Top 10 Basic Puppy Supplies You’ll Need!
At Curious Weims, we are constantly getting asked “what are the top things we need to purchase in preparation for our new puppy coming home?” There are SO many products out there for our dogs, and it can be hard to determine what is a necessity and what isn’t, so we decided to write a quick article listing the Top 10 Basic Puppy Supplies any new dog owner will need and a handful of things that can save you quite a bit of money in the long run.
Click on any of the pictures or links in the article to jump straight to the web page for the product we suggest.
Please enjoy!
1. Healthy Dog Food
There is no single best food for every dog. No matter how good the quality of ingredients, a food that suits every single dog just does not exist. There is no guarantee that any food, however highly rated, will work perfectly for your new pup. Finding the best food for your individual dog does, and always will, involve some amount of experimentation. We use Diamond Naturals dog food for all our dogs and pups, but there have been times when a certain meat type from Diamond Naturals didn’t work out for one of our Weims, so we had to change from lamb to chicken. There are MANY great brands and types of dog food out there, and we suggest doing a little research to find out what will work the best for your new pup and your family.
2. Food & Water Bowls
When it comes to bowls, we suggest stainless steel bowls for many reasons. First they are easy to clean when they become dirty, or on a regular schedule (we bleach our stainless bowls once a week and then wash with dish detergent to ensure our dogs are eating from a bowl that they won’t contract anything from. Also stainless bowls are very durable and will last a long time when cared for properly. Another 
reason we use Stainless bowls is because sometimes dogs can have contact allergies to certain plastic bowls and this can cause skin irritations and rashes on their chins as well as inside their mouths.
We do not suggest buying a fancy bowl holder that raises the bowl off the ground. The reason for this is because studies have shown that when the bowls (water and food) are raised off the ground it allows more air into your dogs stomach, which can cause upset stomachs, stomach bloat (which can be very dangerous), as well as other problems that can go unnoticed. These studies say that one reason is because of the fact that naturally dogs eat their food from the ground, and their bodies are used to this kind of feeding.
3. Treats for training
Finding the right treat can make the difference between weather or not your pup wants to learn, or not. The top 2 training treats we suggest are Pet Botanics Training Rewards and Zuke’s Mini Naturals Healthy Moist Training Treats. Both treats are affordable, highly rated, and readily available on Amazon. You also have to make sure that your dog likes the type of treat you choose, so we suggest buying a couple of different ones and seeing what works best for you and your dog.
Any treat that is either already small or that you cut into small pieces will work fine as well. Puppies don’t need large treats, or even large amounts of small treats. Both treats above come small enough so that your pup won’t get a full belly when you’re working with them, you don’t want them to becoming tired and deciding they don’t want to work any longer.
4. Crate / Kennel
Weims don’t stay small for long, and that why we recommend buying a full size metal wire style kennel right off the bat. Make sure that it comes with a divider so you’re able to section off their sleeping area, and gradually make it larger as your puppy grows into a full size dog. This will also save you money because you won’t have to purchase multiple kennels as your pup grows.
5. Bedding
There are SO many options when it comes to bedding for your pup. Some are cheap, while others are crazy expensive. We suggest using old blankets, or sheets in the bottom of the kennel. Make sure that whatever you’re using isn’t something that you are worried about, because dogs have a tendency to “nest” (especially females) where they will dig and rip up their “den” until they feel comfortable. Also as puppies they may have an accident or two in their kennels, so we rotate old blankets and try to keep the kennels fresh and clean. A great place to find old bedding like this is at garage sales or second hand stores like Salvation Army. Dog beds are fine as well, and they work great, but they can get expensive if your dog is a digger or a nester.
6. Leash & Collar
Collars are like jewelry to a Weim. There are SO many options, and choosing the right one is usually based on your preference, but we do have a few suggestions for all the Weim owners out there. We suggest a collar that is either nylon or leather. Try to find one that is adjustable as your new puppy grows. You want them to feel comfortable wearing it, so when you adjust it we suggest that you should be able to get at least 2 fingers between the collar and the puppies neck. If you aren’t able to fit two fingers between the collar and their neck, then it’s time to adjust the collar or buy a larger one. We also suggest collars with metal latches due to their strength and durability over collars with plastic clips, especially with Weims.
We do not suggest muzzles, head collars, or harnesses, because with the right training your puppy will NOT need any of these to keep you and your pet safe!
