New Dog Owner Checklist: What to Buy Before Bringing a Dog Home

The complete category-by-category checklist

Feeding

Bowls. Buy two: one for food, one for water. Stainless steel is the default recommendation because it is non-porous, dishwasher safe and does not scratch into bacteria-harboring grooves the way soft plastic does. Ceramic is heavy and stable but chips. Avoid thin plastic for a chewer.

Height matters more than most owners realize. A dog should eat without craning down hard or reaching up. For most small breeds a floor-level bowl is right; for tall deep-chested dogs, a bowl raised so the rim sits at roughly lower-chest height is more comfortable. A non-slip base or a silicone mat stops the bowl traveling across the kitchen. Our designer dog bowls range covers both floor and raised setups.

Food. Buy the same food the dog is eating now, in a small bag. Ask the breeder, shelter or foster for the exact brand and formula. If you want to change diets, mix the new food in gradually over 7 to 10 days, starting at about 25% new food. A sudden switch on the most stressful day of a dog’s life is how new owners end up cleaning carpets at 2am. Our guide on how to choose the best dog food covers what to read on the label, including the nutritional adequacy statement for growth.

Measuring and storage. A cheap measuring scoop or a kitchen scale is one of the most valuable items on this list. Eyeballing portions is the most common cause of a dog drifting above a healthy body condition score, the 1-to-9 scale veterinarians use to assess whether a dog carries the right amount of fat over the ribs. Store kibble in its original bag inside an airtight container; the bag carries the batch code you will need if there is ever a recall.

Sleeping

Crate. A crate is not a cage if it is introduced properly. Crate training gives a dog a den it chooses to enter and gives you a safe place to leave it when you cannot supervise. Size it so the dog can stand without ducking, turn around, and lie fully stretched out. Anything larger lets a puppy soil one end and sleep in the other, which defeats the point. For a growing puppy, buy the adult-size crate with a divider panel rather than two crates.

Bed. Durability and washability beat plushness in year one. Puppies chew beds and dogs have accidents on them. Look for a removable, machine-washable cover and a firm base. Bolster and donut shapes suit dogs that curl; flat mats suit dogs that sprawl. Thin-coated breeds such as Whippets and Italian Greyhounds genuinely need more padding than a Labrador does. A bolster bed with a removable cover, such as the Fluffy Paws monogram dog bed, is the shape most small dogs choose if given the option.

Blanket. Buy two cheap fleece blankets. They wash fast, they line the crate, and one can travel with the dog from the breeder or shelter carrying familiar scent. Scent continuity does more for a nervous dog on night one than any product you can buy.

Walking

Collar and ID tag. A flat buckle collar with an engraved tag is the single most important safety purchase on this list. The tag should carry your cell phone number. Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the United States, recommends a flat-buckle or martingale collar with an ID tag. Avoid slip or choke collars for everyday wear.

A martingale collar is a limited-slip design: it tightens to a preset point when the dog pulls back, then stops. It is the right choice for dogs whose heads are narrower than their necks, including Greyhounds, Whippets and many anxious rescues that can reverse out of a flat collar. It is not a correction tool and should never be left on an unsupervised dog. Browse designer dog collars for flat and limited-slip options.

Harness. A harness spreads pressure across the chest instead of the throat, which matters for every small breed and especially for brachycephalic (short-muzzled) dogs such as French Bulldogs and Pugs, whose airways are already compromised.

• Back-clip harness: leash attaches between the shoulder blades. Comfortable, easy to fit, gives you the least steering. Best for dogs that already walk politely and for small dogs.
• Front-clip harness: leash attaches at the chest. Pulling turns the dog gently back toward you, which makes it the better training tool for a dog that leans into the leash.
• Dual-clip harness: both attachment points. The most flexible choice for a first dog.

Choose the type before the color. Owners who start a puller in a back-clip harness often conclude the dog is untrainable when the equipment is simply wrong for the job, so if you already know you are collecting a puller, begin with a front-clip or dual-clip. See the harness collection for fit styles, or a matched set such as the Pawcci dog harness and leash set if you would rather buy both at once, and check girth against the chart before ordering.

