Whether you have a new puppy, or rescue an older dog, there are certain dog care essentials that you will need.

You do not have to spend a fortune, however, it is a good idea to have a number of essential items on hand before bringing your new family member home. Do not wait until you already have the dog to do this, since you will be using them right from the start.

In this article, we'll take a look at what we consider to be the top 10 dog care essentials.

1. Bed

Every dog, young or old needs a warm cosy bed, it needs to be somewhere quiet, placed where there will be as little disturbance as possible and where it will be free of draughts.

Dog beds come in many shapes and sizes, but should be large enough for them to curl up in, but to also stretch their legs if they need to.

2. Collar and Leash

Collars and leash are also important, especially in the case of a puppy due to them growing so quickly. By the time they are adults, medium to large-sized dogs have outgrown at least two collars and two leashes, so keep your initial purchases simple.

It is recommended that you start with two collars that are either flat nylon or rounded leather collar to hold an identification tag and dog license (in case your dog gets lost), and a training collar for preliminary obedience work.

For puppies, lightweight nylon show leads (six-foot) are excellent.  They introduce the pup to a leash gently, without trauma, and are relatively inexpensive.

As puppies grow, they require a more durable training leash.  A six-foot braided leather leash is then recommended without sewn parts that could separate.

3. Food & Water Bowl

For food and water bowls, tip-proof bowls are highly recommended, either heavy ceramic or stainless steel.  If you have a puppy, make sure that the bowls are big enough to be used for when they grow up.

Do not use cheap plastic or metal bowls because they can splinter or develop jagged edges especially if a puppy starts chewing on them.

Also keep in mind that certain breeds with long, floppy ears such as hounds and spaniels do best with a specially tapered bowl that prevents the ears from resting in the bowl as the puppy eats or drinks.

4. Food

Now you have the bowls, you need the food, but it's worth bearing in mind that every dog type will have different nutritional needs.

Therefore it’s essential when evaluating your dogs food, you take your dog type into consideration.

For further information on evaluating your dogs food needs, please check out our article, 'Evaluating Your Dogs Food And Understanding What He Really Needs'.

5. Grooming Tools

Grooming your dog regularly is essential, especially in the case of dogs that shed heavily.

Unfortunately, it's impossible to stop your furry friend from shedding.

However, regular brushing will help enormously with loosening and removing dead hair. For dogs that shed heavily, a daily groom is essential to help with shedding.

6. Metal Crate

Having a shipping crate or a metal cage is also the safest way to transport a dog by car, preventing injury due to sudden stops.

You can either get an airline-approved kennel made of high-density plastic, or a slant-front metal cage designed especially for transporting dogs in hatchbacks or station wagons.  These are lightweight and can be disassembled easily for cleaning.

As dog crates are expensive, if you have a puppy, get a crate that will be big enough for them to use when they are fully grown.

7. Insurance

Dog health insurance is highly recommend because of the escalating cost factors pertaining to the health maintenance in dogs.

Dog owners need to find pet insurance firms that settle dues without much delay and in the more appropriate manner.

Bear in mind, it is better to enrol dogs before they become adults, as if anything happens, dog care costs can add up without insurance.

8. Dog Identification

Dog identification is required because of the need for the licensing of the dog in a proper manner and to reduce the numbers of stray dogs.

The identification of your dog may be done by personalized tags. Most of the time, your telephone number and your name will be on a place in the personalized tags of the dogs.

Plastic and metal dog identification tags are available in multiple colors and the dog owners can choose the color they want. However, many select the reflective type of dog tags along with the collars.  Hence, the dogs can be identified even in darkness to a greater extent.

Nowadays, many electronic gadgets are available like microchips which are embedded into the dog. However, these kinds of electronic chips need to be implanted behind the ears and once implanted, this will reveal all the data embedded in this in the computer.  A collard and tagged animal makes an indication that it is not a stray animal and this gives more security to the dog.

9. Toys

Toys should be one of the top items on your inventory list when deciding to buy a new dog, this is especially true in the case of a puppy. Having plenty of toys for them to chew on will go along way in training your dog that they shouldn't be chewing on your furniture.

A puppy toy is not just used for dog training, puppies need stimulation, and they need to have something peaking their curiosity at all times.  Most importantly, they need to be entertained when awake.

When purchasing puppy toys just use common sense and do not bring home something that could hurt your little dog.  Watch for something that is too small which would cause the puppy to choke, do not have puppy toys around that are too sharp either.

10. Supplements

You may want to consider giving your dog supplements to aid their health and well being.

Althоugh mоѕt hіgh ԛuаlіtу ѕtоrе bоught dоg fооd аrе nutrіtіоnаllу bаlаnсеd аnd соntаіn аll еѕѕеntіаl nutrіеntѕ nесеѕѕаrу fоr оur реtѕ, ѕоmеtіmеѕ wе ѕhоuld соnѕіdеr ѕuррlеmеntіng their dіеt wіth ѕоmе аddіtіоnаl vіtаmіnѕ аnd minerals.

More information about Rejenease.

Probiotics

There are mаnу bеnеfitѕ tо uѕing рrоbiоtiсѕ fоr dоgѕ, juѕt as they dо fоr humаnѕ, рrоbiоtiсѕ hеlр dоgѕ рrеvеnt and rеliеvе iѕѕuеѕ with digestion.

Many mау dесidе tо start thеir реtѕ on рrоbiоtiсѕ when thеir dogs are ѕtill рuррiеѕ to tаkе advantage оf thе bеnеfitѕ of рrоbiоtiсѕ. A puppy аlrеаdу hаѕ a сlеаn and sterile digеѕtivе tract, ѕо thе tract can actually bе fоrtifiеd during thiѕ timе.

TummyWorks

Tummyworks is the best probiotics powder for allergy relief, hot spot treatment, diarrhea, yeast infection, itching and a breath freshener, plus added digestive enzymes improve digestion.

TummyWorks will make your dog healthier within days, it gives them all the good bacteria they need and quickly restores their gut health, and alleviates the following problems:

• Gas problems
• Diarrhea
• Digestion problems
• Allergies
• Yeast infections
• Skin problems especially itching

TummyWorks also works wonders in cats too!

More information about TummyWorks.

Also check out the new addition to our TummyWorks range, TummyWorks chews!

Fish Oils

Fiѕh oil саn hеlр with your dogs аrthritiѕ раin аnd аllеrgiеѕ.

A 2008 Bауlоr Univеrѕitу and Hаrvаrd Medical Sсhооl ѕtudу showed fiѕh оil rеduсеѕ bоdу inflammation inside and оut. Thiѕ makes уоur dog healthier bесаuѕе lеѕѕ inflаmmаtiоn mеаnѕ a ѕtrоngеr immunе ѕуѕtеm.

For further benefits of using fish oils, check out the following link:

Arthritis and Joint Pain Treatment For Dogs: The Benefits of Using Fish Oil

Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil

Treat your pet to all of the benefits of omega fatty acids. Finest For Pets offers the best fish oil, made from the finest wild caught Alaskan Salmon and produced to the highest possible quality standards.

Please find more information about our wild Alaskan salmon oil from the following link:

Finest For Pets Alaskan Salmon Oil

Omegease

Treat your pet to all of the benefits of omega 3, 6 & 9 fatty acids. Give them the best fish oil, made from the finest wild caught non-predatory fish and produced to the highest possible quality standards.

Please find more information about our wild Alaskan salmon oil from the following link:

Finest For Pets Omegease

Remember, if it's too cold for you to go outside, it's probably too cold for your furry friend too, so don't force them to go out.