So remind me what I need for a puppy?

Chuffy

 I was going to suggest canned pumpkin because I've heard over and over how good it is for the puppy tummy grumps (when he first comes home) but I've not seen it in any shops here!

Waitrose, if you have one there.

 Ah.  No we don't have a Waitrose   Good to know though, it freezes....

Aesop was a pretty low key pup, but Grimmy is more active...smaller dog and the terrier part, I guess. We've used carpet cleaner for those unexpected piddles, lots of toys (Grimm likes the stuffed ones best)..he'll entertain himself for nearly an hour flipping one around and fetching it..chewies..right now he's got pressed rawhide, since I'm not giving him anything raw until his digestive system fully recovers..he'll get frozen raw bones in a month or so. He loves his chews and will sit there for quite some time chewing them.

And of course, patience...and relearn the sidestep to avoid smooshing an underfoot puppy

Patience Love and a sense of humor.

Spot cleaner, restraints and alcohol help a LOT....but without the first three you are sunk.........................

Bonita of Bwana

An excellent quality botle of your fav liquor, or SEVERAL bottles of an excellent wine for those moments when you are ready to ship him back.  This is for YOU to mellow out, not to drug him.  LOL

 LOL @ the alcohol suggestion. 

I never had a moment when I wanted to send Ben back, but I suppose it's too much to ask for that that will happen twice in a row LOL.  

a doggie bed and blankets to cover your carseats for the first trip home/to the vet because young dogs don't always do so well in the car, and things *can* run out of a crate?

 Lots of old towels/blankets etc for his crate, and a large one to drape OVER the crate to make it more like a den.  A quiet ticking clock and heat pad to put in his crate for the first few nights... or a Snuggle Puppy   (sorry I couldn't find one on dog.com)

 Towels and blankets...yes, I think I'll just head to a charity shop for those, I think I've tossed all the ones Ben used as a puppy.  Ticking clock I have, heat pad I don't...Ben was odd and preferred the cold as a puppy. 

LOL don't worry about not being able to find one at dog.com.  I think Pets at Home sell something like that, anyway.

He'll be travelling home in a car harness in the back seat, with me next to him, and I think I donated Ben's puppy-sized harness to the RSPCA when he grew out of it, so I need to replace that too. 

 OK, she's reminded me of what she feeds, so that's all good.  We discussed scent boxes and that's no problem either, except she told me "I am always happy to do that as long as you don't have any precious ideas about what the state of the object(s) will be when you get them back" LOL.  So not my favourite jumper from Monsoon, I think. ;)  I'll take stuff down when I go to visit the puppies at 4-5 weeks.

I also got an approximate collar size from her for a collar to bring the puppy home in, if for some reason it doesn't fit when we get there I'll be armed with a slip lead, too.  

Little Green Machine, the portable little carpet cleaner. Can't imagine having dogs without one.

Benedict

"I am always happy to do that as long as you don't have any precious ideas about what the state of the object(s) will be when you get them back"

Will you send the pup something that smells of you (that doesn't have to come back), AND something for the breeder to put in the bed to send home with the pup? 

Chuffy

something for the breeder to put in the bed to send home with the pup? 

She always does that herself, so I can just handle the providing of something that smells like us, and she'll send him home with a cuddly toy which smells like mum. :)

I just plan on taking an old towel and maybe a toy of Ben's that he doesn't play with anymore.   I'll lay the towel out under my pillow for a night, and let Ben take a nap on it. 

 I've never done that part of the scent swap before... I've always just asked for a bit of old bedding so the pup has something that smells like home.  But it's such a good idea, and I will do it next time round.  When is the best time to send the breeder your towel?  Surely if you send it too early he won't "remember" the smell anyway?

Chuffy

When is the best time to send the breeder your towel?

That's actually a really good question.  I should do some reading up on that, but luckily March is the best month of the year in this respect.  I'll likely visit the puppies the weekend before or the weekend after Crufts, I'll also see her there and a few weeks later at another show (near the end of March) and if none of those turn out to be the ideal time, I'll just post it to her or go for another visit. 

Food for thought, though...very good question!