent for this and are a great thing to keep in their crate to help them stay calm and busy in there. Skip the puppy varieties, these pups can go straight to the heavy duty adult ones. The varieties that have raised bumps on them seem to be the favorites around here. Kong toys are also good, and can be stuffed with their ground raw food, organic plain full fat yogurt, or other tasty treats, then frozen to make a nice pacifier to keep them occupied. And soft toys or rope type toys should be used only under supervision as it's easy for a puppy to destroy and ingest pieces of these. We don't recommend rawhides for the same reason, also many rawhides are somewhat toxic.
Bedding- puppies go through definite chewing phases, so an expensive fluffy bed is generally not a great investment in the beginning. In addition, there will likely be accidents as your pup transitions to their new home with you. So a towel or soft small blanket that's easily washable in the crate works well until your pup is mature enough to handle something nicer. Just be careful they aren't tearing up or ingesting the towel or blanket either.
This is a good list of the basics to have upon arrival of your German Shepherd puppy. We are always available if you're shopping and have any questions about the suitability of something you may be looking at. We are happy to help you and your puppy get off to the best start possible so feel free to contact us today!