Things to Do
Puppy Proof Your House
You need to start thinking about what you would do to keep a child safe if you had a toddler coming to stay with you, because you will have to do the same things for a puppy. All breakable items need to be out of reach. All chemicals need to be completely inaccessible to the puppy. Any items that you don't wish to be chewed (shoes, socks, etc.) should be kept out of the reach of the puppy. You may want to use a small x-pen or child-pen in the house to confine the puppy during the first month (whenever you are not interacting with him). This can be an alternative to his crate, giving him room to play, but still not giving him the run of the house.
Take a room by room tour of your home with these things in mind.
Select a Veterinarian (if you don't already have one)
Find a veterinarian who understands the benefits of minimal vaccines. Check out our vaccinations page to familiarize yourself with information about this issue.
Select a Trainer or Training Center
Ideally you should enroll your puppy in classes BEFORE they are 13 weeks old, during the prime socialization age. However, you may have to wait until your puppy's second set of shots, depending on the rules of the training center you will be attending. Your puppy should have had its shot(s) a week prior to starting the class.
The trainer should utilize primarily positive motivational methods. You may find it helpful to go to the Association of Pet Dog Trainers' web site, www.apdt.com 
, and search for available trainers in your area. Keep in mind that this is just a reference - being listed on the web site does not guarantee that the trainers are acceptable. Look for trainers who have the CPDT certification first as they are most likely to apply appropriate training techniques and have a good understanding about dog behavior in general.
Arrange for Time Off from Work
Ideally at least one person in the family will either work from home, have a flexible or part-time job, or not work at all. However, if everyone works away from home we highly recommend that you plan on taking the first two weeks off from work to bond with your puppy. An alternative would be to leave him with a friend or relative, but be prepared for the bonding with that person to be stronger than with you.
During this critical time with your puppy, you have the advantage of getting his housetraining off to a good start. It also gives you an opportunity to gradually crate train him and to prepare him for your being gone for longer periods of time during the day. A word of caution - do NOT spend every minute with your puppy those first two weeks when you are off and then expect him to be happy when you go back to work.
Find a Dog Sitter
If no one will be at home during the day and your puppy will be left indoors, you will need to make trips home every day to take your puppy outside to go to the bathroom. If you do not live close enough to work to make trips home, it is imperative that you have a dog-sitter, whether it is a relative, friend or someone you pay, to relieve your pet throughout the day.
BEFORE your puppy comes home, you should have a suitable pet sitter lined up to provide potty relief and human interaction for your puppy.
Puppies' bladders are not mature enough to hold their urine for extended periods of time. Thankfully they can hold it better through the night when sleeping because their metabolism changes and the need to urinate is diminished. (We do suggest that you not let your puppy drink after 8pm to help prevent night-time accidents.)
See the chart below for guidelines on how long you should leave your puppy or dog alone before needing to relieve himself.- 2-4 months old: 2-3 hours
- 5-6 months old: 4 hours
- 6 months to 1 year: 5-6 hours
- 1 year to adult: maximum 8 hours
Things to Buy
Crate
We consider this to be an required purchase. Read about crates and crating, including what size to buy, etc.
Chew Toys
Kongs, teething rings, fresh natural bones (raw marrow or knuckle bone from the butcher), Nylabones (watch for deterioration)
We do NOT recommend the following for PWDs: Rawhide, Pigs Ears, Cow Hooves, Greenies
Read why...
In summary:
All play with dog toys or chews should be supervised. If it looks at all dangerous or you have any reservations, take it away and don’t buy any more of that particular toy. With the exception of food and medicine, there are NO safety regulations for pet products - the industry regulates itself.
Food
By their genetic pedigree, dogs are carnivores (meat-eaters), not herbivores (plant-eaters). But they are often considered omnivores, because they do have a significant omnivorous ability. Dogs can survive on a diet of either plant or animal origin if it is balanced and diverse. But to thrive and not merely survive, dogs should have a source of animal protein - MEAT - in their diets. There is a huge difference between survive and thrive!
Dogs need meat! They thrive on meat-based diets (but NOT an ALL meat diet). Dogs can and do assimilate grains, but grains provide mostly carbohydrates and only limited amino acid (protein) profiles. Extra carbohydrate intake, above the immediate needs of the dog (which occurs often with grain-based diets) prompts internal enzyme factors to store that extra carbohydrate (sugar) as fat.
You do not have to feed your dog expensive kibble to give him the diet he needs. Just make sure that the kibble you choose has meat or meat by-products (blood and organ tissues) as the first ingredient listed.
As important as it is to feed your dog the correct ingredients, it is also important to feed your dog the correct amount.
Studies have shown that lean dogs live an average of two years longer than overweight dogs and that lean dogs have far fewer health problems. You should base the correct amount of food to feed on what your dog looks like, not what the bag says or how much the bowl holds.
How to rate your dog's weight:Too Thin
- Ribs are easily seen
- Pelvic bones are obvious & prominent
- Waist & abdominal tuck are exaggerated
- You can feel the outline of the ribs
- Waist can be viewed from above
- Belly is tucked up
- Ribs are difficult to feel
- No waist can be seen when viewed from above
- Loss of hour-glass shape to waist
Each dog is unique and may have different dietary needs as a result, so you may have to use trial and error to find the right food, and amount of food, for your puppy or dog.
Grooming Items
PWDs require extensive grooming. We recommend that you purchase the following, at a minimum:
- Pin or slicker brush
- Metal Greyhound style comb (A comb is needed to get out all of those tangles that brushing leaves behind!)
- Nail clippers
- Styptic powder or pencil
- Dog shampoo and conditioner
- Ear cleaning solution (you can also make your own by mixing 2 parts white vinegar with 1 part rubbing alcohol in a squeeze bottle)
- Forced air dryer (such as those made by Double K)
- Grooming scissors
- Two-speed dog clippers
- Grooming table with an adjustable grooming arm