Whether you are in the market for a new harness for dogs or some fun new chew toys to keep them busy, online shopping has you covered. But as with most things, there are a lot of duds on the market too. So we have put together an informative list of the top ten pet accessories for our loyal canines.
Chew Toys
The chew toy is a classic must-have in your canine care kit. While there is a broad selection of shapes and sizes, the most important quality chew toys needs are durability. Unfortunately, that generally means that you are paying for a chew toy that will last an afternoon at best below a certain price point.
Fetch Toys
Fetch toys include various fun toys that your dog can play fetch with on a sunny day. The classics are the Frisby and the ball. The Frisby is great for your high-energy dog breeds like your border collies, while a ball might be better suited to your laid-back bull mastiff.
Rope Toys
Rope toys and similar interactive toys are ideal for working dogs. However, before becoming our close companions, these dogs were bred to do a specific job for hundreds of years. The bull terrier is an excellent example of this.
A rope toy allows for a game of tug that stimulates and fulfills a lot of the same psychological needs as doing a ‘job.’
Pooper Scooper
Walks are great fun and important for a dog’s physical and mental wellbeing. That said, dogs don’t have the social etiquette to ask to go to the loo. At some point, they will relieve themselves on a walk. It is not only good etiquette to clean up after them. In some places, it is the law.
That is why you need a decent pooper scooper. They come in wide varieties, and you can choose which works best for you, but in our opinion, the best scoopers have an attachment that makes bagging easier.
Doggy Bed
It is tempting to let your new pup sleep in bed with you, but it is a very hard habit to break. It’s also a sure-fire way to end up with a 150-pound mastiff pushing you off the bed every night.
Instead of letting things play out that way, you should get your pup used to a doggy bed from as early an age as possible. Various training techniques can help make the process easier.
The Contentious Crate
Many people are against the idea of routinely using a dog crate. Professionals, however, disagree. Most agree that a crate cultivates a sense of security. In addition, there are a couple of use-cases where crate training is invaluable.
One is during house training, where you use the crate to teach your pup not to go in their own space. Another is for dogs with separation anxiety. Many of these benefits go a long way towards solving otherwise overwhelming psychological or behavioral problems in dogs.
A Weather Coat
While getting a little wet has likely never harmed anyone, two or four-legged, getting drenched out in the rain is nobody’s idea of fun. To that end, weather coats are a great investment, and they double as a guard against cold weather.
Training Treats
There is some debate about dog treats. It comes down to how healthy the treats are that you feed them. Reputable companies make treats that your dog will love, all from organic and natural ingredients.
Such treats are ideal for training on the go. However, there are many times when your dog does something right, and you wish you had a way to reward the behavior. Well, how’s about a delicious black soldier fly larvae biscuit?
Proper Food And Water Bowls
If we had to guess which bit of dog miscellanea people put the least thought into, it would have to be food and water bowls. Unfortunately, many people think that any bowl will do, but although it is not a science, one should consider some important specifications.
The Leash And Harness
You will not get far on your walks without a leash and harness. However, that is not the only purpose that these serve. A leash and harness play a major role in essential basic training. But, perhaps most importantly, they are key during the all-important socialization training.
While a pup will outgrow a harness, most are adjustable so that you will likely only ever replace yours once. Just remember that it is very important the harness is a good fit and that the leash is long enough to offer some slack yet strong enough to hold your dog back when you need to.
