Get ready for your puppy

As the time to bring your puppy home gets closer, it is important to prepare your house for a curious young Labrador. Puppies explore the world with their mouths, and anything within reach can quickly become a chew toy or a safety hazard. One of the best things you can do is get down to puppy level and look around for anything that could be chewed, swallowed, pulled down, or damaged.
Puppy-Proofing Your Home Checklist

Small pets such as birds, hamsters, and fish tanks
If you have a cat, make sure he or she has safe areas to climb away from the puppy
Houseplants, including dead leaves, as some plants are poisonous
Children’s toys
Office and school supplies
Books, magazines, newspapers, and mail
Money, especially pennies
Electrical cords and wires, including phone chargers, computer cables, TV cords, and internet cables
Drawstrings from blinds or draperies
Remote controls, DVDs, CDs, and electronics
Decorative items, collectibles, lamps, and anything that could be knocked over
Firewood or fireplace debris
Pillows, blankets, throws, and fabric covers
Throw rugs and bathmats
Candles, potpourri, and plug-in air fresheners
Human food, candy, bones, crumbs, or cooking leftovers
Puppy food and treats left unattended
Alcoholic beverages
Trash cans and garbage bags
Paper towels, napkins, tissues, and toilet paper
Toothpaste and toothbrushes
Bed and bath linens
Clothing, shoes, gloves, hats, and dirty laundry
Jewelry, combs, hair accessories, and pins
Medications, vitamins, toiletries, and cosmetics

Anything you do not want chewed or swallowed should be safely put away until your puppy learns appropriate household behavior.
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Dog and puppy goodies

Food

We feed our puppies TLC puppy food. If you plan to change the food, do it gradually. We can provide some food, or you can get a small bag for the transition.
We feed our adults TLC all stages Food.
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Supplements

When you feed a premium quality food, your puppies are set for a good start, but most processed foods lose essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These nutrients are extremely important for the development of a healthy puppy and to keep dogs healthy and help battle nutritionally induced diseases like allergies, joint diseases, and cancer. Make sure you get a good quality supplement from your vet or you can try what we use, NuVet Plus and NuJoint
We give 1 NuVet waffler to all our puppies and adults. It boosts the immune system, strengthens the cardiovascular system, fortifies Bone Structure, and promotes a healthy Nervous system. We use NuJoint in older puppies and adults. NuJoint Plus is a natural anti-inflammatory hip and joint therapy that contains precise percentages of Glucosamine, Chondroitin, methylsulfonylmethane (MSN), and vitamin C.
We give fish oil to all our dogs and puppies.

Order code 41866.

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Toys and chews

Lots of toys of different textures and sounds. Make sure all toys are always bigger than your puppy's head. Labradors are famous for swallowing first and then ask if it was edible.....
There are also many kinds of chews. They are all good in general, but you need to make sure that as soon as the puppy can chew off a piece of it, you threw it away. This is especially true with Rawhide and Greenies. They are not digestible, and they can get stuck in the puppy's intestines.

Plates

2 medium metal plates. For adults, you need large ones. The ones that can't be flip over work best for puppies. Raised feeders work great for adult dogs but might be too tall for small puppies. Automatic feeders are a big no-no for puppies. You want to use the feeding time to bond with your puppy. You also need to observe his/her appetite.

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Leash and collars

Collar
12"-16" Nylon adjustable.
Choke collar
It is not necessary until training starts at 10 weeks. A size 14" or 16" should be good.
Nylon and chain collar
My favorites. Good for correction, and gentle enough for a puppy or more submissive dogs.
Leash
Nylon 5-6' would do. You can match the collar.
Retractable leashes are good for long walks of already leash broken puppies. I don't recommend them for little puppies.
Harness
No harnesses for Labs. It encourages pulling. You want the dog to learn to heal properly.

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Crate

36 inches for females, and 42 inches for males. Some of them bring a divider that helps a lot with the potty training process. For the crate floor, I recommend just something easy to wash, and that absorbs liquids well. Towels or a piece of carpet work best. Safe the fancy bed for later when your puppy won't destroy it.

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Beds

I use Kuranda beds for my kennel dogs. They come in all sizes and different colors to fit inside the crate or just use it in your living room or outdoors. Almost indestructible and easy to clean. Dogs love them because they are very easy on their joints. For my house dogs, I use an Orthopedic bed.

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Good for those first days. See price at Amazon!

Durable. See price at Kuranda

Orthopedic. See price at Amazon

Bell Potty training System

Bell potty training system
Hang the bells from the doorknob low enough that your puppy can reach them with their paw and their nose.
Every time you take your puppy out, ring the bells and tell him to ring the bells to go outside and potty. Show him the bells every time he goes out the door and make sure they are rung.
You will be surprised when a few days later, you will hear the bells and your puppy sitting patiently by the door.
You can buy a kit for about $15 or make one at home with some leftover Jingle bells from last Christmas and shoelaces.

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Brushes and combs

Labradors shed once or twice a year for about 1-2 months. The best way to deal with it is to brush your puppy or dog daily during the shedding period and once a week the rest of the year.

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Puppy shampoo

DO NOT use flea and tick shampoos in your puppies. If you have a problem with fleas and ticks in your area get a safe flea and tick preventative from your vet. They might cost more money, but you are avoiding severe toxic reactions to the cheaper products sold in pet stores.