Puppy Starter Guide

Everything Your Puppy Needs on Day One

  • The exact list we send home with every TS2K puppy
  • Personalized bowl, collar & ID tag straight from us
  • Helpful products we use or recommend, linked for easy shopping.
A small cream cavapoo puppy with a folded blanket, food bowl, toy, collar and crate in a sunlit room.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Advertising disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. TS2K Puppies participates in the Amazon Associates Program and other retailer affiliate programs, and we may earn a commission if you buy through them — at no extra cost to you. Your price never changes. We link to products we use, have experience with, or carefully recommend for our puppy families. Read our full affiliate disclosure.

Pick the checklist that fits your puppy

Start with Essentials or go all-in with Deluxe. Add the TS2K personalized pieces to your cart, then tick off the rest with our trusted retailer links.

Browse by category

Recommended Gear

Food, crates, toys and puppy-care essentials we use, have experience with, or recommend to our puppy families.

Feeding & Treats

What we feed and transition our puppies onto — all grain-inclusive. Please match the food your puppy came home with for the first 2 weeks to avoid tummy upset.

TS2K note: Some TS2K puppies may be eating WholeHearted grain-inclusive All Life Stages kibble while in our care. We send home your puppy's current food so you can transition slowly. This is for your information only — we don't sell or link that food.

TS2K note: When we use wet food, we generally match the wet-food brand to the dry food that puppy is eating rather than sticking to one standard canned product.

Also recommended

❤️ Used at TS2KAmazon

Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Small Puppy

Grain-inclusive kibble formulated for small breeds under 10 months. We do feed this to some of our puppies, and it is also veterinarian-recommended.

View on Amazon
🐾 TS2K RecommendsAmazon

Purina Pro Plan Small Breed Puppy — Chicken & Rice

Grain-inclusive and sized for small-breed mouths. We have used this successfully in the past and our veterinarian recommends Purina Pro Plan.

View on Amazon
❤️ Used at TS2KAmazon

Zuke's Mini Naturals Training Treats

Soft, low-calorie treats sized right for reward-based training sessions.

View on Amazon

Crate & Potty Training

A properly sized crate can be an important part of establishing a consistent potty-training routine.

❤️ Used at TS2KAmazon

MidWest iCrate 24" Double Door with Divider

The crate size we use for our small doodle puppies — the divider grows with them.

View on Amazon
❤️ Used at TS2KAmazon

Homelio Clear Acrylic Dog Play Pen, 23.6" High (White, 10 panels with door)

This is the playpen we use in our nursery. The clear panels let the puppies see us and let us see them, and it wipes clean easily.

TS2K note: our nursery pen has been customized with additional plexiglass added above the original panels. The Amazon listing is the original playpen and does not include our custom modification.

View on Amazon
❤️ This Type Is Used at TS2KAmazon

Furrybaby Crate Bed Mat — 24" x 18"

A washable, reversible crate bed mat sized for a 24" crate. We use a washable crate pad plus a soft blanket in every crate and are not brand-specific; keep a spare so one can always be in the wash.

View on Amazon
❤️ Used at TS2KAmazon

BV Puppy Pads, Leak-Proof, 100 Count, 22" x 22"

These are the puppy pads we use at TS2K. The 22" x 22" size works well for our small-breed puppies, and we like having the 100-count package on hand during potty training.

View on Amazon
❤️ Used at TS2KAmazon

Smart Paws Small-Puppy Training Tray / Pee-Pad Holder with Raised Grid

This is the training-tray style we use at TS2K. The raised grid holds the pad below the puppy's paws and helps keep the pad in place.

View on Amazon
❤️ Used at TS2KAmazon

Nature's Miracle Advanced Severe Mess Enzymatic Formula Stain & Odor Eliminator for Dogs — 32 fl oz Spray

This is the enzymatic cleaner we use at TS2K for puppy accidents and tough messes. We use it to help clean stains and eliminate lingering odors rather than simply covering them with fragrance.

View on Amazon

Toys & Enrichment

Rotate a few toys at a time to keep play interesting and give your puppy appropriate outlets for chewing and enrichment.

❤️ Used at TS2KAmazon

KONG Puppy Toys

We use KONG puppy products for supervised enrichment and teething redirection. This link is one size-appropriate example; choose the toy and size that fit your puppy.

View on Amazon
❤️ This Type Is Used at TS2KAmazon

Small Rope Toys for Puppies & Small Dogs (set)

Knotted cotton ropes sized for little mouths are a puppy-room staple here — we are not brand-specific. Keep rope play supervised and check the ropes often for fraying or loose strands, retiring any toy that starts to come apart.

View on Amazon
🐾 TS2K RecommendsAmazon

ZippyPaws Skinny Peltz No-Stuffing Toys (3-pack, 11")

Flat squeaky plush with no stuffing inside to pull out. Supervise play and retire any toy once it starts to tear.

