New Puppy Supply List – RolyPoly Pugs Home of Grand Champion PugsWe have found that when shopping for your new puppy, brand names really do not make a difference except in puppy food. When you see a brand name on our checklist it is only to give you an idea of the type of product, feel free to get any knock off’s that resemble those items.
FOOD
*We feed our puppies Science Diet Small & Toy Breed Puppy which can be found at most local pet stores or Veterinary offices. Heidi is a Certified Pet Nutrition Expert, please see our Nutrition page to the left.
*Food & Water Dish – We suggest the heavy weight dishes that the puppy can’t tip. Stainless steel or ceramic are better than plastic.
*Food Storage Bin – This helps keep food fresh & critters out.
CONTAINMENT
*Crate – Most wire crates now come with a divider so the crate can grow with the puppy. A good size for an adult pug is 24Lx18Wx19H, you can then adjust the divider as the puppy grows without having to purchase a larger crate every couple of months.
*Bed – Puppies will only chew up any nice bed you purchase so we suggest just using a couple old towels until they get through the chewing stage.
*Excercise Pen – This will help keep puppy safe when you can’t watch them or keep them out of an area you don’t want them in. These are great and you will use it through out the dogs life for various reasons, it’s like a puppy play pen.
*Doggie Door – Hands down, the best way to potty train a pug!! We take the crate and fold down the one end that doesn’t have the door in it, then put the towels over the top of the wire so they don’t get their paw stuck, then just butt the open end up to the Doggie Door on the inside of the house. The puppy can then come inside and be in their crate or go outside. The puppy will potty train themselves! Just make sure to lock the door at night so a big Owl, Fox, or Coyote can’t get them if they should decide to go out in the middle of the night. The opening should not be smaller than 8.5″x11.5″. They make them to fit in a door, outside wall, or even an insert for a sliding glass door. Pugs are one of the hardest breeds to potty train, this method will save you so much time, money, and headache.
*We suggest micro chipping your puppy in case of containment system failure! This does not hurt them any more than your common vaccination shot.
TRAINING*Collars – The buckle collar should be kept on the puppy with their Identification & Rabies tags unless you are training with the slip collar. The slip or training collar is to be used for training only and should never be kept on an unattended dog. Also, make sure you take a good puppy class before using the slip collar. If used properly it is the best way to teach a dog to heel, used incorrectly and you can collapse the windpipe over time. The key is to never let the dog pull. If you do not wish to teach the puppy to heel, you can use a harness to go for walks without the risk of collapsing the windpipe. Buckle collars are not to be used for walks & can also collapse windpipes if pulled against.
*Leash – You will need a six foot leash for training. You may also want to purchase a retractable leash to allow the puppy more range and excersize when you go for walks.
*Videos & Books – Any book or video by Cesar Millan is a must, he truely gets how a dog thinks. If your trainer is consistantly contradicting what you learn from Cesar, find a new trainer! Most trainers do not understand that a dog is not a human, they do not think or feel the same way a human does no matter how much you would like them to. This is not to say they don’t think and feel, just not in the same way we do. It is amazing to me how many trainers do not get this, and how many great dogs are ruined by someone trying to inflict human emotions onto them. Love them for who they are, the wonderful world we call canine.
*Treats – Training treats can be very helpful in teaching the very food motivated pug. Unfortunately you also have to be aware of their low metabolizim and tendency to gain weight. We suggest taking a left over container, fill it with their dog food, and keep it in the pantry with your food. They will think it’s a very special treat and it will not affect their diet. If you find you are doing alot of training and using alot of food for training treats then you can just cut back their meals accordingly.
GROOMING
*Brushing – A Furminator, or any knock off brand of that, is a must! This tool is the next best thing since sliced bread! It will cut down on your Puggy shedding machine like you won’t believe.
*Nail Clipping – A cordless dremel you can purchase at Wal-Mart is the best tool for nail maintenance. It is so much better than cutting the nail because you can see what you are doing in a gradual manner. It also prevents the sharp edges you get when cutting the nail. You should grind the nail with your dremel about once every two to three weeks.
*Chompers – We suggest brushing your Puggy pearly whites at least once a week. Also make sure to provide plenty of dental chew toys.
*Bathing – It is an old wives tale that you can bath a dog too much. Our show dogs are sometimes bathed once a week, other coated show dogs are bathed several times a week. What dog has a more beautiful coat than those who sport the show ring?
We suggest any good human moisturizing shampoo & conditioner. The two most important keys to bathing is to make sure all shampoo is rinsed out thoroughly with warm water. Then, if you have a shower that you can close the door on, lather up the dog with the conditioner and let them soak in it for about 15min., then rinse with cool water.
Remember, a great coat comes first through feeding a super premium diet. If you feed a lesser quality dog food you will never have a good coat.
TOYS
*Boredom Busting – Any toy that stimulates their brain, usually the dog has to work at getting a treat out of the toy. Some brand names are BusyBuddy and Kong. Our all time favorite is the Bristle Bone by BusyBuddy.
*Ropes – These are great to play tug of war with and for the dog to chew on. They will pull the strings through their teeth which acts as floss.
*Chewies – Nylabone is a great brand for chew toys. We also like cow hooves, they last forever and really clean the teeth well. The downside to them is that they temperarely make their breath smell, but only while they are chewing on them. They actually help with bad breath & gum disease in the long run. We do not suggest rawhide or specially not pig ears, which are incredible fattening.
*Squeakies – As with any toy, you should supervise at all times. We have found that the dogs tend to not chew up latex type squeaky toys as much as the vinyl or plush squeakies.
Have fun shopping, just remember not to take puppy with you until they have finished their series of puppy vaccinations.
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Great Ample 