
Here’s an additional tip. Lowering yourself to floor level and viewing things from your puppy’s perspective to see what could be potentially enticing for them, is an effective way to make sure that you have not missed any hidden dangers. But do take note that as your puppy grows, you may need to go over this process again.
• Food that suits your puppy’s size and age
• Food and water bowls
• Toys to stimulate your puppy or to help counteract stress
• Cleaning supplies such as disinfectant, gloves or poop bags
• Crates to keep them safe when unsupervised, and to help facilitate housebreaking
• Dog bed or soft bedding
• Treats to reward good behaviour
• Collar and leash so that your puppy can get used to it early
• Grooming supplies


A crate first and foremost, embraces a dog’s instinct for the security of a den. Within it, your puppy has a space it can withdraw to when it is tired, unwell, stressed. A crate can also be utilised when you need a safe space to confine your puppy to, when it may be too over-stimulated by certain situations such as when you have many guests over.
A dog crate can help in the house training of your puppy. It not only removes the idea of going to the toilet as a purely outdoor activity, but prevents your puppy from peeing anywhere else in your home you don’t want them. Additionally, it allows your puppy to feel more included. With a dog crate, your puppy can stay indoors with the family even when it needs to be restricted from certain activities. And gives you a peace of mind when you’re out or asleep, with the knowledge that your puppy is safe from any potential accidents.
It is important to note that puppies should not be restricted to dog crates for too long periods, especially when it is of a certain age (under 15 weeks) and when it’s still in its first few weeks in your home.
If you believe that it is barking for attention, do not shout at it to stop, touch or look at them. Simply ignore the barking until it stops. And when your puppy eventually becomes quiet, praise it and reward it with a treat. This will help create the association that not barking can lead to fruitful outcomes.
It is also important to take note that some breeds of dogs naturally bark more. So it is important to do research beforehand. For these breeds, the barking can be reduced through the distraction of a squeaky toy. Train your dog to respond to it by coming over to pick it up. This will greatly reduce the barking frequency.