View on Amazon
❤️ This Type Is Used at TS2KAmazon

AWOOF Snuffle Mat

A snuffle or enrichment mat can make mealtime more engaging and encourage natural foraging. This Amazon item is an example; we are not brand-specific.

View on Amazon
❤️ This Type Is Used at TS2KAmazon

Heartbeat Comfort Toy

A plush toy with a heartbeat insert may help some puppies settle during their first nights away from their littermates. This Amazon item is an example; we are not brand-specific.

View on Amazon

Grooming

Cavapoo, Yorkiepoo and Maltipoo coats require regular brushing and combing to help prevent tangles and matting between professional grooms.

Also recommended

❤️ This Type Is Used at TS2KAmazon

Coastal Li'l Pals Slicker Brush & Double-Sided Comb Bundle (small dogs & puppies)

A simple two-tool set sized for small dogs and puppies — a coated-tip slicker brush for the coat and a double-sided metal comb to check for mats behind the ears and under the legs. We use these types of tools daily and are not brand-specific. Establish a regular brushing and combing routine, paying special attention behind the ears, under the legs and other areas prone to tangles.

View on Amazon
❤️ Used at TS2KAmazon

PETHROOM Professional Eye Comb for Pets

The exact eye comb we use at TS2K — its fine, rounded stainless-steel teeth let us gently remove dried or crusty eye discharge and debris from the fur around our puppies' eyes.

View on Amazon
❤️ Used at TS2KAmazon

Burt's Bees for Puppies Tearless 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner

The tearless 2-in-1 puppy shampoo and conditioner we’ve used at TS2K — a convenient one-step option for routine puppy bathing and coat care.

View on Amazon
❤️ This Type Is Used at TS2KAmazon

Small-Dog Nail Clippers

We trim nails here every week or two. Plier-style clippers with a safety stop make small nails easy to take a little at a time — we are not brand-specific.

View on Amazon
❤️ This Type Is Used at TS2KAmazon

Rechargeable Nail Grinder

Smooths the nail after clipping and is a gentler option for a puppy who dislikes the snip. We use both a clipper and a grinder, and are not brand-specific.

View on Amazon
❤️ Used at TS2KAmazon

Jasper 360° Finger Toothbrush

Cleans all surfaces in one pass — helpful for small-breed dental health.

View on Amazon
❤️ Used at TS2KAmazon

Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Toothpaste (Poultry)

Formulated to be swallowed by dogs — never use human toothpaste on a dog.

View on Amazon

Walking

Collars and engraved ID tags come straight from the TS2K Shop — the walking basics are linked below.

Also recommended

❤️ This Type Is Used at TS2KAmazon

Properly Fitted Small-Puppy Harness & Leash Set

We walk our puppies in a size-appropriate harness with a light leash rather than clipping to the collar — a harness helps reduce pressure concentrated around the puppy's neck. We are not brand-specific; we look for secure, comfortable and cute. Measure your puppy's chest and check the fit as they grow.

View on Amazon

Going Home & Travel

Ride-home day, vet visits and first outings. A secured carrier keeps your puppy contained and keeps your eyes on the road.

❤️ This Type Is Used at TS2KAmazon

Hard-Sided Pet Carrier with Top & Front Entry

This is the style we use for vet visits and routine travel — a top door makes it much easier to lift a small puppy in and out than a front door alone. We are not brand-specific; choose an appropriately sized carrier for your puppy's current size and weight, following the manufacturer's sizing guidance.

View on Amazon
🐾 TS2K RecommendsAmazon

Soft-Sided Mesh Carrier for Under-Seat Air Travel

For flying, a soft mesh carrier that fits under the seat in front of you. Airlines set their own carrier dimensions and pet-travel rules and they change — verify your specific airline's current requirements before you buy.

View on Amazon
❤️ This Type Is Used at TS2KAmazon

KALLAK Portable 2-in-1 Pet Bowls with Zipper Carrying Case and Carabiner

Two collapsible silicone bowls in one zip-up carrying case with a carabiner clip — the style we use on the go for food and water. We are not brand-specific.

View on Amazon

Health & Safety

The basics we recommend for every new puppy home.

❤️ Used at TS2KAmazon

Earth Rated Poop Bags

Earth Rated is the brand we use at TS2K for everyday puppy cleanup. We like keeping plenty on hand for walks, outings, travel and daily cleanup.

View on Amazon
❤️ This Type Is Used at TS2KAmazon

Portable Pet First-Aid Kit

A pet first-aid kit can help you respond to minor injuries or provide initial care while seeking veterinary guidance. It does not replace professional veterinary care.

View on Amazon

Why use our checklist?

Save hours

No guesswork — carefully selected with small-breed puppies in mind.

Personalized

Bowls, collar and ID tag are still made to order by TS2K.

Easy to shop

Our recommended products are organized in one place to help make preparing for your puppy easier.

Ready for pickup day
Order early so everything arrives before your pup does.
Breeder-approved
Products we use, have experience with, or recommend for our puppy families.