Puppies 103: Shopping List
1. Collars, lightweight for starters; heavier for later. Not sure whether to go with leather or nylon for the grown-up collar. Probably not a good idea to get rhinestones, but wouldn't my puppy look good wearing diamonds like me? (Really, just kidding, no diamonds. But there are some really pretty patterns, maybe the fleur-de-lis? Or red? Actually, I want the Swarovski crystals.)
2. Leashes, one 6-foot, lightweight, nylon or cotton-web (it's only a puppy! No need for a leash heavier than the puppy herself); one 20-foot for training (not retractable!).
3. Crate(s), small enough that the puppy can just turn around. I'll need one for home and one for my office. I can get bigger ones once the puppy has grown.
4. ID tag--but what is the puppy's name? My husband has suggested "Megan" if we get a girl.
5. Food and water bowls, preferably stainless steel, but I saw these really cute ones at the local pet food store skeuomorphed to look like bejeweled cushions....
6. Brushes, one for fur, one for teeth. But what kind of toothpaste do I get?
7. Portable exercise pen, metal. Maybe one of these hexagons? But how tall? Looks like we're going to have to make a trip to PetSmart to test them out.
8. Baby gate(s) for closing off door to hallway to keep puppy with us when we are sitting in the front room.
9. Enzymatic cleanser, for accidents (not that we're--ha!--going to have any).
10. Treats, for training. If you are at all skeptical about this, read Suzanne Clothier's description of the game "Fruits & Veggies" then try it on one of your (human) loved ones. Treats are simply a way of keeping your dog interested long enough for her to be able to do what you are trying to will her to do, at which instant you reward her with a treat and say the cue word that you are trying to teach her. For a dog, "grape" is no different from "sit." It's just a sound that humans happen to make.
11. Food. Given that our cat just spent the weekend throwing up the food that we had inadvertently switched her to ("hairball" formula, rather than the usual grown-up diet), this is a tricky one. What kind of food will be best for our puppy so as to keep her humors in balance?
12. And last but not least: toys! Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy, what will our puppy like to play with? We need good toys for little puppy teeth to chew on; some of the rubber ones in the local pet food store looked good. I'm intrigued by the toys that are supposed to be filled with food, but I'm already worried about keeping a corgi on her diet.
And if this isn't enough gear, there are always harnesses and shoes and beds and bike trailers, not to mention the Shop-Vac--because, so I hear, corgis shed. Maybe we need one of those grooming tables, too.
With thanks to Howard Weinstein and Mail Order Annie for the beginning shopping list.
2. Leashes, one 6-foot, lightweight, nylon or cotton-web (it's only a puppy! No need for a leash heavier than the puppy herself); one 20-foot for training (not retractable!).
3. Crate(s), small enough that the puppy can just turn around. I'll need one for home and one for my office. I can get bigger ones once the puppy has grown.
4. ID tag--but what is the puppy's name? My husband has suggested "Megan" if we get a girl.
5. Food and water bowls, preferably stainless steel, but I saw these really cute ones at the local pet food store skeuomorphed to look like bejeweled cushions....
6. Brushes, one for fur, one for teeth. But what kind of toothpaste do I get?
7. Portable exercise pen, metal. Maybe one of these hexagons? But how tall? Looks like we're going to have to make a trip to PetSmart to test them out.
8. Baby gate(s) for closing off door to hallway to keep puppy with us when we are sitting in the front room.
9. Enzymatic cleanser, for accidents (not that we're--ha!--going to have any).
10. Treats, for training. If you are at all skeptical about this, read Suzanne Clothier's description of the game "Fruits & Veggies" then try it on one of your (human) loved ones. Treats are simply a way of keeping your dog interested long enough for her to be able to do what you are trying to will her to do, at which instant you reward her with a treat and say the cue word that you are trying to teach her. For a dog, "grape" is no different from "sit." It's just a sound that humans happen to make.
11. Food. Given that our cat just spent the weekend throwing up the food that we had inadvertently switched her to ("hairball" formula, rather than the usual grown-up diet), this is a tricky one. What kind of food will be best for our puppy so as to keep her humors in balance?
12. And last but not least: toys! Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy, what will our puppy like to play with? We need good toys for little puppy teeth to chew on; some of the rubber ones in the local pet food store looked good. I'm intrigued by the toys that are supposed to be filled with food, but I'm already worried about keeping a corgi on her diet.
And if this isn't enough gear, there are always harnesses and shoes and beds and bike trailers, not to mention the Shop-Vac--because, so I hear, corgis shed. Maybe we need one of those grooming tables, too.
With thanks to Howard Weinstein and Mail Order Annie for the beginning shopping list.
Could we get the puppy's ears pierced?
ReplyDeleteI think having her "fixed" is going to be adventure enough. No piercings! And no mohawks!
ReplyDelete