New Puppy Starter Kit: The Stuff You Actually Need

A collapsible fabric bin sized for a dog's whole collection — leashes, balls, chews and plush in one place. Folds flat when empty and wipes down inside.

Our take Not exciting, but a dedicated bin is the difference between a tidy corner and toys underfoot. The open top means dogs can self-serve, which they love. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

Loose fabric strips hide kibble so a dog has to sniff out every piece — the canine equivalent of a crossword. Sniffing is genuinely tiring, so ten minutes here settles a restless dog faster than a lap of the block. It rolls up for storage and goes in the washing machine.

Our take Scatter a portion of dry food and let them hunt. It's machine-washable, which matters — snuffle mats get grubby fast. Supervise heavy chewers who might pull threads. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

A soft, wide vest that wraps the chest instead of pressing the throat — which matters for small and flat-faced breeds prone to tracheal strain. Step-in style with adjustable straps makes it easy to get on a wriggly little dog.

Our take Measure the chest girth before ordering — small-dog harnesses run tight. Best for calm walkers; strong pullers want a front-clip design. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

A tall central spiral forces a dog to work its tongue around the ridges instead of inhaling the bowl in seconds. Deeper than the usual bump-bottom 'slow' bowls, so it actually slows a gulper, and the rubber base keeps it from sliding across tile.

Our take The taller center spiral slows fast eaters more than shallow bump bowls. Non-slip base keeps it from skating across tile. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

A small silicone canister that clips straight onto the leash and holds a standard roll of waste bags, so there's no more heading out and realising you're empty-handed. Refills are the cheap, universal rolls you can buy anywhere.

Our take Fits standard roll bags. A cheap habit-fixer — the point is that it lives on the leash so there's no forgetting. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

A rechargeable rotary grinder that files nails down through a size-matched port, with an LED to help you see the quick. Low-noise motor and three opening sizes for small to large paws; USB-charged.

Our take Grinding is far more forgiving than clipping — you sneak up on the quick instead of guessing. Go in short bursts and let a noise-sensitive dog get used to the hum first. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

A felt 'garden' of plush carrots a dog has to nose and tug out of their holes — pop treats inside to make it harder. It's a foraging puzzle that teaches a 'find it' game and keeps a bored dog busy on a wet afternoon.

Our take A puzzle, not a chew toy — take it away from dogs that destroy plush. Great for teaching 'find it' indoors. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

A hip pouch that keeps treats within a half-second grab, so you can mark and reward the instant your dog gets it right — the timing that makes reward training actually stick. Look for a wide mouth you can dip into without looking.

Our take Timing is everything in reward training; a pouch you can dip into without looking pays for itself in week one. Look for a magnetic or hinged mouth if you want it to close between reps. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

A one-piece silicone mat with a raised lip that actually contains water-bowl spills instead of letting them run onto the floor. Wipes or rinses clean in seconds and lies flat without curling.

Our take The raised edge actually contains water splashes, unlike flat mats. One-piece silicone, so it's a ten-second rinse. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

An adjustable chest harness sized for small frames, with a front ring that turns a pull into a gentle sideways redirect rather than a fight. Four adjustment points help you get the snug, escape-proof fit small dogs need, and reflective stitching helps in low light.

Our take Four adjustment points make it easier to get a snug, escape-proof fit on a small frame. Reflective stitching is a real plus for early-morning walks. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

A soft enclosed cave bed for dogs that like to burrow and feel covered — the sense of a den helps nervous small breeds settle. Lightweight and fully washable; sizing runs small, so size up if your dog likes to stretch out.

Our take Burrowers and small breeds settle faster in a covered bed. Sizing runs small; size up if your dog likes to stretch out. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

A layered washable pad with an absorbent core and waterproof backing for potty training, crates, or senior dogs. Machine-washable and reusable in place of throwaway pads; a grippy backing resists sliding.

Our take Two or three in rotation covers the wash cycle. Wash before first use so the top layer actually wicks instead of beading. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

A floating disc sits on the water surface and knocks down the splash-and-slosh, keeping the floor dry and slowing dogs that gulp water. Good for flat-faced breeds prone to hiccups, and the plate lifts out for cleaning.

Our take Cuts the puddle around the water station and slows gulpers prone to hiccups. The floating plate lifts out for cleaning. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

The cheapest fix on this list for a real problem: dogs that inhale meals and risk gas or bloat. Moulded ridges force the dog to eat around them, and the shallow design still lets flat-faced breeds reach the food. Over 3,000 orders back it up.

Our take The cheapest fix on this list for a real problem: dogs that inhale meals. Ridges are shallow enough for flat-faced breeds to still reach food. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

A four-piece set covering the basics of active play: a soft flying disc, a bouncy fetch ball, and two braided tug ropes. Lightweight, and sized for small-to-medium dogs.

Our take A painless way to find out what your dog actually likes before spending on a single 'best' toy. The rope tugs outlast the disc in our experience. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

A quick-dry mat that catches water-bowl splashes and stray kibble so the feeding corner stays clean, with a backing that keeps it from sliding. Machine-washable when it gets grim.

Our take The absorbent top soaks up water-bowl drips; the backing keeps it off the floor. Machine-washable when it gets grim. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

The bowl works two ways: fill the raised maze on one side to stretch a fast eater's meal into several minutes, or flip to the duck-shaped dispenser to load treats for a rainy-day puzzle. Food-grade plastic with a non-slip base, and it splits apart for washing.

Our take Two tools in one: use the maze side at mealtimes and the duck dispenser for enrichment. Hand-wash the ridges — food packs into the corners. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

A slipper-shaped natural rubber chew with varied textures across the sole - nubs and ridges that massage teething gums as the puppy works it. The joke is the point: puppies target shoes anyway, so give them the legal one. Soft enough for puppy jaws, tough enough to outlast the teething months.

Our take Redirection only works if the legal slipper is available and the real ones aren't - pair the toy with actually shutting the wardrobe. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

A reversible crate pad with a bone-quilted sleeping surface, an anti-slip dotted base, and a fabric that pet hair brushes off instead of weaving into. The whole mat is machine-washable, and the flat 3 cm profile suits dogs that sleep stretched out or run hot in summer. Four sizes, small through extra-large.

Our take Size up: the XL (90×70 cm) fits dogs to about 33 lb / 15 kg comfortably. Measure your dog stretched out, not curled. — Sonny, WANTTHAT

Rigid plastic panels click together into a hexagon with a lockable sliding-latch door, and you can buy extra panels to grow the footprint. At 24 inches tall it contains most small and medium dogs, wipes clean after accidents, and folds flat between uses — lighter to move around than a metal exercise pen and with no bars to rust.

Our take Set it up on hard flooring with a mat inside — on slick tile the pen can slide if a bigger dog leans on it. The latch is easy for humans, not for paws. — Sonny, WANTTHAT