Essential Supplies for Puppies: Checklist for Moving into a New Home

Before your puppy moves in, the basics should already be in place – from a place to sleep and a harness and lead through to grooming. This puppy essentials checklist shows you what you really need, what can wait a little longer, and what it all costs.

The Checklist at a Glance

What you need from day one

• A settled place to sleep, with a blanket – a dog bed or cave in puppy size; a basket will do to begin with
• A harness in the right size – usually a better choice than a collar early on
• A lead, either short or adjustable
• Food and water bowls
• Puppy food – the same brand the breeder has been feeding
• Treats for training
• A puppy brush
• Something to chew
• Poo bags
• A canine first-aid kit – with a tick remover, dressings and your vet's number
• A way to transport your puppy in the car, ready on collection day

What can follow in your own time

• The larger dog bed, once you can tell how big your dog will grow
• Toys: two or three are plenty to start with
• Dog shampoo or dog soap
• A dog towel
• A long line for recall training, from around four months
• A dog coat, once the weather turns

What Does Puppy Equipment Cost?

The most common question before a puppy arrives – and the one least often answered honestly. So here is a full calculation, including the things you won't be buying from us.

A solid starter set: roughly €250 to €360

This covers everything that should be in place on day one.

From our own range, around €120 in total:

• Harness (from €23.90)
• Lead (€19.90)
• Dog blanket (from €40)
• Puppy brush (€20)
• Olive wood chew (€8)
• Premium treats (€9.50)

Plus, from a pet shop, €130 to €240 depending on what you choose:

• Basket or crate as a first sleeping place (€20 to €40)
• Food and water bowls (€15 to €30)
• Puppy food, first month in the breeder's brand (€30 to €50)
• Poo bags (€5 to €10)
• Canine first-aid kit (€20 to €30)
• Travel crate for the car (€40 to €80) – a simple crate does the job

With longer-lasting equipment: roughly €700 to €900

If you would rather buy quality from the start, you pay more but replace things less often. In that case we would suggest:

• Cosy Dog Bed Deluxe or dog cave (from €240) instead of a basket
• CosyBag (from €300) or dog car seat (from €250) instead of a travel crate
• Oiled leather collar (from €25) and a lightweight oiled leather lead (from €40) instead of nylon
• Throwing toy (from €11.90)

The difference lies mainly in the sleeping place and the way you transport your dog. Both will be in use for years – and that is where paying more pays off, rather than on kit your puppy will quickly outgrow.

One way to save: in our puppy collection you can put your own set together and save with the code Welpen100 for 10% on orders over €100, or Welpen250 for 15% over €250.

And after that

Running costs are what most people underestimate. The largest in the first year:

• Food: €400 to €600
• Vet, including vaccinations and worming: €300 to €600
• Third-party liability insurance: €180 to €600
• Dog licence or local dog tax, which varies widely by area
• Puppy classes, if you decide to go

These figures apply to small breeds such as dachshunds. Larger dogs cost considerably more, food above all.

What Can Wait – and Where Not to Cut Corners

A full basket before the big day is understandable, but not always sensible. Four things worth holding off on:

The dog coat. This can wait until the first cold snap.

A collar bought with room to grow. Collars and harnesses need to fit now, not eventually. Measure shortly before you buy, and expect to move up a size within the first year. That is exactly why a cheaper first harness is often the smarter choice than the good one that no longer fits in three months.

The long line. Useful from about four months, once you start recall training. Before that it just sits in a cupboard.

Lots of toys at once. Two or three are plenty to start with. Puppies have clear preferences, and those only show after a few days. Buying more once you know is cheaper than guessing beforehand.

Two things, on the other hand, need to be ready on collection day:

A way to transport your puppy in the car. A puppy does not belong loose on the seat or on someone's lap – neither for his sake nor for yours as the driver. That first journey is often also the first separation from his mother and littermates, and an enclosed, quiet spot helps.

The food the breeder has been feeding. Ask in advance which brand and how much, and buy exactly that. Switching food on moving day is the most common cause of an upset stomach in the first week – your puppy's digestion already has the new surroundings to cope with. If you do want to change later, mix the new food in gradually over one to two weeks.

Dog Beds and Blankets for Puppies

Sleep matters enormously for a puppy's development – 18 to 20 hours a day is normal. That makes a quiet, sheltered spot where he can genuinely switch off all the more important.

What counts here is not how expensive the bed is but how well it suits him. Puppies look for enclosure and security, and a large open surface offers neither. Our 2-in-1 dog cave in size S is therefore often a better starting point than a bed he first has to grow into: closed as a cave for the early months, later opened out as a bed.

What to look for when buying:

• the right size, with room to stretch out
• good, hard-wearing materials
• a quiet filling, with no rustling lining

Our dog beds and caves come in several sizes. The 2-in-1 cave works either closed or open – particularly useful for puppies who want somewhere den-like to retreat to. The orthopaedic models with a gel foam mattress relieve pressure points and support healthy joint and bone development.

A soft dog blanket belongs in every starter kit: as warmth on cold days, as protection for the sofa and car seat, and as a familiar smell when travelling.

For how the first few nights actually go and what helps with restlessness, see our article „The First Days and Weeks with a Puppy".

Puppy Collars, Harnesses and Leads

Puppies have weak neck muscles. That is why a harness is usually the better choice early on: it spreads the pull across the chest and back and spares the neck while your puppy is still learning to walk on a lead at all. You can move to a collar later.

Our dog harnesses start at a 27 cm chest measurement – small enough for the puppies of small breeds. Our oiled leather collars have rounded edges, the leather is soft and supple, and they come in four sizes and ten colours, made entirely by hand in Germany.

