The Australian Shepherd puppy essentials we used with Kai fit on one line: a MidWest iCrate with the divider in, a Snuggle Puppy that smelled like his mom, Regalo gates on the doorways, a Fida slip lead and then a 2 Hounds Freedom harness, a KONG Classic and a bag of Bocce’s Quack training bites. Seven things, all Kai-tested, and this page runs through them in the order you’ll need them in week one: crate and first nights, house setup, walks, chewing, training.
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Kai is my red merle Australian Shepherd, born July 2024. Aussie puppies explore with teeth and speed, and the gear that mattered most for us was containment, sleep, walking hardware and food. If you’re working out what to buy for an Australian Shepherd puppy, start with the crate and work down. Gates came after Kai was home.
Aussie puppy supplies checklist, in order
- Before pickup: crate set up with the divider in, Snuggle Puppy (sent to the breeder ahead of time if you can), soft training bites, a collar with an ID tag, the same food the breeder used, poop bags and enzyme cleaner.
- Night one: crate close to where you sleep, Snuggle Puppy inside it, last potty trip, lights down.
- First days: slip lead for the first walks, a KONG after walks for the off-switch, treats in your pocket for every rep.
- Once you know which rooms he’ll own: gates on the doorways.
- When walks move to the sidewalk: the Freedom harness. The collar stays on for tags.
The seven Kai-tested picks
Kai’s home crate. I crate trained him with the divider in and moved it back as he grew, so you don’t buy two crates. His is the 42 inch. Check single vs double door on the listing.
Honest flaw: it’s a wire crate, so it isn’t built for a dog who is set on getting out. Good crate training matters more than the crate, and no crate replaces a walk.
Before Kai came home I sent it to his breeder in Virginia so it could stay with his mom and pick up her scent. It went into his crate for those first nights, and he still loves it.
Honest flaw: the battery pack is the part that fails first, so keep a spare. It’s for comfort. It won’t tire out a herding puppy, and you retire it once he’s past the need.
Kai’s hallway and kitchen doorways have the same 36 inch Regalo. Extra tall so growing hips don’t treat the top rail like a challenge, and walk-thru so the gate stays up while people pass.
Honest flaw: it won’t tire him, and it doesn’t replace training or the crate. It just holds the doorway so a high-drive puppy can’t turn every charger into a job.
Kai’s puppy-era walks were on this rope slip lead. We have it in grey and blue, the same lead, so pick the color on Amazon.
Honest flaw: it loops the neck. It’s not a harness and it’s not a clip leash. For sidewalk walks we switched to the Freedom harness.
Kai’s daily walk harness. The front clip gives you steering when an Aussie invents a job mid-block.
Honest flaw: it isn’t chew-proof. Kai has chewed through a few. The 2 Hounds chew warranty (a small fee per replacement) sends a new one, and it’s well worth it.
Kai’s busy toy. Natural rubber, stuffable. A KONG after walks helps the off-switch, and frozen it becomes crate-time work.
Honest flaw: it’s for holding and chewing, not a chase. Supervise it like any chew and retire it once it’s chewed through.
Soft duck-and-blueberry bites, small enough to mark fast. Everyday volume. Break and mark.
Honest flaw: treats ride on top of meals, so keep the pieces small and count them. It’s the everyday bite. When the ask got harder, Kai got a higher-value beef bite instead.
Side by side
| Pick | Week-one job | When you need it | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| MidWest iCrate | Sleep, naps, safe spot | Set up before pickup, divider in | Wire crate, not for a dog set on getting out |
| SmartPetLove Snuggle Puppy | Comfort in the crate | Before pickup, so it can go to the breeder | Battery pack fails first, keep a spare |
| Regalo Extra Tall gate | Hold the doorways | After homecoming, once you know the rooms | Won’t tire him, doesn’t replace training |
| Fida slip lead | First training walks | First days | Loops the neck, not a harness |
| 2 Hounds Freedom harness | Sidewalk walks, front-clip steering | When walks move to the sidewalk | Not chew-proof, use the chew warranty |
| KONG Classic | Hold and chew, off-switch | First days, after walks | Not a chase toy, retire when chewed through |
| Bocce’s Quack bites | Training reps | Day one | Soft everyday bite, count it against meals |
Check each listing for sizes.
How to choose puppy gear for an Aussie
Buy the crate for the adult dog, not the puppy
Buy for adult length. Put the divider in now and move it back as he fills out. If he can’t lie flat on his side, it’s too small. If he pees in the back, bring the divider forward. A standard Aussie lands somewhere around 40 to 65 lb as an adult, and a mini Aussie (Miniature American Shepherd) is smaller. Kai’s is the 42 inch. Check the listing against your own dog. Sizing notes are on the MidWest iCrate for Australian Shepherds review.
Something that smells like home
The Snuggle Puppy only works the way it did for us if it gets to the breeder before pickup, so it can pick up the mom’s scent. That heartbeat toy mattered more than any blanket on Kai’s first nights. The full story is on the Snuggle Puppy for Australian Shepherds page.
Gates: tall and walk-thru
An Aussie grows into a dog that treats a short gate like a challenge, and short pressure bars he can duck do not last. Go extra tall and walk-thru, with the same gate on every doorway so the rule is the same everywhere. Ours came after Kai was home. Fit notes are on the Regalo gate for Australian Shepherds review.
