Our newest addition, Winston, has brought so much joy and excitement to the Taylor household! Watching Theodore play with his new little buddy is such a delight. Also, it's really nice to have something to distract Theodore every now and again. We were hesitant to get a dog yet, but what better time? (Alternate wording- Is it ever the right time??) So we went for it! We were waiting to find a hypoallergenic doggy that wasn't from a breeder which is a one-in-a-million situation. Then a friend of a friend had a Miniature Schnauzer who had babies and we were in luck! It couldn't have worked out more perfectly.
However, it turns out even hypoallergenic dogs can set off allergies. And in my husband's case, really bad allergies. He has had days that he quite literally just can't breathe! I asked Instagram for advice from anyone who has experienced the same situation and got loads of fantastic advice that we have been following! Happy to report that Matthew's allergies are better, but honestly they're still pretty bad. One piece of advice that we haven't tried yet is seeing an allergist and getting some type of shot weekly, then monthly, then yearly, that is supposed to essentially rid Matthew of the specific allergy to the dog. And we only haven't tried this because our doctor's waiting list is very long right now! (My next appointment scheduled two months ago had to be in October!) But other than that it has been so fun with Winston around, and of course shopping for him was just as wonderful.
I came across some of the most adorable puppy items that I really wanted to share! Also, some basics that are totally necessary that I wouldn't have thought of before needing them.
Basics
So many beautiful puppy items to choose from! We treat little Winston like Teddy's brother so I want him to have beautiful/high quality things just like he was another little human. Now for the not-as glamorous stuff.
Puppy pads- definitely get Febreze puppy pads. Otherwise they fill the room with an odd plastic smell. The Febreze version seems to only release the pleasant smell after Winston has used it, which is actually really helpful! It lets us know it's time to change the pad. Otherwise we'd have to wait until we realize it has been used. Also, Winston learned more easily to go potty on the pad than he did to ask to go outside. I'm not sure if all dogs are like this but for us the potty pad was a must!
Biosilk Puppy wash- one of the things that was suggested to us to help with allergies was to wash our puppy slightly more frequently than average. So we are doing twice/month. The original idea was to wash Winston once/week, but a friend let me know that doggy coats need to build up oil to remain healthy. Washing weekly can end up being a bad thing for some dogs! We are using Biosilk for puppies and so far so good. When this product is used up though, I'll do more research for an all-natural, fragrance free wash just to be on the safer side. If you have recommendations definitely send me a message either in the comments or to my Instagram (@elizabetht.taylor).
Lastly I have a few items that really don't need to be linked. We got a puppy toothbrush pack from Marshall's and use that with Winston on the days that we wash him. Just make sure the toothpaste will actually be beneficial to your dog's teeth and not just a breath freshening paste. While that's nice, the point is to keep your pup healthy! There are lots of chew bone brands that help with smelly breath if you're in the market 😊 You'll also definitely want rolls of poo bags (LOL sorry we have to talk about this) for your walks and a scoop for when your doggy visits the yard. This isn't something we thought about prior to needing the items! You don't just want to toss it in the trash, and you also don't want to just leave it in the yard...omg yuck. Our solution was getting a little scoop and putting it into the bags, then directly into our large outdoor trash can. (I'm sure this is common knowledge but I wanted to share just in case anyone else is brand new to the puppy world as well!)
If you have dog items we'll need in the future or a natural puppy shampoo recommendation leave those in the comments! Thank you so much for reading!
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