Here are some products I recommend for your new pup!
(with links!)
  1. Safe chews
    1. RedBarn filled bones
    2. Large (10-12") Beef Cheek Rolls 
    3. Kong toys (stuff with food/treats, freeze, and give to your pup in their crate)
    4. Toppl toys (same concept as Kong, a little easier for them to get to so I use it for feeding meals)
  2. ​Collar + ID Tag.
    1. Gun Dog Supply has the best deals on high quality dog collars that come with a stamped tag. This is a small business with great customer service and excellent selection of high quality dog gear. 
    2. The leather collars from JeffersPet are cheap and nice too. 
  3. Nail clippers and/or dremel. 
    1. This style of clippers 
    2. Dremel​
  4. Area rugs/runners for the areas and hallways the dog will frequent
    1. The machine-washable Ruggables are decent. Don't buy anything too nice because puppies are hard on rugs, LOL. 
  5. Crates:  one for the house, one for the car
    1. 42” LifeStages wire crate for the house
    2. If you do any amount of traveling with your dog, we recommend investing in a quality plastic crate for the car, to keep your pup safe and contained. RuffLand kennels are crash-tested and nice because they contain the dog hair in your vehicle so you have less of it stuck to your carpet. The "Large" size is sufficient for females, the "XL" fits the males. 
  6. Boot tray for underneath the water bowl (...Labs are messy drinkers!)
  7. Pyrex bowls work great for water bowls and are easy to clean. Stainless steel is good too. 
  8. Slicker brush like this one   (***Though very commonly used, I do NOT recommend using a "furminator" type de-shedding brush, because it damages a Lab coat and actually makes them shed more due to the breakage!!***). 
  9. A puppy playpen and/or dog gates for doorways/staircases so you can limit your puppy's access to certain areas of the house during house training
  10. Aluminum-framed Kuranda Bed in size 40 x 25 (they make beds that fit in crates, too).
  11. Vinyl crate pad (these work nicely inside crates)
  12. ​We recommend feeding a high quality puppy food which is AAFCO-compliant for growth of large breed puppies. Switch your pup's food a few times in puppyhood to help them develop a strong stomach! We recommend all of the following brands/recipes:
    1. Royal Canin Labrador Puppy - Chicken
    2. Purina ProPlan Large Breed Sport Development - Chicken
    3. Purina ProPlan Puppy - Lamb
    4. Purina ProPlan Puppy Sensitive Skin/Stomach - Salmon
    5. Eukanuba Puppy - Lamb
    6. Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy - Chicken
    7. NutriSource Large Breed Puppy - Chicken 
    8. ​If you are wanting to add fresh food diet to your pup's ration (which is great, just much harder to do correctly for a growing puppy!), I recommend checking out Just Food For Dogs. 
  13. Probiotic: Royal Canin. We recommend probiotic use with each meal the first few day in their new home, as the stress of leaving their littermates can cause mild GI upset. After that, you can use them as needed (i.e. when your pup gets a mild case of GI upset/diarrhea, goes through a stressful event, or has to be on antibiotics for some reason).
  14. A bottle of *unexpired* 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
    1. Emergency emetic (induces vomiting). This handy old trick can be life saving if your puppy accidentally eats something toxic. It only works within 30 minutes of ingestion of said toxic item. Dosage information can be found on Google, but I recommend calling your vet for directions prior to using it.  There are some situations where induction of vomiting is harmful, and too much hydrogen peroxide can cause ulcers. 
  15. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) 25mg (the normal pills, NOT the liqui-gel capsules or the liquid, since some formulations contain Xylitol which is toxic to dogs)
    1. I use Benadryl for mild allergic reactions in dogs, such as mild swelling]= after a vaccine or an insect bite. 
    2. Liqui-gel caps contain xylitol which is toxic to dogs, so just buy the normal candy-coated pills.
    3. Call your vet for directions before use. Dosage is no more than 1 mg per pound of body weight, every 12 hours. So an average sized adult Lab will get 2 or 3 tablets (25mg) every 12 hours as needed. 
  16. Dechra DermAllay Oatmeal Shampoo for non-itchy dogs, or Dechra MiconaHex+Triz Medicated Shampoo for itchy dogs! 
    1. Use COOL to LUKEWARM water and be sure to rinse ALL of the soap out, otherwise your dog's skin will become dry and itchy after a bath! If you are using the medicated shampoo for itchy dogs, let it sit on the skin/coat for 10 minutes before rinsing out for best results. 
  17. Ear Flush (TrizUltra)
    1. After a swim or a bath, it's a really good idea to squirt some ear cleaner in each ear & dry them out with a cotton ball. This helps dry out the ear canal so there is a decreased risk of an infection setting in. 
  18. Rescue disinfectant wipes - these kill Parvo, Lepto, Bordetella, etc. 

Optional/things you may want/need as your dog ages:
  1. Zymox Enzymatic Ear Solution with Hydrocortisone
    1. Great for mildly inflamed ears, which will happen to floppy-eared dogs from time to time, especially during the summer months or when it's humid or they're swimming a lot. 
    2. Make sure to clean the ear out with a good ear flush, and then dry the ear canal thoroughly before application. 
  2. Dental products - I recommend giving a dental chew daily, in addition to brushing your dog's teeth weekly to prevent dental issues later in life! Dental chews can help as well and are a more pleasant experience for your dog. 
    1. ​ Purina Dental Chewz
    2. Toothbrush
    3. Enzymatic toothpaste 
    4. Here is a list of VOHC-approved dental products
  3. Omega-3 Supplement (such as Eicosa 3FF SnipCaps)
    1. This is a daily skin, coat, and joint supplement that supports healthy skin and may help dogs that shed a lot.
  4. Joint supplements. There are a lot of choices and many of them are useless. Here are some that I think can help: 
    1. UC-II collagen (Jope)
    2. Green-lipped mussel (Myos has both GLM and glucosamine/chondroitin) 
    3. Omega-3 supplements (good ole Salmon oil over the food can do the trick)
    4. Glucosamine/chondroitin (Cosequin) - you have to start this supplement at 6-12 months of age and continue throughout the dog's lifetime in order for them to work. 
    5. At the end of the day, the best way to prevent arthritis is to keep your dog at a healthy weight, and do your best to protect their joints while they are growing.