Puppies may be small, but they need a lot of gear, from collars and leashes to food and water bowls to toys and treats. You’ll probably have a huge to-do list before your new puppy comes home, but you can make it easier by buying a puppy starter kit instead of picking each product individually.
In this article: Top Dog Pet Gear Airline-Approved Pet Backpack Organizer, FLYSTAR Puppy Starter Kit for Small Dogs and SmartPetLove’s Snuggle Puppy New Puppy Starter Kit More Top Picks Snowboards
Considerations when choosing puppy starter kits
Kit contents
There are no standardized contents for a puppy starter kit. It might contain 25 items spanning practically everything a puppy could need, or it might have just five core items, such as a collar, leash, bowl, brush, and toy. Below, you’ll find some of the common items you might find in a puppy starter kit.
- Walking: Products that you’ll need for walking your puppy when he’s old enough, such as collars, harnesses, leashes, and poop-bag holders.
- Training: Items that will help you train your puppy, including puppy pads, clickers, treats, or whistles.
- Grooming: A selection of items for grooming your puppy, such as bristle brushes, pin brushes, toothbrushes, and nail clippers.
- Playing: Puppy starter kits tend to contain at least a couple of toys, such as balls, chew toys, rope toys, and tug toys.
- Other essentials: This includes items such as food and water bowls, feeding mats, and blankets.
Puppy size
Puppies are small, right? So, you might think it follows that all puppy products are sized correctly for all puppies, but that isn’t true. Products that are the correct size for a tiny Yorkshire terrier puppy will be far too small for an English mastiff puppy that’s already larger than a fully grown Yorkie. As such, it’s important to check what size puppy your puppy starter kit is designed for.
Features
Eco-friendly
Some puppy starter kits contain eco-friendly products only, which is great if you’re trying to choose products that are better for the environment.
Focused kits
While many puppy starter kits are general kits, containing a bit of everything, others are focused on one particular aspect of puppy care. For instance, you can find training-focused and grooming-focused puppy starter kits.
Price
Puppy starter kits range in price from around $15 to $100, depending on their size, contents, and overall quality.
FAQ
Q. Will I get everything I need in a puppy starter kit or will I have to buy other products?
A. Some puppy starter kits are more comprehensive than others. Occasionally, you’ll find large kits that contain almost everything you’ll need, including toys, a collar and leash, grooming tools, and bowls, but you’ll still need to buy a bed separately, plus any specific items that might be “wants” rather than “needs.” Then, you have smaller puppy starter kits that only contain a handful of items, in which case you’ll still need to buy a variety of items for your pup.
Q. Should I start training my puppy right away?
A. Moving to a new home is a huge upheaval for a puppy, so we’d recommend giving your new dog a few days to settle in before attempting any training. That said, we’d suggest getting him used to his bathroom training schedule right away by taking him outside every couple of hours, as well as after meals, and at any time that he shows signs that he might need to relieve himself.
Puppy starter kits we recommend
Top puppy starter kit
Top Dog Pet Gear Airline-Approved Pet Backpack Organizer
What you need to know: This travel-friendly puppy kit comes with two food containers and two water bowls.
What you’ll love: Everything fits nicely in the included organizer, which has lots of compartments. The organizer has a removable shoulder strap.
What you should consider: While the bag holds plenty of items, it’s too small to hold enough essentials for long trips.
Top puppy starter kit for the money
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FLYSTAR Puppy Starter Kit for Small Dogs
What you need to know: This comprehensive starter kit contains pretty much everything you need to start caring for and training your puppy.
What you’ll love: It includes a ton of things, including a collapsible dog bowl, a grooming glove, a blanket, toys and training accessories.
What you should consider: The kit is made for small dogs, so some of the toys will be too small for bigger dogs.
Worth checking out
SmartPetLove’s Snuggle Puppy New Puppy Starter Kit
What you need to know: This kit is specifically designed to help your new puppy settle in, providing a warm plush friend for it to snuggle with.
What you’ll love: The plush toy’s beating heart makes puppies feel less alone after being used to constant companionship from mom and siblings. Also includes a blanket and toys.
What you should consider: This kit is focused more on settling a new puppy rather than daily puppy care.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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