Essential Items Every New Toller Puppy Owner Needs
Bringing home a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever puppy is exciting—and a little overwhelming! To make the transition easier, we’ve created a checklist of essential puppy supplies. This list is designed so new puppy owners can shop directly from Amazon and have everything ready for their Toller’s big homecoming.
1. Puppy Crate
A crate provides a safe, cozy space for your puppy and helps with house training. Id recommend a 26” crate or choose a crate that fits your Toller’s adult size, with a divider for their puppy months.
👉26” Dog Crate
2. Playpen or Exercise Pen (Not necessary but handy)
Perfect for keeping your puppy safe while giving them room to play when you can’t supervise closely. This is what we keep our pups in from weeks 4-8. We will often use the panels to block in specific places around the house just to keep the puppy in sight during potty training!
👉 8 panel dog playpen
3. Food & Water Bowls
Stainless steel or ceramic bowls are durable, easy to clean, and won’t absorb odors. Since tollers have a tendency to love water, and love their paws in the water, we use these no spill waterboys that work great!
👉 No spill water bowl
4. High-Quality Puppy Food
Tollers are active, intelligent dogs that thrive on balanced nutrition. We are currently feeding our pups Taste of the Wild Puppy Formula. If you decide to switch foods, I would recommend purchasing a small bag and mix it in for a week or 2 before completely switching. The last thing you want is diarrhea while potty training. I’ll add the amazon link, but specialty dog food stores, atwoods, and tractor supply will carry it for cheaper!
👉 Taste of the Wild Puppy
5. Training Treats
Bite-sized treats make training sessions more effective and rewarding. Tollers are extremely food driven, so unless you just want to switch it up, I would just use individual pieces of the normal puppy food as treats. You’ll already have them on hand + no chance of an upset tummy.
👉 Taste of the Wild Puppy
6. Puppy Collar & Leash
Start with an adjustable, lightweight collar and a sturdy leash. As your Toller grows, you’ll likely upgrade, but a small set is essential for the early months. Adult leashes and collars can sometimes be too big and bulky for a puppy.
👉 Collar and Leash
7. Identification Tag
Even if your puppy is microchipped, a personalized ID tag on their collar adds peace of mind.
8. Chew Toys & Teething Aids
Toller puppies love to chew! Offer safe chew toys to soothe teething and prevent them from chewing furniture. We typically lean towards the medium/large bully sticks. They last a while, the pups love them, and they aren’t a chking hazard.
👉 Medium Bully Sticks
9. Comfortable Bed
Your puppy needs a cozy place to rest. Look for a washable, durable bed.
👉 Medium size bed
Final Thoughts
Preparing your home with these essentials will make your Toller puppy’s transition smoother and less stressful. Having the right tools on hand will help you focus on what really matters—bonding with your new best friend.