Important German Shepherd Puppy Supplies

Puppy Supplies - a new German Shepherd puppy will need many things - just like whenever you bring home a new human baby, your new puppy has basic needs that must be met. There are many things you'll need to stock up on before bringing your new puppy home.

We'll try and list as many as possible to help you plan ahead. Below you will find a list of many of the most commonly used things you will need to make your life with your new GSD puppy as comfortable as possible.

Any or all of these puppy supplies will make the transition into his new home as simple as can be and will be well worth the effort to have them on hand BEFORE you need them.

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Puppy Food and Water Bowls

Important things to consider: glass and ceramic puppy bowls can be very pretty but they are also easily breakable; puppies love to chew and plastic bowls are easily chewed up (and some dogs may even have an allergic reaction to plastic).

Stainless steel is the best puppy supply choice of all for your German Shepherd puppy. A 2-quart bowl is a great size for dry dog food and a 2-quart pail is an excellent size for water for your German Shepherd puppy. Here's one great food bowl to check out.

GSD Puppy Supply Food Containers / Dog Food Scoops

Dog food containers are an excellent choice of puppy supplies to help feed your puppy from instead of an open bag. This also helps to keep the dog food fresher for longer and keeps other "critters" out of the dog food. A dog food scoop is a good choice to help you portion control your puppy meals each time and both of these puppy supplies can be found at almost any pet, hardware or larger dog retail department store.

Dog Crate puppy supplies

A German Shepherd dog crate made of wire or heavy duty molded plastic will definitely make your housetraining process go much easier, and with less incidence, and is a very important GSD puppy supply that each dog owner should own. Dogs are den animals and the crate serves as a safe haven for the GSD puppy.

Dogs are also highly social animals who love to spend time with their human families. For this reason it is best to place the crate in a area near where family members spend a lot of time. Wire and molded plastic dog crates are both very acceptable to use with your new German Shepherd puppy.

Wire Crates are lighter to transport and ventilate much easier while the Plastic Kennels are usually sturdier, safer and more comforting to your dog. Some owners get one of each for their GSD puppy and for different uses. Usually dogs will not eliminate in their bedding area. It is best to keep the crate area where the GSD puppy actually sleeps large enough for the GSD puppy to move about and to turn around in, but not so large that it can sleep in one area and "relieve itself" in another part of the crate.

You can easily buy dividers to help separate the crate area into smaller areas while your German Shepherd puppy is growing so that you can purchase one crate large enough to accommodate your puppy once it is an adult.

Never crate a German Shepherd puppy for more than 2 or 3 hours except at night when it is sleeping. Your new GSD puppy needs lots of opportunities to exercise it's body and mind and overuse of the crate can easily lead to terrible behavior problems for bored or lonely German Shepherd puppies and dogs.

Dog Supplies / Puppy Baby Gates

Dog gates are essential puppy supplies for keeping the dog out of rooms you don't want your German Shepherd puppy to get into, or to keep it inside an area you want it to stay in. If you get a wooden gate, watch your GSD puppy carefully to make sure that it doesn't chew it.

Remember, with time the German Shepherd will grow large enough to easily jump over a regular baby gate once it is an adult. This is exactly where all that early training comes in.

Puppy Supplies - Collars

Your German Shepherd should wear a collar and name tag at all times. Collars as puppy supplies can easily be lifesavers! In an emergency you can easily grasp the collar and restrain him as necessary. The most important thing about the collar however is that it carries that very important ID tag, another important puppy supply.

In case the dog is lost or stolen, many times this is the first thing someone who finds a stray dog will look for. It is also what helps many dogs get returned to their correct owner. Make sure that the information on the puppy ID tag is current and up to date.

There are many different types of collars on the market. Buckle types are one choice, however, I prefer the quick release collars (with the plastic clips). There have been a few instances where my GSD's have gotten caught up together while playing and these types of collars have been truly lifesaving. One press of the clip and the puppy collar is off. That would not have been the case if the dogs had been wearing buckle type or some other style of dog collar.

I do not suggest ever leaving a choke collar on a dog or puppy full time. Neck injury or worse could easily happen if the German Shepherd were to get caught up in something. If put on incorrectly, and many people do, strangulation could easily occur to your GSD puppy. Here is an example of the quick release collars (with the plastic clips) that I mentioned earlier that are excellent dog collar choices.



GSD Puppy Bedding

Fabric bedding that keeps it's shape and is easy to vaccum is a great choice of bedding puppy supplies. Bedding that has a liner that can be taken off is another great plus so that you can wash it whenever necessary and put it back on later.

Puppy Doggie Door Supplies

If you have the great fortune of having a securely fenced yard for your German Shepherd puppy, then a doggy door is an invaluable puppy supply and aid in the puppy house training process. They can be purchased in several sizes (large should be fine for the adult GSD) and most can also be locked when you do not want your GSD puppy to go outside.

