Resources and Supplies | Sugartop Minis

Resources and Suggested Supplies

Recommended Supply List

(Links to list items are located below)

BEWARE: Do not buy essential supplies like dog bowls, crates, beds, etc. from secondhand stores or unknown people (Facebook marketplace, etc.) Parvo (a very deadly and highly contagious virus) lives on surfaces for 7-10 years and often cannot be properly cleaned from permeable surfaces. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW FOR SURE THAT AN ITEM CAME FROM A (PARVO) CLEAN HOME DO NOT BRING IT INTO YOUR HOME.

Chewy.com is a convenient source for buying your supplies because they often have a great first-time purchase discount and offer regular sales. They are also great for auto shipping dog food.

CRATE: I like a simple wire crate; it’s cheaper, easy to clean and easily portable. Crates come with a fence divider so you can adjust it to the size your puppy needs as it grows. 30” is fine but I prefer the 36” with double doors.

PLAY PEN: Play pens are, in my opinion, as essential as a crate, especially if you do not have a fenced yard. A play pen allows you to have a worry free, safe space in your home, or in the yard, for your puppy to play and noodle around while they are awake. I place my pen in a high traffic area so the puppy is still being socialized to our home without getting underfoot. Suggested areas are a kitchen, mudroom, dining room, or living room - high traffic parts of the house are best. There will likely be accidents in this spot so make sure it’s a floor that is easy to clean.

BED: You won’t use a full-size bed for the first few months while they do not have the full-sized crate to use (see crate training). I’ll send your puppy home with a small blanket containing their mother’s and litter scent on it. I have found puppies like to sleep with this and it often becomes a loved possession of theirs. When your puppy is big enough for using the whole crate you can buy a nicer bed to fit inside it.

STARTER COLLAR: To introduce wearing a collar I choose one that is 12” in length, and made of a thin nylon or cotton that is soft and lightweight. They will grow out of this within the first couple months. I usually buy the cheap ($5) option from my local feed store.

LEASH: I like a 6-foot, lightweight leash to start. You likely won’t be using it much for actual walks at first, but you’ll want your puppy attached to you even if you’re just holding them on outings, or in the car. Remember “all four off the floor” until fully vaccinated. I highly recommend getting a long line leash for walks, and recall work. A 15–20-foot lightweight, nylon line is good for starting out.

Puppies do not walk in a structured pattern at first, this is something you will need to teach. It is also not good for their joint development to go on long structured walks at an early age. A long line gives them room to move at their own pace, without constantly stopping you or getting yanked on.As you get more into longer distance recall work, or depending on where you live (if off-leash is never a safe option), then a 30+ foot line is great for letting your dog explore bigger areas.

HARNESS: When your puppy is not yet collar, and leash trained, I find a harness to be the kindest way to have yourself attached to your puppy. Sizing depends on brand (xs/small is usually what you’ll need) and by weight your puppy will go home at around 5-7 pounds. Ask me for an exact weight and measurements as we get closer to the go-home-date.

BOWLS: I prefer stainless steel since it is dishwasher-safe, shatter proof, and easy to clean. Ceramic is also nice and often a little prettier. Go for a bigger size - you want a nice large water bowl, so you aren’t constantly refilling when they are older. A little more space for a food bowl is never a bad thing either. You may want a tiny bowl of water, for when they are little, to keep track of and limit their intake for potty training. You can easily just use a designated bowl from your kitchen.

FOOD: I use Purina One True Instinct Puppy kibble. Your puppy will go home with a couple weeks supply to transition to your preferred food. I find this option to be a reasonably priced, high quality, kibble that my dogs enjoy. I use the equivalent for my adult dogs. While potty training, I highly recommend you keep your puppy on a strict kibble diet for meals and treats. This gives you exact measurements and structure for their potty schedule and helps them adjust to their new life without adding gut distress. Your puppy will eat about an 1/8 C of kibble three times a day for the first couple weeks. You can go down to two times a day as they age, and if you prefer, down to once a day after six months. They will eat about 2 ½ cups a day when they are fully grown.

I exclusively hand feed the first few months. I highly recommend you do so as well, it doesn’t have to take much time, and the benefits are huge. Hand feeding promotes bonding and trust, discourages development of resource guarding, teaches mouth softness and it is the best time to work on learning new commands as your puppy is hungry and motivated! Hand feeding at meals gives you a built in time to work on training, and creates great long term habits.

TOYS AND CHEWS: Your puppy will go home with two toys from me that they have played with and containing their litter mates scents. You don’t need to spend a fortune on toys. I like to select a small variety to ascertain their preferences (like a tug toy, a fetch toy, a stuffie and a textured chew). For edible chews beware of rawhide, it is not digestible and can cause gut impaction resulting in emergency surgery. Look for beef collagen or pizzel and real bones. Real ingredients are just as important in treats and chews as with their meals.

TRAVEL CARRIER: The backpack case linked below is the same one I have. This case is airplane travel compatible. It worked for Archi all the way to 16 weeks. I use this to take my puppy on car rides, in stores, on hikes, to the park, a parade, anywhere you want to take your puppy; this is what they can travel in to abide the “all four off the floor” rule.

Why do we keep “all four off the floor”? This is to keep your puppy safe from picking up deadly viral bacteria and parasites when they are young, not fully vaccinated, and do not have fully formed immune systems.

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