Top 10 Items You Need to Buy for Your Pup
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The basics
When we got our Aussie pup, Ellie, we knew we needed the basics like a dog bed, a kennel, a water and food dish, and some toys. However, Aussies are pretty smart and Ellie outgrew her baby toys pretty quickly. I wanted to make this because I think it’s important to show the toys that actually worked for your chewy pup and the toys they tore to shreds. Below are the things we purchased in anticipation of Ellie’s arrival. The monkey shown was a favorite of Ellie’s when she was a puppy. She tore it apart when she reached about five months old. It was a sad day because it was her first toy! The food and water dishes pictured are not an exact match to what we purchased. Our bowls are ceramic but I just thought the stand they are placed in was so cute!
The Cutest toys
1. The Hide-a-Squirrel Toy
We got this toy for Ellie when she was still a little fur ball and she loved it. Essentially, you stuff the squirrels into the log and she has to sniff and pull them out. The squirrels also have a squeaker in them so Ellie found it very amusing after pulling them out of the log to squeak them for five minutes straight.
I would highly recommend this toy if you have a shepherd puppy. They love to sniff things out and figure out little puzzles.
2. Zippy Paws skinny peltz
My boyfriend, Kenny, ordered these and Ellie loves them to this day. They are such a simple toy and they each have three squeakers in them. She loves to play fetch with them and we kind of just throw them around the house. They’re soft, easy to play with, and very inexpensive.Â
I would recommend for little puppies mostly. She has not ripped any of these up yet. But they’re also not something she actively chews on a lot either.Â
3. Zippy paws happy hour - rose all day
I don’t know about your dog, but mine loves a good empty water bottle. So, when I brought this home she was so ecstatic from the crinkle sounds it made she wouldn’t let go of it and did laps around the yard with it in her mouth.
However, there is a Velcro latch at the bottom where you can insert another water bottle if your dog deflates the one it comes with. The latch got really slobbery and stopped working so the water bottle wouldn’t stay in. I fixed this by sewing a water bottle in it as I didn’t feel a deflated water bottle was a problem at all. Even though Ellie put this toy through heck, she still loves it to death.
4. zippy paws monkey ropetugz
THIS TOY IS AMAZING. This a really well made toy. The rope on the ends is sturdy and thick and the money is soft yet sturdy as well. Ellie enjoys a good game of tug-of-war sometimes and this is always our go-to toy for it.Â
I highly recommend this for other medium size dogs. We’ve had it for months and it’s withstood a lot of wear and tear.
5. Kong Binkie
Ellie still uses this at seven months old. I still fill it with peanut butter and she still enjoys it even though she’s technically outgrown it. I don’t think I’ll ever remove it from her little box of toys because it was one of her first toys and she really just enjoys a peanut butter treat from it every once in a while.Â
If you don’t have a Kong I would highly recommend you get one. They can keep your dog busy for a bit so you can actually get things done!
6. The classic tennis ball - but mini!
The ones we purchased were actually orange, but they’re the same company. Ellie loved playing catch from the moment she stepped foot in our house. She still has one remaining tennis ball out of this pack and she still enjoys playing catch with it to this day.Â
It might be obvious, but you need some tennis balls!
7. A snuffle mat
If your dog loves to sniff out things and eat them. Well, this might be for them! Ellie loved this when she was a puppy. She outgrew the size we got her. I am thinking about investing in a large one with anchors so it stays in place. For a puppy though, this is great and inexpensive!Â
The puzzles
1. Nina ottosson smart treat dispenser
This was our first puzzle toy for Ellie and she still loves it to this day. It’s pretty easy for dogs and puppies to understand. You place either kibble or treats underneath the white bones and your dog has to either pick up the bone with their mouth to get to the treat or use their paws to slide the bone off of the orange holder. Ellie paws at this thing pretty hard and it has withstood the test of time.Â
2. Nina ottosson - Step two
Ellie has mastered this puzzle as well. This one they have to remove the bones and then spin the puzzle to get to all of the treats. Ellie paws at this one pretty hard to get it to move around and spin and it has stayed together. Recently, she even flipped it over and it landed on the ground pretty hard. It’s still kickin’. I seriously recommend these puzzle toys. It’s such a great treat for them that they can work for. Smart pups love working for their food!
3. Nina Ottosson - level 3
This one Ellie still has some trouble with and we do not use it a lot. The small white pulls all around the puzzle are difficult for Ellie to understand. She has to somehow pull those out to be able to shift the blue tiles and get to her treats. I am still working on it with her and she may possible get it some day soon!
