New Puppy in 3 1/2 weeks! Questions about 'stuff'

[CP_OaktonVa]

Hi everyone! We're down to 3 1/2 weeks until we pickup our new lab puppy. Being a first time dog owner, I'm paniced and out looking to buy all the 'stuff' we'll need. Was hoping you all could provide any experience you've had with these products. To be clear, I don't have ANY affiliation with any of them! Hopefully, i'm not breaking any forum rules by posting items and asking for feedback.

Crate(s)
Amazon.com : Midwest Ultima Pro Series Dog Crate 43 Inches by 28.5 Inches by 31.5 Inches : Pet Kennels : Pet Supplies Midwest Ultima Pro Series Dog Crate. Has a divider we can use until he grows into the full crate.

For car travel, was looking at this - but it gets mixed reviews. Pet Gear The Other Door Steel Dog Crate with Plush Pad. Seems to be the same that Orvis sells - with a $100+ markup. Anyone have this? We're thinking this can also stay on our glass porch for him to hang out in while we run errands on nice days. Glass walls to the floor with lots to look at.
Amazon.com : Pet Gear The Other Door Steel Crate with Fleece Pad for Cats and Dogs Up to 90-Pound, Sage : Pet Supplies

Crate Pad
Vinyl dog floor protection pads- Primo Pads

Bowl(s)
A couple of this skidproof SS bowls. One for food and two for water? Durapet Non-Tip Bowl, Extra Large
Amazon.com : Durapet Non-Tip Bowl, Extra Large : Pet Bowls : Pet Supplies

Travel water bowl
Amazon.com : Folding Collapsible Travel Food & Water Bowl for Pets Dogs Cats (Army-Green) : Pet Supplies

Brush(s)
Something to start him getting used to a daily brushing. KONG ZoomGroom
Amazon.com : KONG ZoomGroom, Dog Grooming Brush, Small, Boysenberry : Pet Brushes : Pet Supplies

Then at some point - use this as well during shedding seasons? FURminator deShedding Tool for Dogs
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Vacuum Cleaner
Dyson DC65 Animal Complete
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Toy(s)
KONG Classic KONG Dog Toy, Red
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER


Training clicker
Big Button clicker with wrist band
https://www.amazon.com/Button-Pet-Tra...ds=dog+clicker

Poop Bags
https://www.amazon.com/Poop-Bag-Shop-...FQ7DFTVZ8P9T6J

Pooper Scooper
https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Miracl...pooper+scooper

"Bed"
Oh, one of these for the family room. I have allergies and these with a washable fleece on top seem to be the best option for him and me!
https://kuranda.com/dog-beds/aluminum-dog-bed

I'm sure there are a million things I haven't thought of, but let's start with these... Especially and feedback on the crates would be appreciated!!

[kelsyg]

Bring a fleecy toy for puppy's mom and siblings to play with while you do the paperwork.
The smells will comfort new puppy the first few days.

[Archie]

A case of paper towel, lots of nature's miracle - and you can probably skip the furminator - it damages the coat. Zoom groom works great!

Have fun with the new puppy

[CP_OaktonVa]

oh really?! Ok. I'll put that back into the wish list and hold off for now. I saw that it's sharp and you have to be really careful.....

[CP_OaktonVa]

"Bring a fleecy toy for puppy's mom and siblings to play with while you do the paperwork.
The smells will comfort new puppy the first few days."

Thanks! added to the list. Should i do the same with a fleece throw for his Kuranda bed?

[kelsyg]

oh really?! Ok. I'll put that back into the wish list and hold off for now. I saw that it's sharp and you have to be really careful.....

I use the furminator occasionally after the zoom groom, one of my girls has a very heavy undercoat. You won't need it for a puppy, but you may want to revisit it, later.

[CP_OaktonVa]

A case of paper towel, lots of nature's miracle - and you can probably skip the furminator - it damages the coat. Zoom groom works great!

Have fun with the new puppy

We have a lot of hard wood floors. What do you recommend to use for 'accidents' on those?

[Archie]

It's really important to get the smell out, and to do that you have to use an enzymatic cleaner like nature's miracle. for both #1 and #2 accidents, I remove as much of the waste as possible with paper towel (either soak up pee or pick up poop), then spray with nature's miracle, and wipe up. After that, I often go back and clean with a regular cleaner, but nature's miracle first!

[smartrock]

Don't get panicked- you have lots of time to get all but the very initial basics! It's very exciting to anticipate the new puppy's arrival, isn't it? It's hard to resist getting lots of stuff for your puppy, even when they're no longer little!

Wow, that second crate is fancy-schmancy! I've never seen one of those. Better make sure it will actually fit in your vehicle before you spring the big bucks for it. I have and have been happy with Mid-West wire crates. When I first bring a puppy home, I usually keep a large crate in the kitchen or main living area, wherever I'll spend a lot of time. I have also gotten a smaller crate to keep in the bedroom so they are close to us at night and it's easier to sh-sh-sh them or hear them if they need to go outside before I wake up to take them out. By getting smaller crates, they do outgrow them, but it seemed cozier when they were little. Right now my older dog doesn't sleep in a crate at night, my younger one still sleeps in a crate in our room at night but I had to get a larger one. Yes, plenty of crates around here but some are from previous pups as well. Sometimes you can find a used crate on craigslist or somewhere that is smaller and less expensive if you wanted to get a smaller starter bedroom crate.

I have just one extra large bowl for water and 2 smaller ones for food for each dog. I do re-fill the water bowl a couple of times a day, sometimes because it's low, often because it's all slobbered up or there's dirt and stuff from outside. If you're going to just feed and water the pup in one place, one bowl for water might be enough.

Like the Zoom Groom, have a Furminator but rarely use it. I use the zoom groom then finish up with a slicker brush usually. I don't have a dyson, but many on here seem to love them.

I agree with kelsyg about bringing a soft toy or bathmat or something to rub around on the mom and siblings for puppy to cuddle with for the first days, or until (s)he starts tearing it up.

Neither of my most recent pups have required more than a single bottle of Nature's Miracle, not even half a bottle, so I'd start with one and see how it goes.

[kelsyg]

I think that if you order from amazon via a link from this website (Pet Supplies), it helps to subsidize this forum.