Bringing a new puppy home is one of the best feelings in the world. Figuring out what to buy for a new puppy beforehand? That part is overwhelming. You will find hundreds of "puppy starter kit" lists online, most of them bloated with 40 products nobody actually needs in the first week. We narrowed it down to 14 new puppy essentials across five categories (toys, training pads, food, treats and accessories) so you can stop scrolling and start shopping.
How We Picked These 14 Puppy Essentials
We pulled every puppy-relevant product from the Curatsy database and filtered for items that clear two bars: a minimum 4.5-star average and at least 12,000 verified reviews on Amazon. Those thresholds are deliberate. A high star average alone can be misleading on a product with 200 ratings. Pairing it with a five-figure review count means thousands of puppy owners have weighed in over time, giving you a much more reliable signal.
Every product on this list holds at least a 4.5-star average with more than 12,000 reviews. The Amazon Basics training pads lead the group with 174,409 reviews, making them the most-reviewed puppy supply in our database.
From there, we organized the picks into the five categories every new puppy owner actually needs during the first few weeks: toys and enrichment, house training pads, puppy food, training treats and on-the-go accessories. We did not test these products ourselves. The ratings, review volume and bestseller rankings speak clearly enough. Here is your complete new puppy checklist.cklist.
1. KONG Puppy Teething Toy
The KONG Puppy belongs in every puppy starter kit. It is the single most recommended teething toy by dog trainers for a reason: durable, stuffable and under $7.
The KONG Puppy is the first item on nearly every new puppy checklist for good reason. The natural rubber formula is softer than the classic red KONG, which means it is gentler on developing teeth and gums. Stuff the hollow center with peanut butter or kibble, freeze it overnight and you have a self-directed enrichment toy that buys you 20 minutes of peace while your puppy works for the reward. At $6.99, you could buy three and rotate them.
2. Amazon Basics Leak-Proof Puppy Pads
With 174,409 reviews and a 4.6-star average, these are the most battle-tested puppy pads on Amazon. They work. Start here if you want reliable house training pads without overthinking it.
House training is the first real challenge with a new puppy. These Amazon Basics pads use a five-layer design that locks in moisture and prevents leaks from reaching your floor. The quick-dry top layer keeps paws clean between changes. With 174,409 reviews (the highest count of any product on this list), the consensus is overwhelming: they do exactly what they promise. If your puppy is still learning where to go, these belong in your puppy supplies first week.
3. Wellness Soft Puppy Bites
At $4.49 for a grain-free, all-natural puppy treat, Wellness Soft Puppy Bites are the training reward to keep in your pocket during the first few weeks.
You will go through training treats faster than you expect. Sit, stay, come, crate, leash: every new behavior needs positive reinforcement and tiny soft treats are the fastest way to get there. Wellness Soft Puppy Bites are small enough to hand out dozens per session without overfeeding. The grain-free formula uses real lamb and salmon as primary ingredients, which means you are not stuffing your puppy with filler just to teach "shake."
4. Purina ONE SmartBlend Puppy Food
Purina ONE SmartBlend earns the top puppy food spot with a 4.7-star average and a formula built around real chicken plus DHA for brain development. Solid nutrition at a fair price.
Puppy food is not regular dog food in a smaller bag. Growing puppies need higher protein, more calories per cup and specific nutrients like DHA for brain and vision development. Purina ONE SmartBlend Puppy Food checks every box with real chicken as the first ingredient and a nutrient profile designed for the first 12 months. The 4.7-star rating (tied for highest on this list) reflects consistent satisfaction across more than 15,000 reviews.
5. MalsiPree Portable Dog Water Bottle
MalsiPree Portable Dog Water Bottle
Best for: Best portable water bottle for outings and walks
The highest-rated product on this entire list at 4.8 stars. If you take your puppy anywhere outside your home, this $17.99 water bottle earns its spot in your bag.
Puppies dehydrate faster than adult dogs, especially during walks and car rides. The MalsiPree water bottle holds the highest rating of any product on this checklist at 4.8 stars across 25,253 reviews. The one-handed press releases water into a built-in trough and the leak-proof seal means it will not soak through your bag. At $17.99, it is one of those new puppy must haves that you will use for years, not just the first few weeks.
6. Toozey 7-Pack Puppy Toy Set
Seven toys for $15.99 gives you variety without the guesswork. Perfect if you do not know yet whether your puppy prefers ropes, plush or rubber.
You will not know your puppy's toy preferences until they show you. Some puppies love squeakers. Others want to shred plush. A few only care about ropes. The Toozey 7-Pack covers all of these bases at once for $15.99, which works out to about $2.28 per toy. It is the most practical way to figure out what your puppy actually likes without buying seven individual toys at full price. The best puppy toys are the ones that get used and variety packs dramatically increase those odds.
7. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Puppy Food
Blue Buffalo is the pick for owners who prioritize clean ingredient lists. No by-products, no corn, no soy. At $15.79, it costs less per bag than many competitors.
If you lean toward natural ingredients and want to avoid by-products, Blue Buffalo Life Protection is the alternative to Purina ONE worth considering. The formula skips corn, wheat and soy entirely while keeping real deboned chicken as the lead ingredient. The proprietary "LifeSource Bits" are cold-formed to preserve antioxidant potency. At $15.79, it is also the more affordable bag on this list, although the size is smaller, so per-ounce pricing may be comparable.
