Hi there! Haven't been online in a while, so forgive me that I don't know much about you and your sweet  dog.

I'd recommend having a some layers of sheets on his bed, along with a few puppy pads.

I'm not sure if he's spending the night with the vet after the operation, but my pup came home the same day and was pretty doped up that first night. She relieved herself right where she lay - after surgery it's always good news when a dog eliminates - but I sure was glad that I had those pads underneath her bottom. It made clean up a lot easier and I just pulled the layer out from underneath her to reveal a fresh sheet with another puppy pad underneath it!

This also helps if there's any oozing so that you can easily have a clean surface under him whenever you need. Especially because there are two of you, it will probably be a little bit easier to manage. I did this after both of my dog's surgeries - when she had her front leg removed and then later when she had her hind knee repaired.

The T-shirt is always high on my list of recommendations, along with irresistible treats for pain medication. Peanut butter, cheese, something your dog loves! Not all pups are pill champ like my Izzy. She'd take the pill by itself as if it was the treat ... as long as I had something else in my hand as a chaser! 

Hope all goes smoothly!

Amy and the cutest, silliest bulldog ever, Izzy

Things we couldn’t have gone without:

*Raised food/water bowls

*A t-shirt, as suggested by everyone. I went with a short sleeve dri fit shirt, and it seems to be very comfortable. Definitely use a hair tie to bunch it up on bottom and keep the shirt tight to the body. Through the first week, at least, Sass has shown zero interest in the incision, so there’s been no need for the cone yet. The shirt covers it. I assume we’ll move into the cone when the hair starts to grow back and there’s itching 

*Carpet runners on the hardwood floor for a path.  Sounds like you’ve got it handled with mats/rugs

*Wagon: we live in an apartment and it’s a decent walk to get outside. It’s pretty draining for Sass to make the trek, so I make her ride in the wagon. She refuses to ride it back inside so I let her walk on her own to our door 

*Training treats: motivation is key. Sometimes snacks help 🙂

Things I got but don’t really need yet:

*Traction booties. I’m gonna let her get used to having 3 legs before asking her to also wear shoes. They’ll get used eventually I’m sure 

*Ruffwear harness : I’m not going to put this on until she’s healed up and the staples are out. 

**the grocery bag sling to help them potty is a great idea, but our dog refused to use it. Still glad I made one, though. 

Also, as has been mentioned, seems like the crying all night is pretty normal early on. Sass cried all of nights 1, 2 and 3, but has been pretty quiet since (although she’s snoring extremely loud right now)

Good luck!