Puppy checklist (UK): what to buy before collection day

Every puppy checklist is the same shape: forty items, all labelled essential, bought in one weekend. Then the puppy arrives and uses three of them.

The better question is what has to be in the house at the moment the car door opens, and what you can buy on a quiet Tuesday in week three. This page is the hub for that answer, and it links to the detailed guides when an item deserves one.

The short answer: six things before collection day

If you buy nothing else, buy these. They are the ones where having nothing on the day causes an actual problem.

Somewhere safe to travel. A puppy-specific car restraint or a car crate. Dogs Trust lists it; Battersea suggests a soft crate or secured carrier, plus a towel and wipes in case of travel sickness. The legal and practical detail is in driving with a puppy.
A bed or crate. Big enough to stretch out in. Dogs Trust says “washable beds and bedding, large enough for your dog to sprawl flat out on”, and a crate only “if you’re planning to crate train your pup”.
A plain flat collar and an ID tag. Battersea lists an “ID tag with your surname and address (UK law)”; Dogs Trust says the same and recommends adding a phone number.
A short lead. Battersea suggests a short, light, non-extendable clip lead.
The food the puppy already eats. Ask the breeder or rescue. Change it gradually, later.
An enzymatic cleaner. Dogs Trust: “Enzymatic cleaners are best.” Ordinary household sprays are not enough for accidents.

That is the list. The rest of this page is about the other thirty-odd things people will tell you to buy.

Why most lists are wrong about timing

I kept dogs in a kennel in Rio, and the rule we used for sizing still holds for a puppy’s bed: a dog should stand without lowering its head and lie on its side with its legs stretched out. Nothing on a checklist can tell you that in advance, because it depends on the dog.

The other lesson was Hercules, a Dobermann who spent time in a box that was too short for him. He slept within minutes once he was moved into a giant crate. Size is a function of the dog, not of the shopping list, and that is why crate sizing is the one purchase where buying early costs you most.

Bóris, my Boxer, made the same point from the other direction. He went through a growth spurt between eight and ten months, and anything bought for the puppy he was at eight weeks was wrong by then.

What can wait a week or a month

Dogs Trust frames its list as “should get you through the first few weeks”, which is a more honest brief than “everything you will ever need”. By that logic, these can wait until you know the dog:

A harness. Battersea recommends a Y-front, adjustable, padded one; Dogs Trust says fully adjustable, so the puppy “can move freely”. Both say fit matters, and fit needs the puppy. See leads, collars and harnesses.
A final-size crate. Buy for the adult dog with a divider, or wait.
Grooming kit. Battersea lists a soft brush, puppy shampoo and nail clippers. What the coat needs depends on the coat; the grooming kit guide covers it, and so do the separate pieces on shampoo and nail clippers.
A dog coat. Dogs Trust only suggests one if you collect in winter or the dog needs it for another reason.
Training treats. Useful from day one, but “appropriate for your dog’s size and age”, so small packs first.
Food puzzles and slow feeders. Dogs Trust says they must be “robust and the right size”. Wait until you know how hard your puppy chews.

What to buy in the first week

Once the puppy is home and you can see what it is actually like:

Stair gates or a pen. Dogs Trust says to set up several resting areas, at least one near an outside door, with baby gates to block off rooms. Whether that means a pen or a crate is a bigger question than it looks; Dogs Trust’s answer is in playpen or crate.
Teething toys. Safe, a few at a time, rotated. Battersea says rotate them to keep them interesting. What breaks and what lasts is in the teething toy guide.
Toilet-training kit. Puppy pads are in Battersea’s list “for the early days”; whether they help or hurt is argued in puppy toilet training.
Poo bags and a scoop. Dogs Trust lists both. They cost little, but you need them from the first walk.

What to do before the puppy arrives, without spending anything

Most of the preparation that matters is not shopping.

Register with a vet. Dogs Trust says to register with a nearby practice and ask about out-of-hours cover.
Puppy-proof. Move chewable and dangerous items out of reach, secure electrical leads, and lock away toxic plants and substances.
Plan who is with the puppy. Dogs Trust asks you to plan cover for when you are out, away or at work.
Garden. Dogs Trust says to make it dog-safe by removing toxic plants and locking away sharp tools.
Sort the first night. Where the puppy sleeps matters more than what it sleeps on; what the UK charities say covers it.
Sort the food. How much to feed a puppy and what it costs per week do the arithmetic before you are standing in the aisle.

Collection day itself

Battersea’s travel advice is short and practical. Travel in a soft crate or a secured carrier. Bring a towel, puppy pads and wipes in case of travel sickness, plus water and a drinking bowl. It also advises skipping food right before the trip, so ask the breeder to hold back the last meal.

Take something from the breeder that smells of home, such as a blanket or toy from the mother and litter. Battersea points to this, and it costs nothing. If you can, bring a second person. One drives, one sits with the puppy. Nobody holds a wriggling eight-week-old on their lap with the seatbelt off.

Then ask the breeder what the puppy is eating, and when. Write the answer down. You will not remember it at 3am.

The four-month mistake

The pattern with puppy shopping is the same every time. You buy for the puppy you are about to collect, and four months later you are buying again for the dog you have.

That is why the cheap, small things are the right things to buy first. A collar, a lead and a bed that you can wash at a hot temperature are all cheap to replace. A crate, a harness and a car restraint are not, so they get bought for the dog you can see.

If you want a rule, here it is: buy the things that keep the puppy safe now, and wait on the things that depend on size.

The one cleaner worth naming

Enzymatic cleaners differ more in size than in kind. One I could verify is Simple Solution Extreme Stain and Odour Remover, 945ml, £14.99 at Petscorner. The page says it uses both pro-bacteria and enzymes on carpets, upholstery and other water-safe surfaces. I have not tested it. It is an example of the category, not a recommendation over the others.

Who should ignore this list

If you are adopting from a rescue, ask what they supply before you buy a single thing. Dogs Trust says its adopters get a lead, collar and starter pack of food, and some rescues will lend a crate or send a blanket home with the dog.

If you already have an adult dog, most of the bowls, brushes and bedding you own will do. The new items are the ones sized for a puppy: a small collar, a car restraint, a gate.

And if you are the sort of person who needs the full basket to feel ready, buy it, but keep the receipts. Beds and harnesses are the items most likely to go back.

What to do next

Start with the item that is hardest to get wrong later: the crate size guide will stop you buying a box the puppy outgrows in a month.

Then read the first night guide, because where the puppy sleeps decides which of the bed, crate or pen you actually need.

Checklists are from Dogs Trust (puppy checklist) and Battersea (bringing your puppy home), read in October 2026. The cleaner price is from Petscorner, checked October 2026, and prices move often. Zooplus and other retailers’ gate prices could not be confirmed on the day, so none are quoted. The Rio kennel, Hercules and Bóris are the author’s own dogs and experience. Nothing here is veterinary advice — for questions on vaccinations, worming or health, ask your vet.