Puppy Starter Kit: What to Buy, and the One Thing Every Box Leaves Out
The crate is set up. The bowls are out. So why is everyone awake at 2 a.m.?
By Dr. Michael Northcutt, PhD · Last updated October 2026
Short answer: A puppy starter kit covers 14 basics, from a crate to waste bags, plus one plan the whole house follows.
Ours is a printable plan, not a box that ships. The First 14 Days Kit is $24. It gives everyone the same schedule, potty log and night-shift card. Buy the gear anywhere you like.
The core of the kit: First 14 Days Kit
For families bringing home an 8 to 16 week old puppy.
- Puppy schedules for 8, 10, 12 and 16 weeks
- One potty log the whole house initials
- A night-shift card, so only one person gets up
- A setup page that picks your schedule in about 5 minutes
- 12 printable pages plus 6 bonuses, every blank fillable
$24 $363 value
One time. Instant download. No app or subscription.
Click Here To Get The Starter Kit Plan →🔒 Secure checkout · 45-day money-back guarantee · Instant download
What a box of gear can’t do
The first two weeks rarely fall apart over a missing toy. They fall apart in moments like these.
“Did anyone take her out?” Three people, three guesses, and a puddle by the fridge.
2 a.m. and everyone’s awake. Nobody agreed whose night it was.
Ten schedules online. Each one says something different, so nobody follows any of them.
A written plan fixes what a crate can’t. Everyone checks the same page, so the next person knows what happened.
Without it, every day adds another guess, another puddle and another short night.
If the first week feels like chaos, that’s normal. Most homes just don’t have one page everyone follows yet.
Raising her on your own? Then every trip, meal and nap lives in your head. Putting it on paper lets you stop carrying it at 2 a.m.
What should be in a puppy starter kit?
Here’s the new puppy checklist, built from the AKC and PetMD lists. These are the puppy essentials to have before she comes home.
- Collar or harness, with an ID tag
- Leash (a lead, if you’re in the UK)
- Crate with a divider panel
- Bed or crate pad
- Food and water bowls
- Puppy food
- Training treats
- Chew toys for teething
- Waste bags
- Enzyme cleaner for accidents
- Baby gate or playpen
- Puppy pads, if you plan to use them
- Brush and puppy shampoo
- Flea and tick prevention, once your vet says which one
- A shared plan the whole house follows
Where to start, item by item
| Item | Why it matters | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| A shared plan Our kit | Your age schedule, a potty log everyone initials and a night-shift card. | First 14 Days Kit, $24 |
| Crate | A right-sized crate helps potty training and gives her a safe nap spot. | Best crate for a puppy |
| Potty supplies | Enzyme cleaner, bags and a plan for accidents. | Puppy potty training supplies |
| Bedding in the wash We sell it | Puppy blankets and crate pads go through the washer a lot. Keep the drum fresh. | Washer Cleaner Tablets, $32.99 |
| Chew toys | Teething puppies chew. Give her something that’s allowed. | Teething puppy chew toys |
| First bath We sell it | Most puppies only need a bath about once a month. | Puppy Bath Brush, $12.99 |
| Fur cleanup We sell it | Puppy fur ends up on the couch, the car and your clothes. | Pet Hair Remover Glove, $24.99 |
First things to do when bringing a puppy home
Book a vet visit. PetMD says young puppies need core vaccines, with visits about every 3 to 4 weeks at first.
Sort out her ID. Put a tag on her collar, and ask your vet about a microchip.
Puppy-proof at her eye level. Chewy suggests securing cords, trash cans, toilet lids and cleaning cabinets.
Start one routine on day one. PetMD lists a routine as a first step. That’s what the kit gives your house.
The drawer by the door
A woman in my building stopped me at the mailboxes. She had a ten-week-old puppy in a sling and dark circles under her eyes.
“How did you do it?” she asked.
A year earlier, she’d have seen me in the hallway at 2 a.m., in a coat over my pajamas. I was carrying a whining puppy and praying the elevator came fast.
I knew what she was really asking. Will I ever sleep again, and is this going to be okay?
So I invited her up for coffee. I opened the drawer by the door and started pulling things out. The old feeding chart. The door card. The quiet-hour sticky note. The list of small wins from the fridge.
“None of this is fancy,” I said. “It’s just stuff I wrote down so I didn’t have to remember it at three in the morning.”
She took photos of all of it. Then she asked to borrow the small wins list. “Just to know it gets longer,” she said.
I gave it to her.
You can write your own pages, like I did. Or print ones that are already laid out.
Free tools to round out the kit
Puppy starter kit questions
Is this a box that ships to me?
No. The First 14 Days Kit is an instant download you print or fill in. Nothing ships unless you add a physical item.
What age is the starter kit for?
It’s built for puppies 8 to 16 weeks old. If yours is older than about 4 months, see the 3 to 6 Month Puppy Plan.
When should I set it up?
Before she comes home, or tonight if she’s already here. The setup page takes about five minutes.
Will it potty train my puppy?
We won’t promise that. Every puppy is different. The kit gets everyone doing the same thing at the same times.
What do I need before I pick up my puppy?
The basics from the checklist above, plus a vet booked and her crate set up. Print the schedule before the drive home.
What helps on the first night?
Keep her crate close, plan a night trip and decide who takes it. Our guide to a puppy crying in her crate at night covers the rest.
Is it useful if I live alone?
Yes. The schedule tells you when the next trip is, and the log shows what’s working. The duty and night cards matter most in shared homes.
Can I give the kit as a new puppy gift?
Yes. It downloads to your email right after checkout. Print it for them, or forward the files to the new puppy owner.
What if it doesn’t help?
Email support@lovemypuppy.store within 45 days of purchase for a full refund. No explanation is needed.
Start with the plan. Add gear as you go.
Put one schedule on the fridge tonight, and give everyone the same page.
Click Here To Get The Kit →One time. Instant download. 45-day money-back guarantee.
Sources: AKC new puppy checklist, PetMD new puppy checklist, Chewy, bringing a puppy home. Bath timing: our puppy bath guide.
Dr. Michael Northcutt, PhD
Certified Companion Animal Rehabilitation Therapist (CCAT), NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. 14 years in pet therapy. Not a veterinarian. For your puppy’s health, talk to your vet.