Hello There! If you are here, you likely have a deposit on your new best friend! We are so excited for you to get your new pup off to a continued great start. We have food and kennel recommendations below. I will also include some grooming supplies I like.
It is strongly recommended that you at least start your puppy on this food until he/she gets adjusted in his/her new home (approx 2 weeks) to avoid tummy troubles and loose stools. At that point, you can start mixing gradually to whatever food your prefer. On the food shown in the picture, dogs hold good weight, have nice coats, need less and thus less poop (which is always nice). It’s a good fat/protein ratio, minimal filler is my theory for why it works well for the dogs.
Above is our very own “Joey” (Molly/Bear Golden Retriever) in his brand new custom kennel made by Splinter Co Woodworking. Owner Nick Bedford, is taking orders for your very own custom kennel, to both fit the needs of your new best friend AND blend with your home decor! Joey goes in his kennel without being asked, he is that comfortable in it. We just leave the door open when we are home, and he knows he can come and go to “his room” whenever he pleases. Plenty of room to stretch out and also for all his toys…when they are strewn all over the house ;-). These are great kennels for your potty trained dog. Below is what I would suggest you get for the first couple months of potty training.
Puppies do well with this type of crate at first attempts of crate traning simply from our experience. They tend to feel more secure and do better with potty training. They do not like to be in their mess. So if the kennel is just big enough for them to be comfortable, they are more likely to try to hold it until next potty break. Being enclosed versus a wire kennel seems to make them feel more secure and safe, thus less fussing. There are different size options. Typicaly medium is a good fit for an 8 week old large breed pup. Right now, Walmart has the best price for the quality of the carrier from what we have seen.
For baths, we have found nothing that works better than Dawn dishsoap. Like any soap, do not overdo it with the bathing. Pups have oils in thier skin which will get dried out if bathed too often. However, for occasional bathing or for cleaning off mess, Dawn works great. The cologne spray is just what we like. It gives them a fresh scent that lasts awhile. I purchase this from Revial Animal Health. The slow feed bowl is nice in encouraging pups to eat at a more appropriate rate…and they are tough to tip over! The slicker brush does a nice job getting to knots and loose fur without ripping on fur. Be careful around eyes and don’t brush too hard as the wires are prickly. Bowls and brushes are available through multiple sellers, the pics are just for representation of what we like. The spray is hard to find elsewhere, hence why I listed Revival as the seller.