The new puppy starter kit.

Light enough on the jaw for milk teeth, satisfying enough to actually work. The braided bully sticks come first — softer fibers than a single twist, easier on teeth that are still falling out, gone in 20 minutes which is exactly how long a puppy can focus. The yak cheese chew lasts longer once teething starts to settle, and it's the only chew in this kit your puppy can finish in a single sitting and not feel sick.

The double diner is sized down — a 1/2-pint, not the full 3-quart we recommend for adults. Small bowls for small mouths. Stainless because plastic stains and absorbs smells faster than a puppy can outgrow it. The honey-flavored yak cheese is the reward bar — for crate training, for the first vet visit, for the first time they sleep through the night. Not a chew, a moment.

And one thing that isn't a chew. A small rope ball — jute fiber, hand-stitched at our Kanpur workshop — for the throw-and-fetch part of the day. Puppies need to bite, and they also need to carry. The rope handles the second job and rests their teeth from the first. Light enough to drag around, tough enough to survive a 10-week-old's first ninety days.

Skip the rawhide. Skip the stuffed Kong with peanut butter. Both are good for older dogs and overrated for puppies. This is the kit for the first ninety days. Then come back.

— Sarah, Pack Lead