Trainer Recommended!

The Best Of The Best!

This post is to help everyone determine what are the top notch products to buy for their beloved pooch. Here I will go through as many as I can think of and the good thing is you can buy most of these products at any pet store.

KONG: A Must For Any Dog Owner

If you don't know what a KONG is, you need to do some reading! This (almost) indestructible pet toy is a life saver for many dog owners as it gives the dog mental stimulation and independent play time trying to get the goodies out of the hollowed out middle.

I myself put a tiny bit of peanut butter in it most days for Luna and she sits there for about 30 mins licking it out. If I want her distracted for longer periods of time I will put rice with some soft chewy treats and a little peanut butter to seal the top then freeze it overnight. This provides extra long entertainment, but a little messy.
You can buy KONG and their full line of products at almost any pet store price ranging from $5 - $20 CAD depending on size.

BULLY BONE: Natural Chews

These naturally made bones/chews are GREAT for puppies and dogs with sensitive tummy's. I always recommend this product for any dog who is a destroyer of furniture, why you ask? Dogs look for HARD things to chew as well as SOFT items, by giving the dog a hard, yet edible so it keeps a dogs attention on it longer then a huge smoked knuckle bone which can be dangerous for a dog to chew on.

The chew that you're seeing in the picture is the ONLY one I will recommend to my clients, why? Because it lasts hours upon hours, it's dense and provides long chewing times for even the most aggressive chewers. Don't be fooled by the other bully bones/sticks that are cheaper, they last you 15 mins. Below is the manufacturer for the Healthy K9 Original Beef Chews and their locations in Canada.Please visit their website to see their retailers  http://www.aronpetfood.com/storelist1.html  .
Do not leave your dog alone with this if you know he or she is an aggressive chewer!

CHUCK IT: The 'golden' ball for any ball loving dog

Most likely you've seen people out and about throwing this orange blue lined ball to their dog on a field or park as they're quite popular in the doggy world and you can even buy a extension to be able to throw the ball a long distance. These balls are absolutely indestructible, dogs chew and chew on them and they never break!

This rubber ball is a wonderful alternative to tennis balls as we all know tennis ball fibres can wear down your dog's enamel on their teeth and cause pain.

You can buy these chuck it balls at almost any pet store for around $7 -$10 CAD.

TREAT BALL: The Magic Ball.... as some dogs would think

This orange contraption is called a treat ball, it dispenses kibble or treats as the dog rolls the ball. The purpose of the ball is to keep your dog occupied for long periods of time by slowly releasing the goodies inside for the dog to eat.

This is a great help for dogs who suffer mild separation distress, it keeps their mind busy as you leave and by the time they're done, they're tired from thinking (it's exhausting trying to figure out how to get the food out!).
You can buy these at any Walmart in two different sizes, large and small for around $5 - $12 CAD.

Do not leave your dog alone with this if you know he or she is an aggressive chewer!


PLUSH TOYS: All Dogs Need A Fluffy Buddy!

Soft plush toys are a must for any puppy owner. The soft fabric allows the puppy to soothe the gums by sinking the little sharp teeth into the fabric and letting it massage their gums.
By fulfilling your puppy's every teething needs (giving something hard, something chewy and something soft) the puppy will be much less likely searching out your clothes or furniture to chew on.

For adult dogs plush toys allow redirection of excitement energy onto the toy instead of you or your belongings. Big doggy's like to throw a plush toy in the air and chase after it, practice their pouncing skills and give you their toy to throw just as much as a young dog.

These toys are available at your local Petsmart
Never give an aggressive chewer a fabric toy without supervision, if they try to eat it the cloth can become blocked in their intestines and possibly cause death).

TUG TUG: Tug-a-War Game Is On!

If you've ever watched my Youtube video's you would know how much I encourage tug games with your dog, (secretly I'm teaching people to create dominant dogs according to many trainers).
These toys are absolutely great for playing tug with a dog and as a regular plush play toy. Each end of the toy has a squeaker that really gets dogs going crazy which is better for impulse control when training the leave it cue. You can even find these that allow you to put a empty bottle in which makes it super noisy and that much more fun for the dog.

You can buy these toys at most pet stores price ranging $7 -$14 CAD.

BEDTIME: Best deal for beds

Most of my clients have these beds but I thought I would share my thoughts on them. They're the BEST!
The middle is filled with fluffy filling and sawdust so it always smells good and a plus is the outside is removable so you can wash it easily.

They come in different colors and shapes (rectangular and round) depending on when you go there.

I first bought Luna's bed from there and we had it for 2 years before I decided to donate it and get a new one even though it still had a good 5 years left guaranteed!

Costco sells these in small sizes as well as large sizes price ranging from $20-$40 CAD. http://www.costco.ca

EQUIPMENT: Leashes, collars, harnesses ect.

Equipment is so important when training a dog, having the proper equipment can make training much easier for you and your dog. When you use improper equipment such as prong collars & shock collars you have a ticking bomb at the end of the leash. Retractable leashes will teach your dog to ignore you.

For walking a pulling dog, I recommend a Easy Walk Body Harness, it's a very humane training tool that causes no physical or mental discomfort to the dog. This clips in the front chest area and actually teaches the dog to walk on a loose leash, and when you pair it with loose leash walking training it goes 2 X's as fast! The concept of this tool is every time the dog pulls, he or she is actually going to be pulled sideways, so the dog learns to ease up as soon as he or she feels tension on that leash. Cause it's not that fun walking sideways!


You can buy this at any Pet Smart and some other private pet stores. Don't be fooled by copy cats, make sure it says Gentle Leader EASY WALK.

The only reason for a collar should be for tags and city license if you don't put it on your dogs harness.  I am a person that hates collars and what they represent. I feel as when you put a collar and leash on your dog that you have a master-slave relationship (just my opinion). When Luna was young I did have a collar when we went out with her tags on it just in case something happened and we were separated. Since she was 1 yr old she hasn't worn a collar, only a body harness when we leave home.

Collars can be dangerous for the dog's health and the reason being: when a dog pulls on the leash that is attached to a collar, the pressure being put on the dogs trachea is immense which can strangle the dog, cutting off oxygen to the brain and leading to a collapsed trachea, reactivity, aggression and fears.
If you must have a collar (dogs who door dash or deaf/blind, use a flat buckle collar).

Leather leashes are by far the best! But you can also find great Nylon leashes that are strong and durable but they do get dirty and you will have to clean them.
If you have a puppy, your best bet would be a nylon leash as it's lighter and easier for the puppy to walk with, switch to a leather leash when they're older perhaps.
All leashes are very durable these days so you don't have to worry too much about quality.
For sizes, I prefer a 6ft or 8 ft leash as it allows me to give my dog room to sniff along the side of the road but still close enough to me that if I needed to bring her in quickly, it wouldn't take forever jumbling around a clunky retractable thing.

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