What Does A New Puppy Need?

We've had Poca, our little black Labrador Retriever, for two weeks now.  As always, I tried to do a bit of research and pick out the safest and best supplies for her.

Here are my green pics for dog care:

a crate - We are borrowing the inlaws cat carrier until Poca is a little bigger. We have another crate that she can move into as she grows.

old towels - An old bath towel works well in the bottom of her crate.  It is comfortable for her and easily washable.  We also have towels down on the floor by the back door where we take her out.  These are for wiping muddy paws and feet and also inevitably for catching puppy pee when we don't get her outside in time.  I decided that towels would be much more washable than the rugs I normally have there.

fleece blanket - I cut about a half of a yard of purple fleece that I had in my fabric stash.  Poca likes to snuggle with this and it keeps her nice and warm.

collar and leash - Our local pet store had a set that was made from soy and used all natural dyes.  It seemed more comfortable and natural feeling than some of the others.

tag - I saw these at the pet store but ordered ours online.  Red Dingo makes adorable stainless steel tags with nice engraving and a big variety to choose from.

food dish - After reading that stainless steel dog dishes could be radioactive (not kidding), we decided to go with ceramic.  I noticed that Fiestaware makes pet dishes, but then realized that my Gusto Bowls were just the right size.  Hint: they are much cheaper than the pet bowls.

dog food - Feeding your dog good food is probably the most important thing you can do to keep her healthy!  We decided to go with Wellness brand large breed puppy food.

treats - So far we have used pieces of Poca's food as treats, but we also picked up a bag of Wellness brand soft puppy treats.  I like the all natural ingredients on these and I'm sure Poca will too.  There were a few good brands available at our local store (Zukes, Wellness, and more).

toys - We picked up a cotton rope that Poca loves (not the color dyed nylon ones, just cotton).  We also are huge fans of Kong brand toys.  I'll be doing a review of their puppy toys soon.  Poca has several of them and loves them.

cleaning supplies - Pawganics foaming spray has been great for cleaning up accidents in the house.  My mother in law bought us a big six pack of paper towels with a bow on top as a new puppy present.  :)

bath soap - Poca had her first bath with Earthbath shampoo.  I really like their line of products.

poop bags - Right now we are walking Poca outside to potty each time and staying with her so that we can reward her.  We go ahead and pick up her poop with Earthrated Poop bags each time.  I like that these are biodegradable and come on a convenient little roll.

bones - I looked up some information on rawhides ...yuck!!  It looks like Wholesome Hide is what we'll be giving Poca.  I still have to track some down.

grooming supplies - The Kong Zoom Groom came highly recommended and works well.  I also ordered a puppy toothbrush, nail trimmers, and styptic powder from Amazon.

Are there any puppy care items that you love?  I'd enjoy hearing about them; leave a comment!  Check back for more adorable photos and a few puppy related product reviews soon!  :)