van Dalen Labradors

When the time to take your puppy home is getting closer, you got to get ready for it. You need get your house puppy proved. First thing you need to do is to get down to ground level and see all that can be chew or eaten by the puppy.

Puppy proving your house check list:

• Small pets: Birds, hamsters and fish tanks
• If you have a cat, make sure he/she can climb away from the puppy.
• Houseplants, some of which are poisonous, including the dead leaves. Check on intoxications.
• Children’s toys.
• Office and school supplies.
• Books, magazines, mail, newspapers.
• Money, especially pennies.
• Electrical cords or wires Telephone cords, computer cables, TV, Cable or satellite cables.
• Drawstrings from draperies or blinds.
• Remote controls, VCR tapes, DVDs, CD's.
• Knick-knacks, figurines, or collectibles, heavy items like lamps that can get pulled on or knocked over.
• Firewood or debris from fireplaces.
• Pillows, fabric arm covers, Afghans or throws.
• Throw rugs, bathmats.
• Candles, potpourri, plug in air fresheners.
• People food, candy dishes, food crumbs, bones or discarded cooking items.
• Puppy's food and treats (can overeat and get ill or bloat)
• Alcoholic beverages.
• Trash cans or bags.
• Paper towels and napkins, clean or dirty.
• Tissues or toilet paper, tooth paste and toothbrushes.
• Bed and bath linens.
• Clothing, gloves, hats, shoes, dirty laundry.
• Jewelry, combs, hair ribbons or pins.
• Medications, drugs, toiletries, cosmetics.
• Basically, anything that you don't want to be chewed on, put it away until the puppy learns to be around without chewing on everything.

Things your puppy will need:

Books I recommend

Food We feed our puppies Pro Plan puppy large breed formula. If you plan to change the food do it gradually. We can provide with a little bit of food or you can get a small bag for the transition.
Plates 2 medium metal or plastic. For adults you need the large ones. The ones that can't be flip over work best.
Automatic feeders Big no-no for puppies. You want to use the feeding time to bond with your puppy. You also need to observe his/her appetite.
Elevated feeders Good for adult dogs, not very useful for  puppies.
Water Bottles These are great for the crate. The puppy will flip over any plates that you put in the crate. I use them for the puppies when they are in the pen, so they are use to them. I like the ones that are for rabbits. Make sure the puppy have a bowl with water always while outside his crate.
Collar 12"-16" Nylon adjustable.
Choke collar It is not necessary until training starts at 10 weeks. A size 14" or 16" should be good.
Nylon and chain collar My favorites. Good for correction, and gentle enough for a puppy or more submissive dogs.
Leash Nylon 5-6' would do. You can match the collar. Retractable leashes are good for long walks of already leash broken puppies. I don't recommend them for little puppies.
Harness No harnesses for Labs. It encourage pulling. You want the dog to learn to heal properly.
Wire crate 36 inches for females, and 42 inches for males. Some of them bring a divider that helps a lot with the potty training process. For the crate floor, I recommend just something that is easy to wash, and that absorbs liquids good. Towels or a piece of carpet works best. Safe the fancy bed for latter when your puppy won't destroy it.
Toys Lots of toys of different textures and sounds. Make sure all toys are always bigger than your puppy's head. Labradors are famous for swallowing first and then ask if it was eatable.....
Chews There are also many kinds of chews. They are all good in general, but you need to make sure that as soon as the puppy can chew off a piece of it, you trough it away. This is especially true with Rawhide and Greenies. They are not digestible, and they can get stock in the puppy's intestines.

Veterinarian
Most likely you can get a local veterinarian recommended from your friends or neighbors.

Georgia veterinary clinics and hospitals

Here are some on line stores where I usually get my supplies:

KV Pet supply

Agri-Med.com

Cabela's

Direct Pet SupeStore

J-B Whole Sale Pet Supplies

Pet Edge

Jeffers