I is gettin a doggeh. :D Checklist help?

Don't go overboard with toys until you get an idea of what he likes to play with. Maybe one stuffie, something that squeaks, and an Orbee ball.

Some raw meaty bones will be a hit with him for gnawing, I'm sure

Oh, and something VERY important . . . . A CAMERA

What Renee said about the toys.........Phoebe doesn't like ANY type of toy and has been that way since we brought her home. I would wait and see what his preferences are.

As for food, I would check to see what he is currently on at the shelter. If it's a decent food you may want to pick some up for mixing when/if you switch him over to a new food.

And "thinking" about raw, unless you have done your homework, is not a good idea until you are prepared. It is a lot more than just throwing some raw meat in the bowl, LOL, if you HAVE done your homework and are prepared to feed raw GREAT

And food / water bowls?

WOOT!! So happy for you!

I definatley agree with Renee on the toys. Something soft, something squeaky (and durable, Cuz's are great!) and a fantastic ball (I agree with the Orbee suggestion, they're amazing!)

Good for you for considering raw, it's a great way to go. There are many members here who feed raw, so feel free to ask questions in the food and nutrition section if you need to.

A bed may not be as important as a good crate pad. His crate IS his bed, remember.

Don't forget bowls for food/water. Stainless steel is your best option there, but there are some really nice ceramic ones on the market too.

When I was bringing Sierra home I got a little of everything in treats. A jerky treat I could break up for training, a cookie type treat, and a few bullwrinkles for chewing on. Raw bones are good for chewing on too!

I also took my oldest towel and quickly turned it into Sierra's "bone towel" for chewing things on.

Whereabouts are you in Ontario btw?

Some tennis balls, too, they're usually fun, and a rope toy.

Dishes? Go for stainless steel or ceramic. I like ceramic for water as they're harder to knock over. Go grab a high quality kibble like Innova from your local feed store or pet supply store. Costco has really nice beds (HUGE ones, great-dane or mastiff sized, very nice) for $20, so if you can stop by there I'd suggest it.

Collars.. well LOL we can recommend good collar sites if you like, but for now just get something serviceable. Check the stitching carefully, make sure the D or O-ring is welded together (ask, if they can't tell you, DON'T BUY IT). I'd just get some nylon for now as it's very strong. Once you have him... http://www.2houndsdesign.com http://www.wiggleswagswhiskers.com http://www.bestfriendsfashions.net http://www.pacocollars.com http://www.collarmania.com

Careful on the tennis balls. I notice that a lot of dogs who like to chew on tennis balls repeatedly show more tooth wear than they should.

Oh, and don't overwhelm the poor dog when he comes home.
He may not eat good (or at all) for the at least the first day-3. Ella was like that when we brought her home. She would barely eat. It took a while before Ella ever ate right for us (at least a month). Now she'll eat anything I put in front of her.

As others have suggested, keep it simple on the toys until you find out what he likes. I bought Ella like 5 toys before we ever got her home and she ONLY played with the bad cuz ball. I had to give away the others because she wouldn't touch them.

Oh, and you will need an Ella's Lead!

HA! Oh man, I totally forgot about that. Thanks for the plug.

KONGS!

Definitely...

Mine couldn't do without one! haha!
Stuff it with yummy stuff like low fat natural yoghurt/ham/doggie biscuits etc and you're all set!


Can't wait to see yer doggie!!

Orbee's and Cuz's are both available in Canada, (Cuz is a bit more easy to find). Look in smaller shops than Petsmart. Independent mom n' pop type pet supply stores tend to carry more of the higher quality items than the big chains.

I agree with Kongs! But all my dog ever played with were stuffed toys so no kongs, orbees or Cuz toys for us As for food...petsmart and petco really don't sell much in the way of quality, here check out the store locators for the foods:

Innova, EVO and California Natural (all made my Natura): http://www.naturapet.com/where-to-buy/default.asp

Canidae: http://www.canidae.com/company/storelocator.html

Orijen: http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/storeLocator/

Taste of the Wild: http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/dealer_locator/

A Terv, how wonderful. I second the advice on the rope toy, most dogs will play with that.
Just be patient when you get him home, it will be a while before you find out what he is really like. And don't forget that camera.

LOL those are really crappy foods. Check out Maxy's list, its much better.

And go look at the collar sites I linked to in my post, and http://www.ellaslead.com as well.

Well, Blue Buffalo could be worse. But it is violently overpriced and a Terv is not a light eater.

www.planetdog.com for Orbees

Yayyy! I can't wait to see your new Terv boyee... they are such stunning dogs. : )

Out of your list, By Nature and Blue Buffalo are the best, IMHO. Both are pretty pricey. You would be much better off buying a higher quality food from a specialty store or a feed store, for the same price or less.

For toys... I highly recommend at least one large Kong (for stuffing with goodies, to keep him occupied), a soft frisbee, any of the FatCat toys (I'm pretty sure they sell them at Petsmart), and a Jolly Ball (my dogs have 2 with ropes in them).

For beds... It just depends on the dog. Both of my boys love nest beds, but they also love their big pillow-shaped beds.

For collars and leashes... A really good "start" for a collection would be a rolled leather collar and a braided leather leash. They are super durable, good for training and leash work, and they look good on any dog.

For treats... It's always good to have a few chewies at any given moment, if you need to keep him occupied for a while. Bully sticks, lamb ears, Better Than Ears, dried chicken strips, and compressed rawhide, are just a few good options. For cookies, I really like Old Mother Hubbard, they don't have any icky ingredients. For training treats, I prefer to use hotdogs, cheese, etc, but I sometimes buy BilJac liver treats or Charlee Bear treats.