German Shepherd Pooper Scooper puppy supplies

Several varieties are available of this particular puppy supply and they are indeed a back saver (and a nose saver as well) when you are picking up after your GSD. However, if you can't get one, plain old plastic grocery bags work just as well and are basically free. Large kitty litter scoops are good choices of puppy supplies also for this particular purpose when you're in a pinch.

GSD Puppy Head Halters

These "easy lead" halters are an alternative to conventional puppy collars - the thinking behind them being that if you control and lead the head, that the body will follow. These restraint supplies are very similar to what horses have worn for centuries. It is really important that the fit be correct and that this not be worn without human supervision.

Puppy Grooming Supplies

Grooming supplies for your German Shepherd are pretty basic and include things such as: shampoos/conditioners, toothpaste and toothbrush, nail clippers, brushes. Different types of brushes used on a GSD may include any or all of the following - pet shedding blade (especially helpful while shedding), a slicker brush and a Rubber Curry Brush .

GSD Puppy Toys

Choose GSD puppy toy supplies for your German Shepherds with the same care and consideration as you would for your baby or toddler. Do not choose anything with small removable parts - and once the toys begin tearing apart go ahead and throw them away. Do not choose balls that are small enough to be swallowed by your puppy - it is best to choose balls bigger than your puppy can easily handle to cut down on this problem.

Good choices for German shepherd dog toys are Nylabones, rubber bones , squeaky toys, hard rubber toys like Kongs, balls and plush faux wool toys. Given the suggestions for best puppy toy choices, keep in mind your dogs chewing habits. Aggressive chewers need one kind of toy but destructive chewers need something different all together and each of these dogs would require a different kind of toy.

Stick type dog chews are not the best idea since they may become lodged in the German Shepherd's puppies throat. Overall, don't buy too many dog toys. It's a good idea to rotate the puppies toy selection to keep the puppy from getting bored, and from tearing them up quite so quickly. Also, this will help you to see what kind of toys your German Shepherd puppy prefers.

Puppy Harnesses

Some people prefer these puppy supplies, especially for puppies, and they are also quite good for dogs that are more skittish to head halters or traditional dog collars. Keep in mind that while these puppy supplies are actually quite safe that they do offer much less control than other types of dog collar restraints.

GSD Puppy Leashes

Leashes are very important puppy supplies that every dog GSD owner should have. Every GSD owner should have several 4 -6 foot leashes, preferably made of leather, but nylon or cotton types work also - they just don't last as long as the leather. All materials have their good and bad points and in many cases it simply comes down to an issue of supply preference as well a economic issue. Other choices are long training leads and show type dog leashes.

It is best to get your GSD puppy used to the dog leash by attaching a short leash on him/her while it is playing, going about it's daily business in the house, etc. The German Shepherd puppy will probably fuss with it at first but should soon get used to it.

Keep an eye on the puppy while the leash is attached to make sure that it doesn't get hung up on something else. Also make sure that the GSD puppy doesn't chew it up while wearing it. When you do finally grab hold of the end of the dog leash, follow where the German Shepherd puppy goes while holding the end of the leash. After a bit you can take the lead and have the puppy follow you. Call the GSD puppy to you and reward him generously when he comes to you on lead. After a bit of training and practice the German Shepherd puppy should follow you easily.

Don't struggle with the puppy at this point and if he resists lure him to you with a cookie or a treat of some sort. You do not want to get into a tug of war and you do not want to give in to the GSD puppy either. Keep luring the puppy to you with a treat and he'll eventually learn that it is good to do what he is asked to do and the GSD puppy will be rewarded for doing as asked. Here is one great leather leash to check into investing in.

GSD Puppy Anti-Chew Spray

All German Shepherd puppies explore the world with their mouths. Chewing is also a very important factor in helping their incoming adult teeth settle properly. As the owner it is your job to help direct your new GSD puppy as to what things are healthy to chew on and which ones are not. Anti chew spray is just one of the helpful puppy supplies to help control destructive chewing by applying a very bad tasting spray on the object to discourage the dog from chewing on it.

Puppy Car Seats or Restraints

Do not allow your GSD to run free in your car when you travel with him/her. It is best to restrain your GSD while traveling to protect both your dog, your passengers and you. There are many types to choose from such as seat belts or car/SUV gate separators (kind of like the metal dividers you buy to put inside of crates). This is one of many important puppy supplies you will need for your new puppy.

Puppy Health Insurance

Puppy Insurance plans cover pets for thousands of medical problems and conditions relating to accidents, illnesses and injuries. One puppy insurance plan is listed for you below to check out at your convenience.

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It freshens your breath and helps prevent tartar." - Mel Gibson, while eating a dog biscuit at Harvard, 1996