Slip lead first, harness for the sidewalk
Kai’s puppy-era walks were on the Fida slip lead for Australian Shepherds. It’s a rope slip lead for training walks, and it loops the neck, so it isn’t the tool for a dog who pulls. For sidewalk walks we switched to the 2 Hounds Freedom harness for Australian Shepherds. A harness avoids neck fights with a puller, and the front clip gives you steering when an Aussie invents a job mid-block.
Harness fit on a double coat
Too loose and he can back right out of it. Too tight and it rubs. Check the belly strap and the front ring before you clip on. Fit-check after growth spurts and again after a coat blow, and tighten it if it’s gone loose. Clip to the front ring, and skip the collar for leash training on the sidewalk. The collar stays on for tags and license.
Treats: small, soft and fast
Small and fast to deliver is the goal. Soft bites suit high-rep learning. Break the bites small. Treats ride on top of meals, so count them. The brand page is the Bocce’s Quack treats for Australian Shepherds review.
How to use them in week one
Before pickup
Set the crate up with the divider in and practice with the door open before the first closed night. Cords up, shoes put away, trash behind a door, chewables out of reach. Stage the boring stuff too: enzyme cleaner, paper towels, poop bags by the door, a trash can with a lid.
First nights
Crate close to where you sleep. Last potty trip, quiet house, Snuggle Puppy in the crate, lights down. Take him out for business only, leash on, no play tour, then back in the crate. Don’t open the door in the middle of the screaming, or he learns that screaming opens doors. A cover helps some nights. My first-night notes are on first night home with your Australian Shepherd puppy.
Crate during the day
Door open. Treats tossed in. Meals near the crate, then in it. Short closed-door moments with you sitting nearby. Pay for quiet. Daytime naps in the crate beat an over-tired landshark. A stuffed KONG helped some of Kai’s sessions. The full method is on how to crate train your Australian Shepherd puppy.
House setup
Once the gates go up, one rule: unsupervised means gated. Approved toys inside, and shoes, cords, trash and plant soil outside.
Chewing and boredom
Rotate a few chew-safe toys instead of piling them up. A KONG after walks helps the off-switch, and frozen it becomes crate-time work. Kai’s page on it is the KONG Classic for Australian Shepherds review.
Training reps
Keep bites in your pocket from day one. Pay for quiet in the crate, for sitting at the gate, for a loose leash. Gear helps training. It doesn’t replace it.
What not to buy, and what failed
Day one needs a short list of gear that works, not a cart full of gadgets. The things that didn’t make Kai’s list: a retractable leash for a baby Aussie, novelty gadgets that promise a trained dog without reps, and a bin of squeakers. Short pressure-bar gates he can duck do not last, which is why both of Kai’s doorways have the same extra-tall walk-thru.
The Freedom harness isn’t chew-proof. Kai has chewed through a few, and the chew warranty replaced them. Separate story: the clip on a long orange leash failed after about six months while it was clipped to this harness. That was the leash. The harness held.
FAQ: Australian Shepherd puppy essentials
What do I need before bringing home an Australian Shepherd puppy?
A crate with a divider, set up before pickup. A Snuggle Puppy, sent to the breeder ahead of time if you can. Soft training bites, a collar with an ID tag, the same food the breeder used, poop bags and enzyme cleaner. Gates and a harness can come in the days after.
What size crate does an Australian Shepherd puppy need?
Buy for adult length and use the divider. Put it in now and move it back as he fills out. If he can’t lie flat on his side, it’s too small. If he pees in the back, bring the divider forward. Kai’s is the 42 inch MidWest iCrate, but check the listing against your own dog.
Do I need puppy gates on day one?
No. Our Regalo gates came after Kai was home. Supervise and crate first. When you do buy gates, go extra tall and walk-thru, because short pressure bars an Aussie can duck do not last.
Slip lead or harness for an Aussie puppy?
Kai’s puppy-era walks were on the Fida slip lead, a rope slip lead for training walks. For sidewalk walks we switched to the 2 Hounds Freedom harness. The slip lead loops the neck and isn’t a harness. The harness avoids neck fights with a puller. The collar stays on for tags either way.
Does the Snuggle Puppy actually help?
It helped Kai. We sent it to his breeder before pickup so it carried his mom’s scent into his first crate nights, and he still loves it. It’s for comfort, not exercise. The battery pack is the part that fails first, so keep a spare, and retire it once he’s past the need.
What can wait until after the first week?
Gates, if you supervise closely. Coat tools, because puppy weeks only need a gentle brush. A long line for recall work, once he’s ready for distance. Every enrichment toy on the internet. A sleep routine, a safe spot and a way to walk him that doesn’t teach pulling matter more.
Related guides
- How to crate train your Australian Shepherd puppy, the settle steps.
- First night home with your Australian Shepherd puppy, night one for us.
- MidWest iCrate for Australian Shepherds, the divider trick in full.
- 2 Hounds Freedom harness for Australian Shepherds, the chew warranty story.
- Australian Shepherd gear Kai uses, everything else that lasted and broke.