It’s been a couple months since I gave an update on my puppy, Reeses! I shared a pupdate on June 6th talking about our schedule + some crate + potty training tips. The other post I shared (here!) was just a week after I brought her home and featured some of the initial items I purchased ahead of her arrival. Today I thought I’d share another update and a current list of the things she loves and uses regularly, as I get asked these types of questions often on Instagram!

One week ago Reeses had, what my vet called, her “big girl surgery”! In order to continue going to doggie daycare and participate in the Bevill Dog Behavior boot camp I signed her up for in October, Reeses needed to get spayed. The vet kept her for a full 24 hours, and when I picked her up it was like nothing had happened! She still has the same boundless energy. I’m doing my best to keep her pretty calm while she heels, but we are now going on our daily walks (shorter walks multiple times a day) to keep her active and fulfilled. Luckily it’s been quite a bit cooler this week, so our morning walks have been a real treat for both of us! To keep her from getting to her incision, I bought her a couple of recovery cones – the lion cone you see here is super soft and easy for her to sleep in. Plus, she looks so freaking adorable! The other one I got is this inflatable donut. It’s a little more practical and makes more sense for our walks since there’s no chance of tripping. While she occasionally will try to scratch at the cones, she generally doesn’t seem to mind either one. I’ve been switching them off every other day to wash them and give her a different feel each day! She’s got one more week of wearing the cone to allow the incision to fully heal. Next week she should be back to normal and can go back to doggie day care! Read on for some of the items we use every day (or most days) + some of her favorite things at the moment!

DOG CRATE/BED ITEMS

FOLDING METAL CRATE – This is the crate I bought for Reeses before she came home! She sleeps in it every night and goes in the crate whenever I have to leave the house without her. It comes with an optional divider panel to move as she grows. It also comes with a tray that is easy to wipe down if she does have an accident. I put a crate pad (see below) in the tray for comfort and also use a crate cover to remove visual stimuli and give her the den feel dogs crave! This crate is really lightweight and easy to move, and it’s completely collapsible for travel. This is what I took with me to Austin!

SOFT CRATE MAT – This is the mat I put in the tray of her crate! It is quilted and pillowy soft, but features an anti-slip bottom so it doesn’t slide all over the place when she moves around. The mat is machine washable and dryer safe, so it’s super easy to keep clean! I bought a second one of these just to have in case of emergency or when I don’t have time to wash/dry the other before returning her to her crate.

TAN DOG CRATE COVER – Dogs instinctively look for dens as their bed/home. Reeses will often try to hang out under my bed or desk for this reason! There’s something about it that gives them a sense of security and comfort. Getting a crate cover helps remove visual stimuli that might keep them from calming down! This one is breathable, machine-washable and the front rolls up for daytime crate time.

DONUT CUDDLER BED – Reeses always sleeps in her crate at night or when I have to leave the house, but otherwise this thing is her “spot”. I keep it in my office next to my desk most of the time, but will move it where I want her to stay if I’m doing something – next to my Peloton bike, for example, when I’m taking a class. I’ll occasionally put it in the living room if I don’t want her on the couch, or in my bathroom so she can hang out when I am getting ready for the day! She loves this thing! I got it in a small.

SNUGGLE PUPPY – This was one of the first items I purchased for Reeses, and it’s still one of her favorite things! I no longer use the heat packets, but do use the heartbeat simulator as she still has separation anxiety. She’s only allowed to use it in her crate, so she associates it with sleep! I always find her on it or right up next to it when I go to let her out. They are machine-washable and get cozy and fluffy in the dryer – just don’t forget to take out the simulator before throwing it into the wash. The Snuggle Puppy is worth every penny for a new puppy!!! I actually have two of these now.

DOG TRAINING/TOYS/TREATS

SLIP LEAD – As I mentioned a few weeks ago, Reeses is going to Bevill Dog Behavior’s boot camp the month of October! The owner, Brad, came by for a two-hour consultation to give us some things to start working on leading up to her bootcamp. On this visit, Brad gave me a slip lead to use (can’t link the exact one I have, but the one I linked is very similar!) – up until then I’d been using a harness and regular leash, which are not good to train with. A harness is comfortable for dogs, so there’s no way to effectively communicate good or bad behaviors with a harness. When using a slip lead, if the dog pulls the collar tightens – when they relax and stop pulling, it loosens back up. When used correctly, it’s a great training tool! I’m not an expert by any means, but we’re doing SO much better on walks with a slip lead! You can Google slip lead training for tips and videos! Bevill Dog Behavior will also do virtual consultations – contact them for more information.

MUSHER’S SECRET – I use this balm on her paws to keep them soft and protect them from the hot pavement! Right now I really only walk her on pavement in the morning and at night when the sun has mostly gone down. It’s just too hot otherwise!

GREENIES – My friend Haven told me about this one! These treats are great for dental hygiene and giving your puppy fresh breath. It’s become one of her favorite treats!

NYLABONE PUPPY TEETHING KEYS – She loves chewing on these! For some reason she prefers the yellow key to the other colors. They’re apparently bacon flavored (I didn’t know that until now! they don’t smell) and are supposed to help clean teeth to control plaque and tartar as well! I just got it for teething purposes.

FRISCO ROPE WITH SQUEAKING BALL TOY – She loves this rope + ball combo when we’re playing together! While I’m trying to avoid doing any kind of tug-of-war games with her, we play fetch or I’ll just hover/swing it around for her to chase.

NYLABONE PUPPY CHEW VARIETY – Reeses loves these too! Particularly the white one for really intense chewing. They are virtually indestructible, although teeth marks definitely start to show after awhile – we’ve gone through a couple of these!

BLUE BUFFALO BLUE BITS – I use these treats for crate training only, so she knows she’ll get one if she goes in! Sometimes I’ll one under the Snuggle Puppy, and others I’ll hand it to her after I close the door.

ELEVATED DOG BOWL – I got this recommendation from my friend, Olivia, who got a Frenchie a few weeks before I did. Apparently Frenchies in particular have trouble with bloating/eating too fast, and elevated bowls can help with that! I will say this took forever to get in the mail – I think it got lost then eventually was found and showed up a couple weeks back. Aside from the times when she’s uninterested in her food and only wants to play, she seems to be enjoying this new bowl!