So you picked your breeder carefully, passed the screening, paid the deposit and waited for your puppy. The pick up date is getting closer and you are sure you have puppy proofed the house. Now, what else do you need to do? It’s time to go shopping for puppy. WHAT DO I REALLY NEED?

A CRATE - Crates come in a wide variety of styles and materials. The most reasonably priced ones are made of steel wire but they also come in colored hard plastic models. The most important thing is to buy one that is going to be large enough for your adult dog unless you don’t mind buying several within a few months. Crates are not just for puppies. I like the ones that are at least 30 inches high. That size gives my adults Airedales room to be comfortable. They can be portioned off with a cardboard box for the small pup. The crate is a major expense but the cheapest house insurance you can buy. A crate pad of some sort of material that is hard to shred is a nice touch to the crate. Be aware that it should be checked often and due to chewing will need replacing during the first year.

COMB AND BRUSH - Buy a good quality steel comb (commonly called a greyhound) in a combo style.(coarse and fine teeth) They aren’t cheap but it will last the life of the dog unlike the cheaper ones that need replacing. The brush should be a natural bristle type and of good quality. Nylon bristles are not necessary for an Airedale. A wire slicker brush is a good investment too. Good for getting the burrs and knots out of the leg furnishings

NAIL CLIPPERS and QUICK STOP - A heavy pair with replaceable blades is a good choice. Scissors types are on the market but they can’t be sharpened and need to be replaced at a higher cost then replacing just the blade portion. Steel yourself, you ARE going to cut the quick at some time in the dog’s life. It is not life threatening and if you have the Quick Stop, it is easy to stop the bleeding, easier then getting over the guilty feelings.

TOOTHBRUSH AND DOGGIE TOOTH PASTE - This like combing goes on the whole dog’s life so you might as well start young and let the pup get used to it while things are still fun. Several brush styles are on the market but they do need replacing every once in a while, so buy the one that appeals to you. The tooth paste however needs to be DOGGIE toothpaste, human types are poisonous to dogs. Baking soda is a better choice if you run out.

COLLAR AND LEAD - Collars and leads are the fun stuff. They come in a rainbow of colors, a huge selection of materials and you can get most in matching sets. Relatively inexpensive but light and colorful nylon will serve you as well as a leather set. The one thing to keep in mind is the buckle, never use a collar that has a plastic clip type fastener. They are not strong enough to hold back a lunging dog. Buy a collar with a steel buckle and be safe.

FOOD AND WATER DISHES - These are important purchases, so chose carefully. Plastic dishes can be chewed and thrown, which is annoying but they also can cause health problems. The plastic used in animal dishes, in most areas, does not need to be made of the same FOOD grade plastics as human food dishes do. Even the dye used to color them doesn’t need to be stable. Your dogs water is going to sit in the dish all day absorbing chemicals if any are in the plastic and YOUR dog is going to drink the contaminated water. Cause for thought. Ceramic dishes are nice and heavy, hard to throw around but do break if you drop them or drop something on them. They should be checked to be sure they are glazed with a lead-free finish the way human food dishes need to be. Steel dishes are easy to throw around and noisy when thrown but they only dint not break, are easy to disinfect, dishwasher safe, and are not likely to leach anything into your dog’s water or carefully chosen food.

FOOD - Buy and feed a premium dog food recommended by your breeder, Vet or another knowledgeable dog person. Proper nutrition is important for the growth and health of your dog.

CHEW TOYS - If you have a baby Airedale you need chew toys. The more the better. Soft plastic toys don’t last long and need to be supervised. Kong toys and other chew proof types will still be beaten by most teething pups.

SHAMPOO - A good brand regular, not flea, dog shampoo that is easy on both the dog’s eyes and yours is a good buy. Soap in the eyes hurts anyone and the first few baths could be a wresting match. Choose one that rinses out well.

FLEXI - This is a retractable type lead that comes in several lengths and allows the dog up to 26 ft of freedom when walking in parks etc. A Flexi 8 is a little heavy for a pup but is the weight to buy and it will be strong enough for your adult and should last years.

TOWELS - This sounds silly but a good sized dog towel in a dark color is a good investment as well. Puppy needs drying after bathes and needs wet feet dried on rainy days. Brown is a good color to hide any stains that may appear and are easy to tell from the ‘people’ towels.

While you are shopping, other things seem to jump in the cart. There is a huge variety of dog and dog related products on the market. The only limit seems to be the pocket book. Seatbelt harnesses, coats of all types, boots...the list goes on and on.

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