Americans are estimated to spend over $60 billion on pets in 2016* and I believe it. When we first got Fred I wanted to buy ALL THE GEAR despite the fact that he is a dog and he doesn’t care whether he looks handsome in his leather collar or not. After we added Sophie to our family I used it as an excuse to buy even more dog stuff. Fleece jacket? Of course! She is skinny and therefore freezing. Another two dog beds? We need two on each floor! And we need hooks and containers to organize all the dog stuff! Don’t even get me started on the pet isle in Home Goods.
All that dog gear can really add up so lately I’ve been trying to stick to what we use regularly instead of hitting up PetSmart for some cleaning supplies and leaving with dog life jackets that look like a shark. It took me a while, but I’ve finally determined what dog gear works for us and what we don’t need. Let me preface this list by mentioning that dog products can be controversial and I don’t doubt that some dog owners will disagree with me on some of these things. This roundup is simply based on my personal experience with each product and you should read all labels and warnings to determine what works for your canine family.
1. Kong Classic Dog Toy – The Kong has been our go-to treat toy when it comes to tackling Fred’s separation anxiety. Every night we fill two Kongs with various treats and peanut butter or pumpkin and put them in the freezer. In the morning when we leave for work, both dogs get Kongs in their crates. Fred loves them so much that he stands near the freezer every morning waiting for me to tell him it’s “Kong time.”
2. Freedom No Pull Harness – This is the first harness I got for Fred. It doesn’t exactly prevent him from pulling, but it’s a good front-clip option that doesn’t irritate his underarms and I like that I have the option to hook a leash to his back as well (which works better with two dogs on a leash). While this isn’t the harness we use every day anymore (see below), it is what I put him in if we are going for longer car rides or we are going to a place like the vet or doggie daycare where I want to be able to unleash him easily.
3. Harness Lead – This clever lead is a harness and leash all in one. They advertise it as “escape-resistant” because it tightens around a dog’s chest when they pull and makes it extremely difficult for the dog to back out of it. I think of it kind of like a Chinese finger trap. We got one for Sophie because she was quite thin and a bit skittish around city noises when we first got her. I worried that my little speed demon would get spooked by a loud truck, back out of her harness, and we’d never see her again. We got one for Fred too because I find it easier to walk two dogs on back-attaching harnesses rather than front clips. It’s also one-size fits all, so it’s great if you foster dogs regularly or you want one harness that works from puppy through adulthood.
4. Nylabone Dura Chew – Sophie is a chewer, and while Fred will rip apart a plush toy and leave the stuffing for me to clean up, we learned quickly that Sophie will actually eat the stuffing. Nylabones satisfy her chewing instinct and let me breathe easier knowing she won’t end up at the vet with a belly full of polyester. They are pretty much the only toy I buy for them now. We also have a couple West Paw Zogoflex toys, which are supposed to be easier on a dog’s teeth, but I find that our dogs don’t seem quite as interested in them.
5. Bully Sticks – While Fred isn’t a big chewer, he is OBSESSED with treats. After reading about the hazards associated with traditional rawhides, we stock Bully Sticks to keep the hounds busy while we need to get something done. They can be pricey, especially if you buy them at a pet supply store, so we order ours in bulk on Amazon.com.
6. Mendota 6′ Snap Leash – We have one of these leashes for each dog and use them when we’re not using the Harness Lead. They are soft on our hands and I like the classic look of the brass clasp and leather details.
7. Mendota Rolled Leather Collar – Once we determined that we never walk either dog on their collars, we ditched the nylon martingale collars in favor of a rolled leather collar. I’ve been really happy with the Mendota quality and I like the way Fred’s markings look with leather.
8. Stainless Steel Water/Food Bowl – When it comes to dog bowls, I like to stick with the tried and true, simple stainless steel. We have one food bowl for each dog and a water bowl that stays out for both dogs.
9. Zuke’s Naturals Mini Treats – These training treats were recommended by our dog trainer and we get four bags of them delivered every month through Amazon subscribe and save. We have two jars full of them downstairs and one in our bedroom, and use them all the time to do basic training and reinforce our house rules. I also mix them with high value treats and use them on walks to work on our loose leash walking and stop-and-sits. And we may or may not toss Fred treats from the kitchen table to keep him in his spot during meals…
10. Glass Jars – We bought super affordable jars from Ikea to store our Zuke’s treats and other assorted dog treats. Unfortunately they don’t seem to sell the exact ones we have anymore, but these jars are similar and appear to function just as well.
11. Dog Monitor App – When we first got Fred, he had a lot of separation anxiety and barked like crazy when we left the house. The Dog Monitor App was a quick, budget-friendly solution that allowed us to know how long Fred was barking and check in on him while we were gone. It doesn’t require any special equipment and works by using the camera on my laptop. I can link it to my phone and Kyle’s and check in on them whenever I’m away.
12. Fire Hydrant Waste Bag Dispenser – If you have to clean up after your dog, you might as well have a sense of humor about it.
13. Carabiner – Rather than use the tiny clip that comes with the waste bag dispenser, I use a larger, more secure carabiner to attach the dispenser and our house key to a leash when we head out on walks (poop bag dispenser keychain FTW).