Leash. A six-foot (1.8 m) fixed-length leash in nylon or leather is the correct first leash. It gives enough slack for sniffing and enough control for traffic. Add a long line of 15 to 30 ft later for recall practice in open space, but keep it off sidewalks and out of crowds.

Skip the retractable leash. The thin cord can cause friction burns and lacerations to hands and legs, the handle can be yanked out of your grip, and the constant light tension teaches a dog that pulling produces forward movement, which is the opposite of what you want in week one.

Poop bags. Buy a dispenser that clips to the leash. You will never have the right pocket.

Grooming

Buy the brush that matches the coat, not the brush that looks best. The wrong tool either does nothing or scratches the skin.

The rest of the grooming kit: nail clippers (scissor-type for small dogs, plier-type for large, or a rotary grinder if you have steady hands), dog shampoo at a dog-appropriate pH rather than human shampoo, a dog toothbrush and enzymatic dog toothpaste (never human toothpaste, which may contain xylitol), and a microfiber towel. Start all of it as handling practice in week one, with treats, long before you need it to work.

Health and safety

Book the vet before the dog arrives. Phone the practice, register the dog, and book a general health check for within the first week. Choose a practice on proximity, services offered and out-of-hours arrangements, and ask who covers emergencies at 3am. Save that emergency number in your phone before you need it.

Core vaccinations. Puppies need a series, not a single shot. The core canine vaccines are distemper, adenovirus (hepatitis) and parvovirus, usually given as a combination shot (often labeled DHPP or DA2PP, which also includes parainfluenza), plus rabies, which is also a legal requirement in most US states. VCA Animal Hospitals explains how puppy vaccine series and boosters work, and your veterinarian will set the exact schedule based on age and local risk. Ask which non-core vaccines (Bordetella, Lyme, leptospirosis) your dog’s lifestyle justifies.

Microchip. A microchip is a passive RFID transponder about the size of a large grain of rice, implanted under the skin between the shoulder blades. It carries an identification number only. It is not a GPS tracker and cannot locate a wandering dog. Chips built to the international standard (ISO 11784 defines the code structure, ISO 11785 the transmission protocol) operate at 134.2 kHz and carry a 15-digit number, which matters if you ever travel internationally.

The chip is useless unless it is registered. The AVMA’s microchipping FAQ is explicit that the number must be registered with a microchip registry and kept current, and notes that the US has no single central database. If you adopt, ask the shelter for the chip number and transfer the registration into your name the same week. A chip registered to a previous owner is a chip that sends your dog back to them.

Pet insurance timing. Buy it before the first vet visit if you intend to buy it at all. Policies exclude pre-existing conditions, and anything noted at that first exam, including a heart murmur or a luxating patella, becomes pre-existing. Nearly all policies also impose waiting periods, commonly 14 days for illness and longer for orthopedic conditions. Enrolling on day one is the only way to get a clean slate.

First aid kit. Blunt-tipped scissors, self-adhesive bandage wrap, sterile gauze, saline eye wash, a tick remover, a digital thermometer, tweezers, and a printed card with your vet’s number, the nearest 24-hour emergency hospital, and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435.

Training

Treats. Soft, pea-sized, low-calorie. You will deliver dozens a day in the first two weeks, and treats should stay within about 10% of daily calories. Hard biscuits are too slow to eat for training.

A clicker, or just your voice. A clicker marks the exact instant a dog does the right thing, which speeds learning. A consistent one-syllable marker word works nearly as well and is never left in the other coat.

Playpen and gates. A pen gives a safe, bounded space when you cannot supervise. Gates control access to stairs and to rooms you cannot make safe. Both are more useful than a crate alone in a house with children.

Book a class. Group puppy classes typically run $150 to $300 for a four to six week course and are the best value training money you will spend. An adopted adult dog that has never walked politely on a leash needs the same foundations, just introduced more slowly and with more patience.

Enrichment

Three toys of different types beat fifteen of the same kind. Buy one rubber chew (hollow, so you can stuff and freeze it), one tug or plush for interactive play with you, and one food puzzle or snuffle mat to make meals take ten minutes instead of ninety seconds.

