We asked WDJ’s contributors for their recommendations for “things they can’t imagine living without” in their dog-care kits – their favorite dog toys, training tools, and treats. Here are some of the products that made their lists of things that they must have for their dogs.
MIGHTY PAW SMART BELL 2.0
Price: $30
When I adopted a young Beagle from a lab, I knew that I was in for a potty training challenge. Cienna spent the first eight months of her life peeing indoors. It was immediately apparent that when not crated, she had no concept of “holding it” or going to a particular location to relieve herself. She would happily squat wherever she was as soon as she felt the urge. Her last potty could have been three hours or five minutes prior, it didn’t matter. There was no schedule and she had no care in the world.
Even after acclimating her to the outdoors, treating her every time she happened to potty outside, and designating a potty spot that she used (on cue!) as soon as we got outside, she displayed no natural indicators of needing to go out. So I taught her to lay down to ask for things, and she started laying down at the door when she needed to potty! This was a huge breakthrough for her. The problem was, our front door was out of sight, and if we didn’t notice her heading to the door, she would have an accident.
I needed to teach her how to communicate in a way that was glaringly obvious to us. The Mighty Paw Smart Bell was the solution. This device has two parts: an oversized “activator” that your dog will touch and a receiver with a flashing light and a speaker that plays tones or songs (there are 38 tone/song options and four volume settings) when the button is touched. Instead of something that makes noise near the door (like bells hanging on the door), you plug the receiver into a regular wall outlet where you are most likely to hear it; it can be as far as 1,000 feet from the activator/transmitter button!
In five repetitions, Cienna learned to hit the activator successfully. Within five minutes, she learned to touch it when we were out of sight. As soon as she demonstrated the ability to do this, we had a system. Every time she hit the activator button, I would grab high-value treats from the fridge and take her straight out to her potty spot. After she relieved herself, she got the special goods. By the next day, she was using the button for this purpose regularly.
With the built-in adhesive on the activator, you can stick it on the floor so your dog can hit it with her paw, or stick it to a wall or door so she can boop it with her nose; it’s easy to depress from any angle. Sound-sensitive dogs will appreciate having the speaker separate from the activator – and hearing-impaired owners will appreciate the flashing-light feature. You can buy additional activator buttons if your want your dog to be able to alert you from more than one door – and additional receivers, too! There’s no limit as to how many activators or receivers can be synced together. I can’t recommend this device highly enough. The Mighty Paw Smart Bell saved my sanity – and my floors!
– Lauren Novack, MS ABA, ACDBC
ANIMAL ESSENTIALS – SEADENT
Price: $18
It’s a challenge to keep our dogs’ breath sweet, teeth strong, and gums healthy, but these two products affect the oral microbiome, improving the dog’s ability to fight plaque and bacteria in the mouth without using disinfecting chemicals.
Animal Essentials SeaDent is an oral supplement that helps improve a dog’s breath and prevent dental problems. Its five plant enzymes, including lysozyme, combine with Norwegian kelp (Laminaria digitata) to control plaque and tartar, thus reducing the risk of gum disease. SeaDent’s digestive and antibacterial enzymes remove plaque by breaking down food particles trapped between teeth and under the gum lines. SeaDent powder is sprinkled onto the dog’s food once or twice per day. A 70-gram jar can last a small dog several months.
– CJ Puotinen
TEEF FOR LIFE – PROTEKTIN42
Price: $27 FOR 30 SERVINGS
Protektin42, a dental probiotic for dogs, was invented by a microbiologist after she almost lost her dog to a blood infection caused by periodontal disease. Added in small amounts to a dog’s drinking water, Protektin42’s beneficial bacteria slow the growth of pathogens above and below the gum line. The dental kit for dogs can be ordered with powder packets for 30, 60, or 90 servings, with refills available for storing in the kit’s glass jar. A sodium-free kidney-care version is also available.
– CJ Puotinen
VOYAGER K9 WINTER COAT
Price: $101 – $207
I grew up with Irish Setters in Buffalo, New York, a place famous for its long, cold, snowy winters. As a born and raised Western New Yorker, I’ve always been used to bundling up to go outside. But coats on dogs? Totally unnecessary. That was for frou-frou owners who treated their dogs like babies.
Then as an adult in NYC I adopted Grayson, a mixed-breed dog with a short coat who started shivering when it hit 40 degrees. Well, that would not do. I now had to walk a dog who wore a coat, but I couldn’t find anything that fit him. If he was going to wear clothes, I needed it to cover his whole body and provide actual warmth! He was long and thin, so most of what I tried on him went only halfway down his back, and putting his paws through tiny little arm holes was frankly a huge pain in the you know what.
Then I found Voyagers K9 Apparel. Voyagers makes breed-specific dog coats and custom fit made-to-measure coats. They are well designed, requiring no finagling to get on your pup. The coat goes over the dog’s head and two straps hug the belly and Velcro to the opposite side. No paw handling necessary. If your pup wears a harness, Voyagers can put an opening at the top for your leash attachment.
There’s a fleece turtleneck that can come up over the dog’s ears on extra cold days. The inner shell is fleece-lined, and the outer shell is waterproof. And because you measure your pup before you order one (neck, back length, and chest), it actually fits and keeps them warm. And, they are machine-washable! It’s truly the best dog coat I have ever found, and I tell as many people as I can to get one.
My dog’s coat outlived him. It was still as good as new on the day that he passed. I don’t know what to do with it. It was made for him and kept him warm and happy on so many of our best adventures. I can still picture him wearing his coat and sprinting through the snow last winter, full of energy and life and joy.
I have a new pup now, a Beagle from a lab. She is very small (at 13 pounds, a veterinarian recently dubbed her a “micro Beagle”) and she doesn’t quite fit the standard breed sizing. This will be her first winter outside, and her very own made-to-measure Voyager K9 winter coat (and tummy warmer and rain coat) has been ordered and is on its way.
– Lauren Novack, MS ABA, ACDBC
Gig Harbor, WA
OLIVE & ODIN POOP POUCH
Price: $23
The worst thing about being a responsible pet owner is carrying stinky bags full of poop for the duration of your outing with your dog. My walks with my dogs became so much more enjoyable when I discovered the Olive and Odin Poop Pouch. It seriously 100% locks in odor! The bag is made with a five-layer design (one layer is activated carbon) that locks in odors to keep your walk stink-free.
It’s also easy to use and carry. The top opens up wide, making it easy to drop a poop-filled bag into the Poop Pouch. You fold over the opening a couple of times and when you clip it together it keeps the folded edge completely closed.
And the 7-inch by 10-inch pouch holds a lot of poop! I walk two large-breed dogs who each poop at least twice on our walks and there is room to spare. You can clip the bag to a belt loop or backpack. The Poop Pouch also has a small pocket on the front (like for keys or an ATM card) and a poop-bag dispenser.
I have never had to clean it, I simply empty it when we get home and leave it standing open in the garage to air out. I have been using it for two years and hundreds of walks and it still smells fresh as a daisy!
– Eileen Fatcheric, DVM
THE HANDLE
Price: $22