Preparation for a new puppy

It's starting to feel really real. We got the paperwork from Adopt A Lab, scheduled the pickup, and bought TONS of puppy supplies. Our bundle of puppyjoy will be here in just a few days! For anyone who's wondering what you may need for a new puppy, here's a handy list of everything we bought:

1. A crate. There are two different types of crates. If you're going to be traveling with your dog (putting her on a plane, for instance), you'll want to use this kind:
   
   but if you're planning to use the crate mostly at home, this kind is better (it lets her see out more so she doesn't feel like she's being punished):
   
   
2. Food. Your new puppy will need something to eat! If possible, find out what food she's already eating (from wherever you're getting her from, whether it's a breeder or shelter, etc.) and get the exact same one. You can transition her later to something else if you want, but you don't want to change her diet suddenly. In our case, we bought Eagle Pack Puppy Formula, which is what Adopt A Lab feeds their puppies.
   
3. A food container. This isn't strictly necessary, but it'll keep the food fresh, plus it'll keep your puppy and bugs from getting into the open food bag.
   
4. A collar. Your new puppy might come with a collar, but she might not -- and anyway, you'll probably want to get her a stronger one for when she starts to grow. If you're getting a larger breed like we are, you'll want to get one that can grow so that you don't have to buy a new collar every month.
   
5. A leash. Nowadays they make these fancy collars with two hand loops in them for ease of training your dog to heel. Brilliant! For your first leash, don't get one of those retractable ones. Those can come later, if/when your dog is trained and isn't too strong to break one of those. More important is a sturdy leather one.
   
   
6. Food dishes. The kind you'll want to get will depend on the breed. For small breeds, any cutesy thing you see will be fine. For larger breeds, like our puppy, you're going to end up needing heavier bowls anyway, so you might as well get the good stuff to begin with. These stainless steel bowls are a failsafe for any dog and any owner. They will last the dog's entire lifetime -- it's a worthwhile investment.
   
7. Toys! We got our puppy a variety of toys so that she can have some soft things to tear apart but also some stronger things that'll last years without falling apart. Some toys will help your puppy's teeth by preventing placque and making their gums stronger, so make sure you get at least one of those, even if you can't afford (or don't see the need for) other store-bought toys.
   
8. A brush. For puppies, you'll want to get one with soft or rubber bristles so they don't hurt your puppy's sensitive skin.
   
   
9. Cleaning supplies. Not sure these really need to be explained...
   
   
   

Those are all the bare essentials, I think. Later on you can worry about things like dog toothbrushes and ear drops and shampoo -- or you can get them ahead of time like I did if you really want to strain your bank account balance. PHEW. I'm exhausted just thinking about all the work we've already done for this puppy. It'll all be worth it once she's here!

Did I miss any essentials? Do you disagree with my assertions? Let me know in the comments!