Puppy Supplies

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Puppy Supplies

A CRATE - Crates come in a wide variety of styles and materials. Crates come in various styles, sizes and materials. Buy one that is large enough for the adult dog and make sure it is sturdy, and that the door is metal, not plastic. Crates are not just for puppies. They are perfect for taking your Silky in the car - consider it his seatbelt - he's a lot safer in a crate than loose in the car if you have an accident. It could save his life. The crate is an expense but the cheapest house insurance you can buy. (When you are unable to be at home with your puppy, he can be securely in his crate - not chewing on electrical cords or furniture.) A crate pad of some sort of comfortable, washable material that is hard to shred is a necessity (would you want to lie on a hard plastic surface?). Be aware that it should be checked often and due to chewing may need replacing during the first year.

COMB AND BRUSH - Buy a good quality steel comb (commonly called a greyhound comb) in a combo

style.(coarse teeth on one side and fine teeth on the other) They aren’t cheap but it will last the life of the dog unlike the cheaper ones that need replacing. The brush should be a natural bristle type and of good quality. Nylon bristles are not

necessary. A wire slicker brush is a good investment too. Good for getting the burrs and knots out.

SCISSORS - To trim the tail and around the ears.

ELECTRIC CLIPPERS - Not required, it is possible to do the job of clipping the feet and ears with your scissors. But clippers make the job a whole lot faster and easier!

KNITTING NEEDLE - Good for getting a straight part in the coat. A steel one is best.

NAIL CLIPPERS and QUICK STOP - A heavy pair with replaceable blades is a good choice. Scissors

types are on the market but they can’t be sharpened and need to be replaced at a higher cost than

replacing just the blade portion. However, many people find the scissor type much easier to use. So the decision's yours. Steel yourself, you ARE going to cut the quick at some time in the dog’s

life. It is not life threatening and if you have the Quick Stop, it is easy to stop the bleeding, easier then

getting over the guilty feelings.

TOOTHBRUSH AND DOGGIE TOOTH PASTE - This, like combing, goes on the whole dog’s life so

you might as well start young and let the pup get used to it while things are still fun. Several brush styles

are on the market but they do need replacing every once in a while, so buy the one that appeals to you.

The tooth paste however needs to be DOGGIE toothpaste, human types are poisonous to dogs. Baking

soda is a good choice if you run out.

COLLAR AND LEAD - Collars and leads are the fun stuff. They come in a rainbow of colors, a huge

selection of materials and you can get most in matching sets. Relatively inexpensive, light and colorful

nylon will serve you as well as a leather set.

FOOD AND WATER DISHES - These are important purchases, so choose carefully. Plastic dishes can

be chewed and thrown, which is annoying but they also can cause health problems. The plastic used in animal dishes, in most areas, does not need to be made of the same FOOD grade plastics as human food dishes do. Even the dye used to color them isn't required to be stable. Your dogs water is going to sit in the dish all day absorbing chemicals if any are in the plastic and YOUR dog is going to drink the contaminated water. Cause for thought. Ceramic dishes are nice and heavy, hard to throw around but do break if you drop them or drop something on them. They should be checked to be sure they are glazed with a lead-free finish the way human food dishes need to be. Steel dishes are easy to throw around and

noisy when thrown but they not only don't break, they are easy to disinfect, dishwasher safe, and are not likely

to leach anything into your dog’s water or carefully chosen food.

FOOD - Buy and feed a premium dog food recommended by your breeder, Vet or another

knowledgeable professional. Proper nutrition is important for the growth and health of your dog. Cheap generic supermarket brands just don't cut it.

CHEW TOYS - If you have a baby Silky you need chew toys. The more the better. Soft plastic toys don’t last long and need to be supervised. Toys that can be thrown in the air safely are a big plus with the

pups. Go for stuffed toys (make sure there are no plastic eyes/nose that the puppy could pull off and choke on) and balls that are too large for the puppy to swallow. Never let your puppy have those rawhide 'sticks' that are on the market. Consider them the equivilant of scissors to a small child. A puppy running with one in his mouth could easily run into something while playing and the stick could be rammed through the back of his throat. Not a nice thing to envision is it? So remember... no sharp objects.

RUBBER BOTTOM BATH MAT - This is a handy item to have when you're grooming your pet. Put the mat on a table or countertop, and your pet will have a secure, non-slip surface to stand on while you blow-dry the coat after a bath, or brush it, trim the toe-nails or what-have-you.

SHAMPOO - A good brand regular, not flea, dog shampoo that is easy on both the dog’s eyes and yours

is a good buy. Soap in the eyes hurts anyone and the first few baths could be a wresting match. Choose

one that rinses out well.

CREME RINSE - A good creme rinse will help slow the tangles down and keep the fly aways at bay between baths.

FLEXI - This is a retractable type lead that comes in several lengths and allows the dog up to 26 ft of

freedom when walking in parks etc.

TOWELS - Dark coloured dog towels are a good investment as well. Puppy needs

drying after baths and needs wet feet dried on rainy days. Brown is a good color to hide any stains that

may appear and are easy to tell from the ‘people’ towels.

EXERCISE PEN - This is not a required item, but it sure can come in handy! Show people have used them for decades.... it's fold-up panels of wire that can fit into a flat, narrow space for storage, but when opened up it gives you a 4 foot square area to safely leave your puppy in when you don't want it to have the freedom of the full house. As an added plus, they are great to throw in your trunk and take on holidays with you - at campgrounds or while visiting family and friends, you'll have a nice way to allow your puppy to be out with everyone else, but not able to run off or get into grandma's vegetable garden!

While you are shopping, other things seem to want to jump into the cart. There is a huge variety of dog and dog related products on the market. The only limit seems to be the pocket book. Seatbelt harnesses, coats of all types, boots...the list goes on and on.

Have fun shopping and enjoy your new best friend!

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