A Puppy Starter Kit: The Nine Things You Actually Need First

Puppy bundles are mostly a marketing format. Half of what is inside gets outgrown in six weeks, and the other half is a cheap version of something you will replace. A starter kit should cover containment, sleep, chewing and cleaning, in that order.

We followed three litters through their first three months, tracking which items were used daily and which stayed in the box.

How we chose

Daily use in the first ninety days, plus how long the item stayed useful as the puppy grew.

• Adjustable or sizeable, so it lasts more than a month.
• Washable, because everything will be washed.
• Safe to leave with a puppy unsupervised.
• Something the puppy will choose over a shoe.

The first nine things

Containment

A playpen with a floor and a crate in the correct size. Puppies need a small, safe space to sleep in, and a big crate defeats the purpose.

Chewing, immediately

Rubber teething toys and a couple of natural chews. Buy several identical ones and rotate them, so the puppy learns what is allowed.

Cleaning supplies

Enzyme cleaner is not optional. It removes the scent that tells a puppy to go in the same spot again.

The bottom line

Playpen, crate, two rubber chews, an enzyme cleaner, a washable bed, two bowls, a short lead, a harness and a treat pouch. That is the whole kit.