The Exact Items We Purchased For Our Basset Puppy

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John surprised me on October 31, 2015 with a 10 week old basset puppy who would sound be deemed ‘Dash.’

I’ve had dogs all my life but Dash was my very first puppy – ever. I was totally unprepared for his puppy needs, and mine!  The first thing John and I did was head to our local PetSmart for supplies. I was really amazed at how much stuff a puppy needs!

So, on this page, I will document the exact products I bought for Dash. In other words, every single thing on this page has been tried and proved to be true.

First things first, we needed a crate. I’ve had a whole lot of foster dogs so I believe in the power of crating. Crating a puppy will not only keep him safe but a crate works wonders when housebreaking a new puppy.

Dash’s Dog Crate Puppy Needs

Large Dog Crate | MidWest Life Stages Double Door Folding Metal Dog Crate | Divider Panel, Floor Protecting Feet, Leak-Proof Dog Tray | 42L x 28W x 31H Inches, Large Dog BreedWhen buying a crate for Dash, we have to envision him as an adult dog so we could buy thecorrect size crate. The crate we purchased needed to be expandable; that is, the inside needed to be just big enough for Dash to stand up, turn around, and lie down as a puppy yet eventually be made large enough to house him as a full sized basset.

Dash is going to be a very large basset; at 4 months of age, he’s pushing 30 lbs and is almost 2.5′ long – my estimate is that this basset hound will top out right around 75-80 lbs (yes, he’s going to be that big!). As far as length, I figure he’ll be somewhere right around 4′ long so a 42″ crate should do it.

I’d borrowed a MidWest brand of dog crate before when I was fostering dogs. I liked that the wire on the dog crate is of a heavier gauge than some other crates I’d seen. There was no way Dash, even as an adult, would bend the wire.

The Midwest crate we purchased came with a divider panel thereby fulfilling our need to scale the inside area of the crate down for Dash the Basset puppy. So far, Dash has had just two accidents inside the crate. Both of these accidents were ‘operator error’ on my part as I wasn’t available to let him out every 2 hours. Whoopsie!

To acclimate Dash to the crate, I tossed in a few little dog treats. I found that Pup-peronis worked perfectly to excite him enough to run right into his new den. After a few little barks, he settled right in for a snooze.

Dash’s Dog Crate Bed

I knew that we’d need a few dog beds that would fit in the crate. That meant buying smaller size dog beds for Dash the Basset puppy and larger beds for Dash the Basset dog. I also knew that whatever dog bed I bought needed to be washable so I immediately inspected each dog bed for a zipper on the cover.

We adjusted the divider panel of the new crate so that there was an area just 2′ deep. So, I had to find a washable dog bed that was roughly 2’x 2′ (the Midwest crate is 28″ wide). Midwest manufactures to the rescue again.

We actually selected two dog beds; the one below on the left is rather thin but very fluffy and fully washable – I just toss the entire thing in the washer and dryer once a week. Reviews on Amazon show that some people have had a problem with the dog bed shedding, but I haven’t seen that at all.

The second dog bed we bought was thicker and served as the base layer upon which to lie the Midwest thinner bed. Since the second dog bed serves as a base, it rarely gets dirty so I just wash it every 3 weeks or so. I didn’t choose an orthopedic bed (they’re more expensive) as I knew that these dog beds wouldn’t house Dash the fully grown dog – no need to spend the extra money.

 MidWest Quiet Time Pet Bed Deluxe Tan Ombre Swirl 29 x 21 Creative Pet Group Comfortable Dog Bed – This is the bottom layer of Dash’s dog crate bed Bedsure Large Dog Bed for Small, Medium, Large Dogs Up to 75 lbs – Orthopedic Egg-Crate Foam with Removable Washable Cover – Water-Resistant Pet Mat for Crate, Grey PetFusion Ultimate Dog Bed, Orthopedic Memory Foam, Multiple Sizes/Colors, Medium Firmness Pillow, Waterproof Liner, YKK Zippers, Breathable 35% Cotton Cover, Cert. Skin Safe, 3yr Warranty

Since house breaking accidents are just not preventable with a young puppy, I also bought Nature’s Miracle Advanced Stain & Odor Removal. After cleaning up the accidental deposits (hopefully on the hardwood floor, not the new carpet….), I just give the area a few sprays and let it sit a minute or two before wiping up. The Nature’s Miracle solution takes the smell away so the puppy will not be attracted to the area for bathroom breaks again. This is a definite puppy need! In fact, stock up on the stuff…..

Food For Puppy Needs

Although Dash was joining a pack of four dogs, he was too young to eat their Iams adult weight control food. Puppies need different types of nutrients, so I went straight to my vet to ask what was the best puppy food on the market. To my delight, she seconded my opinion that Iams Puppy Food was the correct choice.

Since Dash is a large basset puppy, I chose the Iams Puppy Food for Large Breed Dogs as I wanted to slow his growth. On the large breed puppy food, his growth will slow slightly; he will continue to grow probably for 16 months to 2 years. On the regular puppy food, he’d probably be fully grown right around 12 months. The slower growth ensures that his bones and joints develop slower thereby giving him a stronger build. And, since basset hounds have very dense, heavy bones, coupled with the fact that Dash is a very large puppy, the slower growth puppy food was the right choice.

Dash’s Harness, Collar, and Leash

Having never had a puppy before, I didn’t realize that a harness would be my best friend when leash training Dash. The harness allowed me to have more control over his actions without putting strain on his neck like hooking to a collar would. Since I knew that Dash would very quickly grow out of a harness, I just chose the cheapest one I could find. I suggest you do the same.

Even though Dash would be wearing a harness for a while, my basset puppy also needed a collar with identification just in case he managed to get away from me. This wasn’t a big issue when he was 10 weeks as he ran like a drunken sailor but, today, at 4 months, this short sucker is FAST! So, off I went to the dog collar aisle.

If your puppy is going to be playing with other dogs (which he should) please do not purchase a collar that is adjustable with a side-release buckle. These type of collars can be adjusted by pulling on the collar to make it smaller. I’ve actually seen a dog at the dog park choking because another puppy grabbed his collar and pulled. Instead, always purchase a regular buckle collar.

And, finally, I love the slide-on ID Pet ID tag as I hate to hear a jingling dog collar.

As far as the leash went, although we have plenty of fabric leashes, Dash was more interested in chewing through it than walking on it! So, we headed back out and bought that beautiful 6′ leather leash you see below. This leash is not only made of very nice, heavy leather, it’s guaranteed for life. THAT’S what I’m talkin’ ’bout.

 Logical Leather 6 Foot Dog Training Leash – Best Water Resistant Heavy Full Grain Leather Lead – Lifetime Guarantee – Brown Custom Engraved Slide-on Pet Id Tag Comes with a Tough Nylon Dog Collar. Available in Assorted Colors and Sizes. Blueberry Pet 3/4-Inch Harnesses Classic Solid No Pull Dog Harness Adjustable Polyester Nylon, Medium, TurquoiseDO NOT BUY THIS TYPE OF COLLAR FOR A PUPPY! Rogz Utility Large 3/4-Inch Reflective Fanbelt Dog Collar, Orange”> DO NOT BUY THIS TYPE OF COLLAR FOR A PUPPY! Rogz Utility Large 3/4-Inch Reflective Fanbelt Dog Collar, OrangeDO NOT BUY THIS TYPE OF COLLAR FOR A PUPPY! Rogz Utility Large 3/4-Inch Reflective Fanbelt Dog Collar, Orange” class=”prbtn”>