You are also going to want at least one 6 ft. long leash, a 3-4 ft. long leash for working on training them to heel while you walk, and potentially a 10-12 ft. leash for other types of training. We do not suggest the retractable leashes, because of the size Weimaraners get and how fast they can run, you could severely hurt your dog as well as your arm if the dog takes off and you push the stop button while they’re still running.
Regarding the leash material, for the most part it doesn’t matter, but we’ve found that when Leather leashes, when properly taken care of, will out last the Nylon leashes by far, but for ease of leash maintenance and cost effectiveness nylon leashes will be just fine. Leather leashes also tend to look more elegant, especially with the Weimaraner being seen as such an elegant breed. It really comes down to preference and price.
7. Chew Toys / Chew Tow Storage
Chewing, ripping, shredding, tearing up and generally destroying stuff is as normal for dogs as tail-wagging. If you have a dog, expect chewing. Chewing is a form of occupational therapy to relieve stress and release energy for dogs.
Since Weimaraners are EXTREME chewers, we suggest you spend some money on a decent collection of chew toys. Being prepared with enough toys will save your shoes, the corners of your couches, the kitchen chairs, the legs on the coffee table, and just about anything else you DON’T want them destroying!
We suggest having at least 5 to 6 safe chew toys, but the more the better, that way toys can be rotated so your puppy doesn’t get bored with them. Excellent toys include Nylabones, Kongs, rubber tires, just about ANY ball, and all rope toys. We suggest getting the larger / thicker ropes because the smaller ones don’t hardly last a week. Ropes are especially good for keeping their teeth flossed and shinny white! Always feel free to try new toys and see what works for your new puppy.
The things that are usually most attractive to dogs are often the very things that are the most dangerous. Dog-proof your home by removing string, ribbon, rubber bands, children’s toys, pantyhose, and anything else that could be ingested. Avoid or alter any toys that aren’t “dog-proof” by removing ribbons, strings, eyes, or other parts that could be chewed and/or ingested. Take note of any toy that contains a “squeaker” buried in its center. Your dog may feel that he must find and destroy the source of the squeaking, and he could ingest it leading to potential emergency situations. Also, toys with squeakers become EXTREMELY annoying after hearing them over and over again.
Toys should be appropriate for your dog’s size. Balls and other toys that are too small can easily be swallowed or become lodged in your dog’s throat. Discard toys that start to break into pieces or have pieces torn off, even though they may have been expensive, you would rather discard them rather than have them choke on a piece of a toy and potentially become fatal. Look at toys as disposable, but buy high quality toys made for Extreme Chewers and they will last longer than cheap toys and be much safer.
We suggest having a basket or some sort of bin that you 
consistently keep their toys in. This not only gives you (or your smart Weim) a place to put the toys away, but it also makes it easy for your Weim to know where the toys are, instead of deciding to chew up the shoes by the door. We use an open basket similar to this one.
8. Rubber grooming comb
Since Weims have such a short coat one of the best combs for brushing their coat is an all rubber palm 
brush like the Kong ZoomGroom that doubles as a toy or an all rubber brush for short coated dogs! you need to make sure that the comb you get is not going to scratch their skin below their short coat. We suggest a deep brushing once a month, and a quick weekly brushing to remove any loose hair, and keep your pups coat looking great!
9. Gentle Shampoo
Weims are notoriously EASY to groom and dont require as many baths as many other breeds. We always recommend speaking to your vet about their suggestions regarding what shampoo to use, but we have a few options we use with our dogs. We use a couple of different shampoos depending on which dog we are giving a bath. But in general we suggest a . We like Mane ‘n Tail for a general purpose shampoo, a gentle medicated all purpose shampoo on occasion, and if the dogs are shedding a lot, we like FURmigator deShedding shampoo.
10. Good quality nail trimmer
Buying a set of good quality nail trimmers will save you a lot of time and money. We don’t suggest the nail trimmers that you stick the nail into (guillotine nail trimmer type) because there isn’t as much control as well as, if the dog squirms then there is a higher chance to cut too far. We like this open ended set of nail trimmers by Safari because they are high quality, sharp, affordable, and easy to use. We always recommend having a small container of styptic powder nearby, just in case you accidentally cut the nail too far (this will happen, don’t feel bad, just praise your pup and stop the bleeding).
We hope you have enjoyed our Top 10 Basic Puppy Supplies list, and we hope it helps you prepare to bring your new Curious Weim home!! Make sure to keep an eye out for new articles and top ten lists coming soon.
