Well, if you’ve been following me on Instagram these last few weeks, you’re well aware that we have added a new member to our family – Sweet baby June! She is a 4 month old Duck Tolling Retriever and the sweetest little thing. She is playful and outgoing, and loves nothing more than playing and following her her big sister, Biscuit, everywhere {sometimes to Biscuit’s dismay ?} With all jokes aside, Biscuit has been a really sweet and paitient big sister and the two have been getting along great. It’s really tender seeing how much June is comforted by Biscuit – the only times she cries is when she is separated from her and that just makes my heart melt!
We got Biscuit over three years ago when we were living in an hi-rise condo on the 27th floor. With that, there were good and bad things. The upsides? The condo was super modern and only the bedroom had 1 small carpet – a super old and & cheap sale rug we got from West Elm {which was promptly ruined} The downside? We were 27 floors up and potty training was a nightmare. Both of these things lead me to my list of the most essential new puppy must haves!
- Plastic Carpet Protector
- This is above and beyond the best thing I bought before picking up baby June. Different from when we first came home with Biscuit, June was coming home to a house with LOTS of carpets, one of which was brand new and rather expensive! The last thing I wanted was for baby June to come home, only slightly potty trained, and have accidents all over my carpets. Thats when Amazon Prime came to the rescue. I ordered this carpet protector {the same contractors use when doing painting or repairs in a home!} & it has been a LIFESAVER. Trust me when I say all caps are appropriate here. Rolling out this carpet protector has saved my sanity. I can have the puppies roam around without constantly worrying about June having an accident inside. Although slightly tough to put down {ideally you have someone help you!}, it has been worth every penny. I can’t tell you how much peace of mind this investment has given me.
- Puppy Patch
- Alexis and I swore by this when we lived 27 floors up. With Biscuit, it was impossible to predict when she’d have to go to the bathroom, and if she’d start going potty in the apartment, we’d just pick her up {mid-pee sometimes!} and put her on the grass patch which we kept in our laundry room. After a few days, Biscuit had mastered the patch and we both breathed a sigh of relief. By no means did this replace Biscuits walks or trips outside, but it was great for if it was raining outside, we left her at the condo for a few hours, or if she needed to use it in the middle of the night! Also, because the patch of grass is real, the soil absorbs all of the odors the urine would otherwise be throwing out on an artificial patch of grass….oh! and there was no clean up. We simply threw the patch of grass away every week and a new one was delivered. Brilliant.
- Dog Bed
- When Biscuit was really little she loved her dog bed from Orvis. Now, she doesn’t use it as much, but Junebug has taken to hers like a moth to a flame. She LOVES her dog beds. We have the Orvis one downstaires, and this beautiful one from Amy Berry Designs in our bedroom. Amy gifted this one to me when returning home from Europe in the same fabric I had chosen for my headboard, and I am in LOVE. Who knew dog beds could be beautiful and functional? June loves how comfortable her bed is, and I love how good it looks in my room #winwin 🙂
- Dog Treats
- One of the most important things to do when you bring home a new puppy {especially if you already have a dog} is positive reinforcement – for both dogs! June was {understandably} nervous and unsure in her new surroundings the first 24 hours, and Biscuit was probably wondering why this new puppy was all up in her home terf! We wanted to make sure we had lots of treats on hand to reward good behavior, even if it was just going to the potty outside, or playing well with each other. For example, If I put June into her crate, I gave her a treat *and* Biscuit a treat as well. When teaching June how to sit, I make them both sit, and then they both receive treats {even though Biscuit is a pro at all the regular commands}. My one hiccup with dog treats, however, is when they’re too sticky or smelly or even too large. I don’t like when I feel like I have to wash my hands after handing one out {which is multiple times a day} so I look for little treats, that don’t stink! I’ve found these from Merrick which I love. They’re tiny {so I don’t feel guilty giving more than a few a day} and best of all, they don’t make my hands smell!
- Dog Toys
- Duck Tolling Retrievers aren’t big chew-ers {thank goodness!} but we still made sure to have plenty of {new!} toys around so June and Biscuit could have lots of things to play with while getting acquainted with each other. Our favorites are the little squeaky, non stuffed ones like this, and these rope animals {great for chewing!} Note: we only let them play with balls under supervision – Biscuit can be a little territorial when it comes to tennis balls…something we’re working on! 🙂
- BONUS ** Inflatable collar for after surgery
- This was a lifesaver after little June was spayed. The cone the vet gave us was huge, plastic and heavy cone and June not only hated it, but I did too! She was constantly running into things and getting stuck, and it took away her ability to use our doggy door because it was too big to fit through. This little inflatable collar was perfect because it was most importantly comfortable for June. I would often times catch her using it as a little pillow and looking more comfortable than had she been without it {hello fleece!}! It was also much smaller than the plastic one from the Vet so it gave her much more mobility. Best part is that I can save it if/when there is another need for it!
If you’ve ever had a new puppy, what did you do that you found to be the most helpful? I would love to know! And I hope you’ve found these tips helpful – they’ve all been lifesavers over these last few weeks with our sweet little June. Feel free to shop our favs above or below!