Safety rules for toys: nothing small enough to swallow whole, nothing with detachable eyes, squeakers or ribbons, and nothing harder than a tooth. Inspect for wear weekly and throw away anything shedding pieces. Rotate three toys in and out rather than leaving everything available, which keeps novelty cheap.

Clothing and weather gear

Clothing is a wait-and-see purchase, with two exceptions. If you are collecting a thin-coated or small dog in winter, or a dog that will be walked in sustained rain, buy one correctly measured garment before arrival.

Dogs that genuinely benefit from a coat: thin-coated and single-coated breeds (Whippets, Italian Greyhounds, Chihuahuas, Dachshunds), very small dogs with a high surface-area-to-mass ratio, puppies and seniors with weaker thermoregulation, and recently clipped dogs. Double-coated northern breeds usually need nothing.

Measure chest girth and topline length on the current body, and buy for the season you are entering rather than the one after. Our designer dog clothes hub covers coats, sweaters and rain layers, and sizing follows the same girth-first logic as harnesses.

Travel

Car restraint. An unrestrained dog is a projectile in a collision and a distraction before one. Options are a crash-tested crate anchored in the cargo area, a hard-sided carrier belted on the back seat, or a harness-and-tether system used with a purpose-built car harness rather than a walking harness. For small dogs, a structured carrier or travel bag doubles as the collection-day carrier and as cabin-approved luggage later.

Collection day kit: carrier or crate, a towel or blanket, poop bags, paper towels, water and a collapsible bowl, and the leash already attached to the collar before the car door opens.

Puppy-proofing: hazards room by room

Do this before the dog arrives. Get down to the dog’s eye level in each room and look along the floor.

Living room. Electrical cords and phone chargers are the classic chewing hazard and carry a risk of oral burns and electrocution. Route them behind furniture, bundle them in split-loom tubing, or unplug them. Clear low shelves of small swallowable objects: coins, batteries, hair ties, earbuds, children’s toy pieces. Secure tipping hazards such as freestanding lamps and unanchored bookcases.

Kitchen. Fit a child lock to the trash can, or move it inside a cabinet. Store cleaning products above floor level. Keep the following out of reach entirely: chocolate, grapes and raisins, onions and garlic, macadamia nuts, alcohol, raw yeast dough, and anything sweetened with xylitol, including sugar-free gum, some peanut butters and some toothpastes. The ASPCA’s list of people foods to avoid explains the mechanisms: xylitol can cause hypoglycemia and liver damage, grapes and raisins are associated with kidney injury, and chocolate’s methylxanthines cause vomiting, arrhythmia and seizures.

Bathroom and bedrooms. Human medications are a leading cause of pet poisoning calls. Move every bottle into a closed cabinet, including vitamins and painkillers, and never leave a weekly pill organizer on a nightstand. Keep the toilet lid down if you use an in-tank cleaning block. Pick up socks, hair ties and underwear, which are common foreign-body surgery items.

Houseplants. Several popular plants are seriously toxic. Sago palm (Cycas revoluta) can cause acute liver failure and is one of the most dangerous plants in a US home. Dieffenbachia (dumb cane) contains insoluble calcium oxalates that cause intense oral pain and swelling. Also worth removing: azalea, oleander, tulip bulbs, philodendron and pothos, all of which the ASPCA lists as toxic to dogs. True lilies (Lilium) are the common exception to the rule: the ASPCA lists them as toxic to cats and non-toxic to dogs, so they belong on a cat owner’s hazard list rather than this one. Check anything you own against the ASPCA’s toxic and non-toxic plant database before the dog arrives, and either remove the plant or move it out of reach.

Garage, driveway and yard. Ethylene glycol, the active ingredient in most automotive antifreeze, is the hazard to take most seriously here. VCA Animal Hospitals notes that it is sweet-tasting and odorless, that dogs will drink spills voluntarily, and that it has a very narrow margin of safety, so a small amount can cause severe poisoning: vomiting, incoordination and increased thirst progressing to seizures and kidney failure. Store it sealed and high, wipe up every drop, and check the driveway for puddles under parked cars. Also secure rodenticides, slug pellets, fertilizers and ice-melt products. Outside, walk the fence line looking for gaps a nose can widen, check gate latches, and remove standing water.