Before a puppy comes home in India you need eight things: a crate or bed, two stainless steel bowls, puppy food, a collar with an ID tag, a light lead, a brush and comb, enzymatic floor cleaner, and safe chew toys. Budget roughly ₹6,000 to ₹12,000 for the first set, and buy it all before collection day, not after.
Written by the Puppy Hub team — breeders of Standard Poodles, Parti Poodles, Toy Poodles and Goldendoodles in Delhi NCR for close to a decade. This is the list we give our own buyers.
Almost every first-time owner buys the wrong things: a cute bed the puppy destroys in a week, a plastic bowl, a retractable lead, and a cupboard of toys that go untouched. Meanwhile the two items that genuinely matter — a proper crate and an enzymatic cleaner — get bought in week three, after the damage is done.
The eight things you actually need
1. A crate or a defined bed
Not a cage as punishment — a den. Dogs settle faster with one small, predictable place that is theirs. Buy a crate sized for the adult dog with a divider you move as the puppy grows, or you will buy twice. Put it in a quiet corner, away from the door and the kitchen.
2. Two stainless steel bowls
One for food, one for water, steel rather than plastic. Plastic scratches, and those scratches hold bacteria in Indian humidity. Wash both daily — the water bowl matters more than people think in summer.
3. The food the breeder was already using
Buy the same brand for at least two weeks. A new home and a new food in the same week gives you a puppy with diarrhoea, which in a small breed is genuinely dangerous. Switch gradually over ten days if you want something else.
4. A soft collar and an ID tag
From day one, with your phone number engraved. A puppy slips out of a door more easily than you expect, and in an Indian city a tag is what gets it home.
5. A light lead — not a retractable one
A simple 4 to 6 foot lead. Retractable leads teach a puppy to pull and give you no control near traffic. For a Toy Poodle or a young puppy, a harness is kinder on the neck than a collar.
6. A slicker brush and a steel comb
For curly-coated breeds this is not optional. The comb is the honest tool, because a slicker glides over a mat that the comb catches. Start brushing in week one, before there is anything to brush, so the dog learns to stand for it.
7. Enzymatic cleaner
Ordinary floor cleaner removes the smell for you, not for the dog. Phenyl leaves an ammonia note that actively invites the puppy to go there again. An enzymatic pet cleaner breaks the mess down properly, and shortens toilet training by weeks.
8. Chew toys, and only a few
Teething runs from roughly three to six months and the puppy will chew something. Two or three safe options are enough — a rubber chew you can stuff with food, a rope toy, a hard ball too big to swallow. Rotate them instead of buying ten.
Skip these: rawhide (choking and blockage risk), cooked bones of any kind, tennis balls for a big dog (the fuzz wears teeth down), choke and prong collars, retractable leads, plastic bowls, and clothes for a dog living in Indian heat.
What it costs, roughly
Prices vary by city and brand, so treat these as ballpark figures rather than quotes:
| Item | Approximate cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Crate or bed | ₹2,000 – ₹5,000 | Adult size, with a divider |
| Two steel bowls | ₹400 – ₹900 | Heavy base so they do not tip |
| Puppy food, first month | ₹1,500 – ₹3,000 | Depends on breed size |
| Collar, tag and lead | ₹600 – ₹1,500 | Harness for small breeds |
| Slicker brush and steel comb | ₹700 – ₹1,500 | Essential for curly coats |
| Enzymatic cleaner | ₹400 – ₹800 | The most underrated purchase |
| Chew toys | ₹500 – ₹1,200 | Two or three, not ten |
Then the recurring costs begin: food, monthly deworming and tick control, annual vaccinations, and — for a Poodle or Goldendoodle — professional grooming every six to eight weeks for the rest of the dog’s life. That last one surprises people most.
Puppy-proof the house before the puppy arrives
- Electrical wires and extension boards — tape them up or box them in. The most common indoor emergency.
- Balcony grills. In Indian flats this is the one people miss. Gaps wide enough for a Toy Poodle puppy are common, and a fall from the third floor is not survivable. Mesh it before the puppy comes home.
- Phenyl, detergent and cleaning bottles at floor level — move them up.
- Houseplants — money plant, aloe and lilies are all toxic to dogs.
- Stairs — a gate for the first few months protects growing joints.
- Kitchen bins holding onion, garlic or cooked bones. Use one the dog cannot nose open.
Where to buy in India
Local pet shops are worth using for the collar, lead and bowls, where fit and quality matter and you can judge both by hand. Online is usually cheaper for food, crates and cleaners. Check expiry dates on food carefully — stock moves slowly in smaller shops and expired puppy food is a common problem here.
Common questions
What do I need to buy before bringing a puppy home?
A crate or bed, two steel bowls, the food your breeder was using, a collar with ID tag, a light lead, a brush and comb, enzymatic cleaner and two or three chew toys.
How much does the first set of puppy supplies cost in India?
Roughly ₹6,000 to ₹12,000, depending on the size of the dog and the brands you choose.
Do I need a crate for a puppy?
It is the single most useful thing you can buy. Used as a den rather than a punishment, it speeds up toilet training and gives the dog somewhere to feel safe.
What should I not buy for a new puppy?
Rawhide, cooked bones, choke or prong collars, retractable leads, plastic bowls, and a bed sized for the puppy rather than the adult dog.
More: the full puppy guide · the four breeds we raise ourselves
