The holiday season is upon us! Today we’re going to spotlight a few of our favorite products. These are products that we find to be good quality, durable doggie favorites. There are thousands of toys and treats out there for your dog, and like everything in life, some are better than others. Let’s begin…
Treats
One of our favorite treats are made by Stella and Chewy’s and are called Carnivore Crunch. They are an all natural freeze dried treat. Why are they great for dog training? These treats are easy to break into smaller so you can be quick on the draw when your dog earns a reward. We have a lot of dogs coming into the training center, and they all seem to enjoy these treats- even on dogs that don’t usually like treats.
Chews
The next product that we love are bully sticks. Bully sticks are an odor and mess free option for giving your dog something to chew. While they are a bit on the pricey side, they are worth every penny. They keep our dogs busy for hours. Unlike rawhide, which can be contaminated and hard for dogs to digest, bully sticks are processed and digested much like a dog’s own food. Knuckle bones (and other bone treats) can break into pieces that your dog could choke on. Avoid the risk, mess and smell of bones and see how your dog takes to bully sticks.
Toys
Every dog prefers a different type of toy, but we’ll try to cover enough ground for the pickiest of players. For those looking for a great soft dog toy, we recommend Tuffy’s toys. They are more durable than your typical stuffed dog toy and come in a great variety of sizes, colors, and shapes. While they aren’t a match for a dog who likes to chew, they are a great alternative to some of the other stuffing-filled toys on the market. For those who love to retrieve, the Chuckit! is a great option. It comes with a launcher that allows you to throw your dogs ball without having to coat your hand in drool, dirt and leaves. We recommend that you opt for the rubber Chuckit! Ultra Ball and not a traditional tennis ball. While some dogs do great with tennis balls, they can easily be chewed and ingested, and the material on the tennis ball can work to wear your dog’s teeth down (of course this would only happen over a long period of time).
One of our all-time favorites is the Kong. There are many products out there now that are similar to the Kong. The Kong is a great durable, multi-use product. Our dogs love to run around with Kong, and it can also be filled and frozen with whatever treats you choose. However, let us mention that Kong is not indestructible like many think! Yes, we have seen dogs chew them into pieces. Our personal recommendation is that toys should be used to play with your dog, not given to your dog to chew apart and be left roaming around the house with. By picking up your dog’s toys when they are not playing with them they will last a lot longer, and your dog will be much more interested in them when they come out! Save the chewing for the bully sticks!