Gallivant Supply List
The Following is a list of items we use and recommend here at Gallivant Labradors, most links provided are directly from our Amazon liked list, and most items have free fast shipping.
Food & Treats
What Food Should You Feed your Gallivant Labrador Puppy?
Your Gallivant Labrador will go home eating Purina ProPlan Performance Salmon and Rice
We recommend feeding this food for the lifetime of your dog. We do not recommend changing foods, should you decide to change foods, please be aware that this change might alter the digestive balance of your puppy and can results in complication such as vomiting and/or diarrhea.
If you decide to change food, the process should be a slow one, mixing small amounts of the new food with the current food and increasing the amount slowly.
What Treats Should I Feed Our Labrador?
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Cookies
Old Mother Hubbard mini biscuit are some of our favorite treats, made with natural ingredients and perfect size to be used as training treats.
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Filled Bones
There are a variety of flavors for filled bones Peanut Butter is one of our favorites, once the bones are empty, we wash the bones and fill then back with either Peanut Butter or Cookies.
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Prime Bones - Filled Chew
The Gallivant Labradors love them, especially the puppies and seniors as they are softer.
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Raw Bones
Raw Bones (venison, chicken, fish, beef) are some of our favorite treats for our dogs and help keep teeth clean. Bones can be purchased at your local butcher or pet store. They should be raw (NEVER COOKED) and your puppy should be over 6 months old.
What about other Treats?
Labradors love natural foods such as veggies and fruits. Some examples of favorite snacks are carrots, squash, green beans, Broccoli, hardboiled eggs.
At times we will also use as treat for training things like, their food kibble, cheerios, Milk Bones or whatever you find useful and safe.
Should we be Careful
with any foods or treats for our Labrador?
• Foods such as grapes, onions, raw potatoes and dark chocolate are poisonous to dogs.
• Do not feed your dog cooked bones of any kind or size, as these can splinter and be extremely harmful to them.
• We Do Not recommend any type of Rawhide or Smoke type of chew be given to the dogs as many of them cannot be properly digested and potentially become harmful.
What about Supplements?
NuVet Vitamins
NuVet- is probably one of the best supplements that we have used, giving us the best results for our dogs. Made in a combination of natural vitamins, minerals and herbs that are essential for the overall health of your dog.
NuJoint DS is specially formulated to provide maximum Hip and Joint support for both puppies and adults.
Use Code 792886 We recommend starting both these products from the time you bring your puppy home, and keeping them on them for life.
Digestive Supplements
Dogs are overly sensitive to change, if you have plans to travel and will be taking your dog with you, we recommend you start a probiotic a week prior, to prevent or reduce stress in the GI system that could be cause by something as simple as a change of water.
We use these when traveling or for a dog who has GI upset, its always nice to have on hand.
Crates & Dog Beds
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Wire Crates
36” crates - For Puppies and adult females
42” or 48” - For males -
Ruff Land Crates
Large Crates can be used for puppies & girls, but XL is recommended if you plan to use this long term.
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Plastic Crates
are also a great option, providing great privacy and comfort to your pet, they are also extremely durable.
The only dog beds that has proven to last around here, these will last forever and the dogs love them, easy to clean, cool and comfortable, ideal for Labradors.
Kuranda Dog Beds
Primo Pads
These are the BEST crate pads on the market. We use them in every one of our wire crates. They strap to the bottom of your wire crate so they dog can not dig them up and chew them. They are easy to clean, waterproof and virtually indestructible.
We have found these beds/pads to be the best bang for your buck for using around the house or inside the crates. They can be washed in the washing machine. This helps us keep them fresh and cuts down on “dog smell” and Hair in the house.
Hero Dog bed
The Fun Stuff
Leashes & Collars
Mendota Slip Leashes
These are great, it’s always a good idea to keep lead in the vehicle, by the front door, etc. The link directs you to the 6’ lead which is what we have found to be most comfortable for us, it also comes in a 4’ length.
Reflective Everyday Collars
We use reflective collars with our contact information when out walking our labradors and while traveling. It is important to know that your Gallivant Labrador should NEVER be crated with a collar on.
GPS/Tracking Collars are a great idea if you are planning to have your pet be part of outdoor activities. There are many options, this is just one of them.
Toys for your New Puppy
Puppies are like small children. They need toys and interaction to keep they busy. Most of our toys are hard plastic and somewhat indestructible. When we buy stuffed animals for the dogs, they have about a week to two-week life span. If a puppy is bored, they will chew, so keep this in mind when buying toys. We love toys from Nylabone and Kong. These are good quality toys that will last your Gallivant Labrador Puppy’s chewing phase.
Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and HomeGoods all have a good pet section with reasonably priced dog toys. We will also occasionally get lucky and find good toys at Salvation Army or GoodWill. We do not recommend putting soft toys in crates with our dogs. Crates are for quiet time and sleeping. On occasion I will give puppies pillow pets to sleep with in their crate so they have something to snuggle with.
Training Gear
Training Bumpers
If you plan to do some hunting or retriever training with your puppy, bumpers are not a toy- they are a tool. Do not let the dog have a bumper in the yard or home to “play” with. It is one thing letting them play with the bumper to get used to carrying it around, it is a whole different thing to keep a bumper in their toy box. Dogs do not see the whole color spectrum, so when buying bumpers only use white or white and black. This gives the dogs a contrast when seeing the bumper. Orange and green look very similar to a dog, so an orange bumper in green grass is difficult for them to see.
Whistle
Your Gallivant Labrador puppy have been introduced to all kinds of noises, many owners like the idea of whistle training their dog, this is fun activity that could be very beneficial in the long term.
Grooming, Cleaning, & Seasonal Aids
Mane & Tail is a gentle shampoo and can be used on puppies.
Mane & Tail Medicated Shampoo works great to get rid of the smelly dog odor from being in the water all week. It should NOT be used on puppies. Follow the instructions on the bottle.
Bronco Fly Spray is great for keeping flies, gnats, and mosquitos off the dogs. This product should NOT be used on young puppies, but may be great as your puppy ages if you are going to be outdoors for long periods of time camping or hiking.
Mushers Secret is AWESOME! It works well for dry cracked pads. We use it in the winter with the dogs when it is really cold. It will prevent snow and ice build up in their pads, and helps prevent dogs standing on three legs because their feet are cold.
Metal Feeding Dishes are recommended over plastic, and we wash ours with every feeding. Plastic feeding dishes can harbor bacteria and cause dogs to get what looks like pimples around their mouth.
Natures Miracle is the BEST Cleaner to erase those accidents on carpet. It will eliminate the smell that can cause a dog to go back and continue to urinate in the same spot. Great for potty training a puppy.
Skunk-out by Nature’s Miracle works great if you and your dog ever unlucky enough to encounter a skunk.
Just a Note
About Harnesses
We do not use or recommend a harness for walking dogs. Harnesses are designed for sled dogs to PULL the sled and they give the dogs control and can lead to a dog who really likes to pull. A “no pull” harness is only a band aide to a long-term problem, with proper leash training from a young age, dogs will learn not to pull when on a lead.
