Getting a new dog? Congratulations! You’re welcoming a new member of your family that you will have for the next 12-15 years! Whether it’s a puppy or you’re rescuing an adult dog, here are a few items that we consider true necessities.

Puppy Skills Book by: Katherine Davidson

Even before you get your new dog, you should learn as much as you can on what having a dog really means. Montreal’s puppy expert released a very straight forward and easy to follow book to help any new dog owner, not just puppy owners! In this book you’ll learn what essentials you’ll need, how to socialize your dog, tips and tricks for training and even how to help your dog feel safe and calm when home alone. It’s really the perfect starter book no matter what dog or puppy you’re getting!

Socialization Classes

No matter the age of your dog or puppy, socialization classes are an excellent way to help your dog get comfortable in their new life with you. For puppies the critical period of socialization is before 16 weeks of age, so you want to make sure (whether your puppy is fully vaccinated or not) that they are experiencing their new world in all it’s glory. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour recommends that during this time puppies be exposed to as many people, animals, places, stimuli and environments as possible. The AVSAB believe “Incomplete or improper socialization during this important time can increase the risk of behavioural problems later in life including fear, avoidance, and/or aggression.” The benefits of socializing your dog in their early months (before their vaccinations are done) far out weigh any potential risk! Behavioural problems are the top reason dogs are given to shelters, and behavioural problems, not infectious diseases, is the top reason for euthanasia in dogs. Socialization is so important!

If you’re looking for a puppy socialization class we hold one here at Pawse with IvyLeague Dogs. For any adult or teen classes a trainer we know offers them at De La Main de La Pattes in NDG!

IvyLeague will soon have Teen classes for dogs 5 months – 2 years old!

Food

My favorite topic! I look at food as preventative medicine. When you eat a healthy diet you thrive. I want the same thing for my dog and all of our client’s dogs! Whether you choose to feed a raw, fresh, freeze-dried, a dehydrated diet, or even a kibble, there are ways to make sure the foods you feed your dog or puppy will help them thrive! A couple tricks we’ve learnt over the years is to add 20% of their diet as fresh foods. Fresh or raw foods have living enzymes in them, as well as naturally occurring vitamins and minerals that are easily absorbed and used in the body. Which is obviously amazing for your dogs health. Especially if you choose to feed kibble! Here is a great link by one of my favorite canine nutritionists on the many fresh food items you can, and should, add to your dog’s meals. Any dry foods should also be moistened. Adding broth, goat’s milk, or water to your dog’s dry food will help with digestion, nutrient absorption, and hydration!

Interactive Toys

Say no to food bowls and say YES! to interactive toys! Why feed your dog from a bowl, when they could be working for their meal? Not only does this help work their minds, but it can help to calm them, distract them (new dog owners rejoice!), tire them out, and best of all enrich their lives!

Chews and Chew Toys

Dogs love to chew! Gnawing or repetitive grinding will help dental hygiene. Keep in mind, anything your dog chews in couple minutes or less won’t help clean their teeth. You want longer lasting chews if it’s meant to help with oral health. Chewing also helps relieve stress, boredom, anxiety, and burns excess energy. If you have a scarfing dog (one to want to swallow a food item whole) go big! The chew should be bigger than their head. For aggressive chewers (when their mission is the finish the bone asap) they often fracture teeth. For these guys softer is better. No antlers, small marrow bones, yak chews, or nylabones. Again the bigger the better! Beware of steamed or smokes bones, the structure of these bones have been changed with processing and can become brittle. These bones are not appropriate for most chewers. They can be dangerous. Always match the size of the bone to the size of your dog! You don’t want the bone to be able to fit between your dog’s back molars. You also want any chew to be 4″ wider than the width of your dog’s mouth. No matter the chew. Even bully sticks!

My favorite chew at the moment are Knuckle Bones. They’re good for any type of chewer. They’re big, soft enough, and safe!

For puppies a rope toy is a great chew! It’s soft enough for even the smallest puppy and when you soak it in broth and freeze it, it’s great for teething. Rubber toys are also great for chewing and they are perfectly safe for your dog’s teeth. They may not help clean the teeth, but the other benefits are there! Our favorites right now are West Paw’s Tux & Qwizl! The Qwizl also holds bully sticks to help them last even longer.

Training Treats & Treat Bag

Teeny, tiny treats are so helpful when you’re training your new dog or puppy. Rewarding good behaviour and using them as rewards when working on new tricks and commands makes your life so much easier! Carrying these with you during your training sessions is made easy when you use a treat bag! We carry Kel Tech Gear’s amazing treat bags. Kel Tech Gear is Indigenous woman owned and operated, her gear (she makes more than just treat bags) is made by her own hand in Kahnawà:ke!

Water Bowl

Pretty straight forward for this one. Just make sure to clean your dog’s water bowl daily! Any slime you might feel is called biofilm, and biofilm can be dangerous to your pet and yourself. An unclean water bowl can also cause bad breath (due to the bacteria that’s likely causing the biofilm)!

Collar, 6ft Leash & Harness

On the island of Montreal it’s illegal to walk your dog on a leash longer than 6ft, or on a collar if you dog weighs more than 20kg. Also strangling collars, spike collars, electric collars and martingale collars are not allowed on the island of Montreal. You’ll need a collar for your dogs ID and city registration (also a yearly commitment and a must on the island of Montreal). If your dog weighs more than 20kg a harness is a must and in our opinion, when properly sized & fit, is the best option for your dog’s mental and physical wellbeing. Leashes are also a great spot to hang your poop bags & dispenser off of! You’ll need poop bags on your walks!

Bed or Crate

We know not everyone agrees, but we love crates! Our dogs have always loved their crates. It offers us an easy way to help potty train when they’re puppies, but also a place for them to relax and escape to when they’re older. Our dog is 10 and still goes into his crate by his own volition to relax and snooze. It’s his safe space. We don’t bother him if he’s in there. As for beds, if you just got a new puppy we suggest waiting to buy that beautiful dog bed you’ve been eyeing. Your puppy might just feel the need to chew it to pieces and we wouldn’t want that! Try starting with a towel or blanket and once your pup has passed their chewing phase introduce a new comfy dog bed into their life! As for your rescue dog, a dog bed can also be chewed up or destroyed but giving them somewhere that is theirs, where they can be comfortable and safe is so important! So use your judgement, but your rescue dog needs their own little bed or crate where they can relax and have time to decompress.

Grooming Products

No matter the breed your new dog or puppy will need to be groomed. Grooming includes brushing, bathing, tooth brushing, nail clipping, ear cleaning, and more depending on your dog! These could be daily activities (like brushing should be for poodle mixes) and teeth-brushing, or weekly duties like nail clipping. Or even more infrequently for bathing. The frequency of these grooming responsibilities depends on your dog. If your rescue dog, or puppy, isn’t the biggest fan of any of these grooming activities contact your local certified dog trainer so they can help you make grooming something you and your dog can enjoy! This is where virtual training might help! Katherine Davidson of Dog Inspired offers virtual training and she also has a free nail care webinar!

Depending on the season you may need a few other necessities. Check out of other blogs and our online store for inspiration. We consider these the basics for a happy, healthy new furry family member. Enjoy your new dog!

Sources

AVSAB Statement on Puppy Socialization

Montreal: Obligations and responsibilities of pet owners