Getting ready for a new peiby

So you made up your mind and decided to get a new puppy, a tiny peiby. What would you need to prepare? What should you buy? What shouldn’t you?

First of all, you would like to prepare your house for the new family member. Puppies are very inquisitive by nature and if you won’t hide certain things, they will probably find them, pretty much like toddlers. It’s advisable to hide items such as nails, pins, medicine, buttons, jewellery, cables, decorations – anything that will be low enough, will be spotted.

Now, you can pick a place for the puppy. It should be a quiet and warm spot. It’s important that your puppy will feel safe, so don’t place his bed in places like the kitchen, bathroom, garage or hallway.

You would also like to consider a potential place for the puppy to use as toilet.
If your breeder potty-trained your puppy, it may be enough to put a newspaper/training pad in the chosen place.

Bed – so many to choose from! I would suggest to ask your breeder for specific preferences of your chosen one, or spend a few days with the new pup before you decide. My two favourites would be the memory foam and ‘basket’ (as shown on the photo), as they really like to feel cosy and cuddled (I have both, in different places around the house).

Now to the bowls! I would recommend a stainless steel or ceramic bowl as they are easy to clean and will serve you for a long while. Keep in mind that shar-peis have a big muzzle, so it’s recommended to have wide and round bowls. Excited pup owners are always willing to overspend and buy ‘the best’, however ‘the best’ is usually the simple option. I wouldn’t recommend buying special bowl stands, unless there’s a problem you need to address, also I was quite disappointed with the anti-gulp bowls – they didn’t have a long lasting effect on my peis.

Toys - here’s something you can spend a small fortune on! My advice – don’t rush into it, you may be surprised how picky your pei may be. You would like to have few toys ready, try soft, squeaky, rubber and see what your peiby likes. When picking a toy, make sure the toys are safe for the puppy – quality materials, no sharp edges, if it’s a stuffed toy – you may want to keep an eye on your puppy while playing with it, as they tend to find the stuffing very tasty. One of the best toys I had for my pups was the chewable ‘dogwood durable stick’ by petstages.

Collars and leashes – better do it together with your new puppy, to make sure the size is correct and that all fits well. If you don’t have a special seat/boot in your car, you would like to consider a harness and a special safety clip. When buying a leash, you need to consider the length and width – if the leash is too long, you won’t be able to control your puppy (this is why I wouldn’t recommend extendable leashes).

Grooming – here you would like to get your breeder’s advice. As a rule of thumb, shar-peis are not high maintenance in grooming and I wouldn’t recommend bathing your puppy too often. I wash my dogs only when there’s a real need – muddy trip, salty water of the sea, otherwise I prefer not to wash them at all. If your puppy smells, the problem usually won’t go away by washing up or masking it with dog perfume, you should look deeper into health issues and diet (but this is for another article).
You would like to have a good comb or brush, as they tend to shed twice a year. My personal pick is a shedding blade.

Food – the market is full with different and very attractive options, however the best thing for your puppy would be to stick to the food advised by your breeder, so make sure you ask that question and follow the advice. Picking a wrong diet can cause your puppy different health issues starting from upset stomach and going up to severe allergies.

Your time – so this would be the most important thing you will need to prepare for your new companion. Having a new puppy will require a lot of your time, attention, patience and LOVE.