Leash: You'll need a good one. A good STRONG one. I use 1" wide, 6' long, flat leather leashes. They have just the right amount of springiness and they don't hurt my hands. Flat, woven nylon leashes are OK, but they have almost no spring to them and that can get tiring. Also, the weave tends to abrade my hands after a while. Double thickness nylon helps alleviate the hard edge but any nylon leash will give you a nasty burn if the dog pulls it through your hands. Cotton leashes deteriorate too quickly. Chain leashes are noisy and have no springiness. They are definitely out.
Collars: You'll need several collars as the puppy grows. Flat woven nylon is the
way to go until the pup is grown. They are strong enough and cheaper than
leather. When the puppy is grown you can stay with the nylon or go to a rolled
leather collar. I avoid flat leather collars as they sometimes tend to curl at
the edges. No spiked collars.
For training you'll need a choke chain or nylon slip collar. Again you'll have to get several as the puppy grows. Prong or pinch collars are very, very good, but you need to be trained in how to use them. Don't just get one and try it. Head collars, mainly the Halti brand, are excellent for many dogs but they don't fit well on short muzzled dogs like Bullmastiffs. Shoulder harnesses are worthless for controlling a large strong dog.
Crate: All my dogs have crates. They are the dog's private bedrooms. I use #400 & #500 plastic "airline" crates. These are great for housebreaking.
Don't bother with fancy pads or pillows for the crate. They'll just get chewed up. Get some old blankets and use them. Nothing quilted or with foam rubber in it, the pup will just pull it out and could ingest it. Also, I don't use knitted or thermal blankets because the puppies snag their teeth and toenails in them. Of course, no electric blankets.
Bowls: I use two and three-quart stainless steel bowls. Make sure the water bowl is not so deep that the puppy can get stuck in it or drown.
Nail clippers: Get the BIG bypass type. Not the guillotine type. The biggest guillotines are not big enough. Also, get a small file to round off the newly cut edges. If you go for the grinder, I recommend the rechargeable battery variety rather than the plug-in type. They are quieter and that tends to disturb the dogs less.
Brush: I use a big hand-held rubber curry brush. Also, you should have a very fine-toothed comb called a flea comb.
Toys: No toys with squeakers. Puppies can choke on them. I use Nylabones and rubber Kongs. Get bigger toys than you think you'll need. Dogs can choke if they try to swallow a toy that is too small. Some tennis balls are dyed with mildly toxic substances and, for adult Bullmastiffs, tennis balls are so small they could be a choking hazard. Best to skip them. I find that stuffed toys are short-lived and I'm tired of cleaning up little bits of stuffing.
all content copyrighted by Dave Briggs 1999-2007