Dog Harness Dachshunds and Small Dogs ab €26,00 Jetzt ansehen

Rounded fat leather collar for dachshunds and small dogs ab €25,00 Jetzt ansehen

With leads the rule is: light, comfortable in the hand and chew-resistant. Puppies like to take the lead in their mouth. Our oiled leather leads come in three versions:

• Lightweight oiled leather lead – for everyday walks and short trips into town
• Adjustable lead – ideal for training loose-lead walking
• Long line, 5 m – for recall training and more freedom in safe, open spaces

Light fat leather leash ab €40,00 Jetzt ansehen

Adjustable leash made of greased leather ab €60,00 Jetzt ansehen

Fat leather towline rounded 5m ab €70,00 Jetzt ansehen

Food and Water Bowls

Two bowls belong in every starter kit: one for food and one for water, kept topped up. Choose a material that cleans easily – stainless steel or ceramic – and a non-slip base, so the bowl doesn't travel across the kitchen at mealtimes.

Size depends on your dog: for puppies, dachshunds and other small breeds, shallow bowls on the floor are perfectly adequate. With large breeds, a raised feeding station can later improve posture while eating.

For days out we would also suggest a travel bowl – foldable, light and easy to pack. That way your puppy has water with him on outings and at the vet.

Travel bowl dog Leopold's ab €10,00 Jetzt ansehen

Grooming for a Healthy Coat

A glossy coat is a good indicator of health. You don't need much to begin with:

A puppy brush. Choose one with soft natural bristles. Our puppy brushes, made from beech wood with natural bristles, clean gently and feel rather like a massage. Regular brushing removes loose hair, stimulates circulation – and is one of the best ways to get your puppy used to being handled.

Dog soap or a mild shampoo. Only bathe your puppy when it is genuinely necessary. Frequent washing dries out sensitive skin. Our lavender dog soap is 100% vegan and suits every coat type.

A dog towel. Dogs with long coats or a dense undercoat take a while to dry, and short-haired dogs get cold quickly. A really absorbent towel kept just for the dog beats the family bath sheet.

Add to that regular ear and eye checks: look into the ears and clean them when needed, and wipe away tear residue gently.

round puppy brush ab €20,00 Jetzt ansehen

Toys and Enrichment

Toys are more than a way to pass the time; they support mental development and strengthen the bond between you. What matters is that they are safe, durable and not too large. Two or three are plenty to start with:

• A throwing toy for first attempts at fetch
• A rope toy for playing together
• Chews such as olive wood or a deer antler – particularly important while the adult teeth come through, between four and seven months, when your puppy needs something to chew on

A treat pouch on your belt sounds like kit for the advanced, but in training it is the single most useful thing you can own: the reward arrives the moment it needs to.

Carriers for the Car, Travel and Days Out

A carrier is the first piece of equipment your puppy ever meets – he travels home from the breeder in one. After that it goes with him to the vet, on holiday and on days out. We make two versions of it, in several models and materials.

The dog car seat is built specifically for the car. It is held in place by its own strap together with the seat belt, so it stays put while you drive. Inside, you secure your dog by his harness to an integrated safety lead – never by the collar. The sides fold up or down: folded up they create a sheltered space, folded down your dog can look out and rest his head. Once the journey is over, the same bag works as a carrier or a travel bed. The vegan leather outer wipes clean and the whole thing is washable – not a small advantage with a puppy.

The CosyBag is the carrier for going out. Handles and an integrated shoulder strap make longer walks comfortable, while inside, padding, a reversible cushion and a built-in headrest create a quiet place to retreat to. It too has a safety lead and a loop for the seat belt, so it can just as easily be fixed in the car. The side pockets hold a lead, a water bottle and your phone.

Both are made entirely by hand in Germany and come in several versions – in vegan leather or in loden, which is naturally water-repellent, depending on the model.

Why this matters particularly with a puppy: young dogs can't yet walk long distances, are easily overlooked in a crowd and tire quickly. In a carrier your puppy can rest and you have both hands free – and in town it gives him somewhere to retreat to when noise and crowds become too much.

Please note: this car seat is not crash-tested and is not a substitute for a certified restraint system. It gives your dog a settled, sheltered place in the vehicle. Always fit the bag as instructed, secure your dog by his harness only, and follow the rules that apply where you are for carrying animals in a car.

Dog Car Seat ab €250,00 Jetzt ansehen

CosyBag Munich - Loden dog bag for dachshunds and small dogs ab €350,00 Jetzt ansehen

For Dachshund Puppies and Small Breeds

Dachshunds and other small breeds come with a few particulars that general checklists rarely mention.

The back. Dachshunds are predisposed to disc problems. Avoid stairs and jumps off the sofa while your dog is still growing – carry him rather than letting him jump. A bed with an orthopaedic mattress and a low entry point pay off over time.

The sizing. Standard accessories often start at measurements that are far too big for a dachshund puppy. Look for the small sizes in harnesses and collars – ours start at a 27 cm chest measurement and come in four collar sizes.

The cold. Small dogs with short coats and little body mass get cold quickly. A dog coat is not an accessory for a dachshund puppy – by the first winter, he should have one.

Our entire range is designed for dachshunds and small dogs, which is why you will find sizes and cuts here that general pet retailers often don't carry.

Put Your Own Puppy Set Together

In our puppy collection you will find every product from this checklist in one place – carefully chosen, mostly handmade in Germany and designed for dachshunds and small dogs.

Put your own set together and save:

• 10% over €100 with the code Welpen100
• 15% over €250 with the code Welpen250

Items already reduced are excluded, and each code can be used once.

Not sure which size fits or which bed is the right one? We are happy to advise you personally on +49 89 97365770 or by email.