Puppy Supply List

We spent so much time thinking about which dog to get, that I forgot to really plan on what we'd need to have in our home to take care of a new puppy. The night before we picked him up, I found myself walking down the aisles of PetSmart with a totally blank look on my face. A kind employee jumped in with me and helped me get everything I needed. (The PetSmart Puppy Starter Kit was super helpful for us, but we didn't do much shopping around.) By the time we brought him home we were ready to go. Good thing we were, because there was no extra time for the next two weeks!

Here are the basics of what you'll need:

• Collar & leash: You'll need a leash and collar when you pick up your puppy. Cesar Millan recommends a 4 ft leash and a nylon adjustable collar with a two-prong buckle. You'll buy several collars as your puppy grows. Frenchtons have thick necks, so we are in large collars now, even though he's a medium-sized dog.  
• Crates: A crate is essential for housebreaking and taking breaks. Your puppy should have enough room to lay down, turn around and stretch, but there should not be a lot of extra space. If there is too much space, dogs will use a section of the crate as a bathroom. Put a soft bed or blanket in with your puppy. Our dog would chew up anything that was chewable, so we used a fluffy towel. 
• Food & water bowls: According to our vet, ceramic bowls are better than plastic bowls for Frenchtons, due to their allergies. They are less likely to hold on to germs and bacteria. Dogs push into their bowls while eating, so you can't just buy any old bowl. It's got to be heavy or have rubber stoppers on the bottom. 
• Food & treats: It's essential to feed new puppies actual puppy food. They need special fats and nutrients adult dogs don't need. Our vet recommended we end the puppy food at 10 months, since we don't have a large dog. That's helped his digestion immensely! Those fats can be hard to digest. (Start with a grain-free, bean-free and chicken-free mix, since many Frenchies are gassy.) Important note: our puppy would whimper when eating dry food. It was too hard for his little gums, but wet food was great. As he got older he was more interested in dry food. We switched over at about a year and a half. 
• Grooming supplies: There's not a whole lot of grooming to do for Frenchtons. They have short hair. We never use the brushes we bought. A good vacuum and plenty of rollers for clothes and couches are helpful. The vet recommended we bathe him every 2-3 weeks, so we bought basic shampoo and an oatmeal conditioner. (We use LOTS of treats at bath time and that's worked great!) Some people like to use nail clippers and some use nail grinders. We started with this nail clipper and it's worked but we've found that a $12 visit to the groomer every few weeks is worth the money. 
• Toys: Pick up 5 or so toys for your new puppy, and make sure to get a variety. It will take a little while to see what they like, but you will probably want to include a comfort toy like a stuffed teddy bear. Make sure it's a dog toy, not a people toy - there's a big difference in durability. Note that the type of toys dogs enjoy will shift quite a bit over their first 3 years. Tune into what works and what they are no longer interested in so you don't waste money. Places like the $1 store have lots of fun toys. 
• Dog bed (optional): We purchased a dog bed but never really used it. Jacques started by sleeping in his crate, while being housebroken, and then charmed my husband into letting him into bed with us. He sleeps in our bed, so he never really touches his dog bed, even in the day.