8. BarkBox 2-in-1 Puzzle Dog Toy
The BarkBox 2-in-1 is the best puzzle toy on this list for keeping your puppy mentally engaged. At $11.99, it costs less than most standalone puzzle feeders.
Physical exercise is only half the equation for a new puppy. Mental stimulation matters just as much and bored puppies chew furniture. The BarkBox 2-in-1 gives your puppy a problem to solve: pull the inner squeaker toy out of the outer plush shell. It is a simple concept that works. With 21,593 reviews at a 4.6 average, this is one of the best puppy toys for keeping little brains busy during the first few months.
9. N-Bone Puppy Teething Treats
N-Bone Teething Treats target the exact problem every new puppy owner faces between 3 and 6 months. Edible, digestible and under $5.
Teething hits hard between three and six months. Your puppy's gums ache and everything in your house becomes a potential chew target. N-Bone Puppy Teething Treats are specifically designed for this phase. Unlike rawhide (which poses choking and digestive risks), these are fully edible and digestible. They also contain DHA omega-3 for brain development, making them one of the few best chew toys for teething puppies that doubles as a nutritional supplement. At $4.28, stock up.
10. SincoPet Reusable Puppy Pee Pads
The upfront cost is higher, but SincoPet reusable pads pay for themselves within a few weeks of skipping disposable refills. The 4.7-star average speaks for itself.
The puppy crate vs playpen debate aside, every training setup needs pads. If the waste from disposable pads bothers you (or the ongoing cost of replacing them), SincoPet reusable pads offer a smarter long-term investment. Each pad is machine washable up to 300 times. At $35.95 for the set, you break even compared to disposables within the first month of heavy use. The 4.7-star average ties it with Purina ONE for the highest rating on this list.
11. Stewart Freeze Dried Dog Treats
One ingredient. $3.46. Over 20,000 reviews at 4.6 stars. Stewart Freeze Dried treats are the simplest, cheapest high-value reward you can buy for a new puppy.
Sometimes simpler is better. Stewart Freeze Dried treats contain exactly one ingredient: beef liver. That is it. No fillers, no grains, no artificial anything. Freeze-drying preserves the nutrients and flavor that make dogs lose their minds for these treats and the texture breaks apart easily into tiny training-sized pieces. At $3.46, this is the cheapest product on the entire list. If your puppy is not motivated by softer treats, a high-value single-ingredient option like this often does the trick.
12. American Kennel Club Training Pads
The AKC name carries weight and 51,248 reviews back it up. A reliable alternative if you want brand recognition alongside performance.
The American Kennel Club pads are the second-most reviewed product on this checklist with 51,248 ratings. The six-layer construction adds a quilted top and locking layer that the Amazon Basics version does not have. You will pay a small premium for the AKC branding: $22.99 compared to $25.10 for Amazon Basics, though pack sizes vary. If brand reputation matters to you in your puppy supplies, these are a dependable pick.
13. Pet Parents Pawtect Washable Pee Pads
At $18.99 for two washable pads, Pet Parents Pawtect delivers reusable convenience at nearly half the price of the SincoPet alternative.
If you like the idea of reusable pads but the $35.95 SincoPet price gives you pause, Pet Parents Pawtect pads offer a similar concept at $18.99 for a two-pack. The WickQuick fabric pulls moisture away from the surface quickly, keeping paws dry between washes. These also work beyond puppy training: senior dogs, dogs recovering from surgery or any situation where washable protection makes more sense than disposable. At 14,340 reviews with a 4.6-star average, the track record is solid.
14. Solimo Super Absorbent Puppy Pads
Solimo pads are the quiet budget pick for owners who want reliable disposable pads without paying for a name brand. $19.56 and a 4.6-star average is hard to argue with.
Solimo is Amazon's house brand and these puppy pads fly under the radar compared to the Amazon Basics and AKC options. The performance is comparable (same 4.6-star average) at a lower price: $19.56 versus $25.10 for Amazon Basics. If you are buying pads in bulk during those first few months of house training and price is your primary concern, Solimo delivers the best per-pad value on this list. With 16,792 reviews, they have been quietly proving themselves for a long time.
New Puppy Essentials at a Glance
A new puppy needs five things immediately: something safe to chew, a place to go to the bathroom, food formulated for growth, treats for training and a way to stay hydrated on the go. Every product on this list covers one of those needs with a 4.5-star minimum and thousands of verified reviews. Start with the top pick from each category and add from there.
What to Buy First (Priority Order)
If your budget is tight, here is the order to prioritize your new puppy checklist. Start with food, because your puppy needs to eat on day one. Add training pads and treats next, since house training begins immediately. A teething toy like the KONG Puppy comes after that to save your shoes and furniture. Everything else (puzzle toys, water bottles, variety packs) can wait a week or two while you settle in.
For a complete puppy starter kit on a budget, the KONG Puppy ($6.99), Wellness Soft Puppy Bites ($4.49), Stewart Freeze Dried Treats ($3.46) and Solimo Puppy Pads ($19.56) cover the basics for about $34.50 total.