14. Memory Foam Dog Bed – OK, I know this is not the cutest dog bed option. But these dog beds function much better than any of the cute ones I’ve picked up elswhere (and until I can afford a couple cute ones from Janery). Kyle makes fun of me because I won’t buy a dog bed without performing the “sit test”. I pull the bed of the shelf and sit on it myself, and if my butt hits the floor, the bed fails the test. My reasoning is that in order to keep the dogs off the furniture, a dog bed needs to be a comfortable alternative. If my butt sinks to the floor then Fred’s body probably will too, so how could I blame them for preferring the sofa? This dog bed is made of chipped memory foam so it provides plenty of support for the dogs while allowing them to burrow in it a little. The cover is removable and washable and the bottom of it doesn’t attract dog hair like a magnet. We have two in our bedroom and I’m *this close* to buying another to replace the gross one in the living room.
15. Wire Crate – I hope that some day we’ll have dogs that live life outside the crate while we’re gone but for now the hounds are crated while we’re gone. If you can plan ahead before picking up your dog, Amazon basics offers affordable options with two doors, making your crate placement a little more flexible (because who are we kidding, those crates are kind of a pain in the butt).
16. Baby Gate – Sophie had a little trouble with house training when we brought her home. As I mentioned, she’s also a chewer. The baby gate was critical to keeping her in the same room as us so that we could ensure her success with housetraining and keep her from chewing on things that aren’t hers’. After wrestling with a traditional wooden baby gate for a couple weeks, I purchased the Regalo option, which stays in place and allows us to open and close a gate as we walk through it. It’s kind of ugly but not as ugly as finding a mysterious wet spot in the middle of your bed (I’m looking at you Sophie).
17. You & Me Chewsy Snoozer Comfort Dog Mat – Both our dogs have this mat in their crates. They don’t really live up to their name in terms of being chew proof (I had to sew Sophie’s back together along some seems) but I love them because they are one piece, meaning I can throw the whole thing in the wash in the evening, leave them out overnight and they will be dry by morning.
18. Nature’s Miracle Stain and Odor Remover – Nature’s Miracle is an enzymatic cleaner, and it’s extremely effective in breaking down pet stains and odors. We’ve managed to get through a year with a single bottle of the regular odor eliminator and a bottle of the hardwood floor cleaner. We use it to clean up any accidents or other unfortunate pet-related stains. I also leave a bottle at my parents’ house in case we have any mishaps while visiting.
19. Dryer Sheets – Someone in our City Dogs Rescue alumni network recommended throwing blankets covered in dog hair in the dryer with a dryer sheet prior to de-dog them and is has been a life saver. Now we throw any blankets that have been on the dogs’ beds or in their crates in the dryer with a couple dryer sheets before we put them in the wash and it’s cut way down on the amount of dog hair in the washing machine. It’s also a quick way to freshen up the throws in our living room and rid them of a lot of dog hair in between washes.
20. iRobot Roomba 880 – The Roomba was a splurge but one I consider well worth it. Both our dogs shed quite a bit despite their short hair. Our living room rug is the nightly stage for canine Wrestlemania, the dog hair was getting out of control. I was vacuuming at least every other day and it was a huge pain in the butt. Now the Roomba runs every day while we’re at work and it’s a little horrifying how much hair I empty from it every day. It doesn’t fully replace an upright vacuum but certainly helps keep the dog hair under control on a day-to-day basis, which is exactly what we needed. I also love letting it run in our bedroom where it can get underneath our bed and clean much better than I can with our ball vacuum.
21. Dyson Ball Animal Upright Vacuum – The main reason I love this vacuum is the tangle-free turbine tool, which is a spinning attachment that works magic with dog hair on upholstery. Our dogs are only allowed on one chair in the house, but their hair still seems to end up everywhere. It’s also great at getting human hair off a rug without getting it all tangled in the belt (I’m not the only person who has that problem, right?).
22. Swiffer Sweep and Vac – The Swiffer Vac is the third in our arsenal of vacuums fighting the ongoing war against dog hair in our home. It’s great for our hardwood stairs and other areas the Roomba doesn’t get every day, like our laundry room and upstairs hallway.
Wishlist
While we clearly have quite a collection of dog gear, there are a few things that I really wish we had for the dogs, all related to their safety. We are saving for each item and I look forward to having a bit more peace of mind as we purchase each one.
1. Whistle GPS Pet Tracker – My heart breaks every time I hear of someone looking for a lost pet, and I want us to have the best chance at locating one of our hounds if they slip out the door. We are working very hard to train the hounds to wait for our release before they go through the door, but it will be a while before that training is close to 100%.
2. Nest Cam Security Camera – The Dog Monitor App is a great budget option for monitoring a pet, but running it all day drains my battery and uses lots of data so I keep it closed and use it to check in occasionally. One evening, after spending a few hours at my parents’ house, I turned on my dog monitor to hear Sophie crying almost non-stop. It was dark outside so I couldn’t see her crate on the video. When I got home I found that she had gotten sick and pooped in the middle of her crate. To avoid laying in her mess, my little lady squished her body up against the front of the crate and sat like that crying for an undetermined amount of time. I still feel terrible knowing that she may have sat like that for hours crying for help. The NestCam sends push alerts when it detects a noise, and it also has night vision, both of which would’ve enabled me to see the problem so much sooner and get home to resolve the problem.
3. Nest Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm – We have basic wireless smoke and carbon monoxide throughout our house, but none of them will save the hounds unless we’re home. Getting an alert on our phones that carbon monoxide or smoke have been detected in the house could give us an opportunity to save their lives in an emergency.
This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own and based on my personal experience with each individual product.