I get asked all the time what I recommend for dogs, and I’m happy to compile all my recommendations here for you.
An overall note: when selecting non-ingestive chew items, choose a size that is large enough to not be considered a choking hazard for your dog. When your dog in enjoying an item that is ingestible, they should be monitored for safety.
Dog supplies and food
Food For Pets - Manchester & Amherst
This is where I send all my clients looking to learn more about dog food and how to choose the best brand for your dog. Every Thursday, bring your dog in to the Manchester location for a free nail trim with any purchase over $5!
Bedford Fields - Bedford
Lots of food options and dog friendly.
Wholistic Pet - Bedford
Non-Ingestive Chew Items
When selecting non-ingestive chew items, choose a size that is large enough to not be considered a choking hazard for your dog. When your dog in enjoying an item that is ingestible, they should be monitored for safety.
Moose, elk or deer antler
Ram or goat horn
Marrow bone
Primal is my favorite! Can be found in the freezer of your pet food section
Kong brand
Ingestible Chew Items
Himalayan Chews
Bully Sticks
No-Hyde
Tendons
Benebones
For some dogs these may last months!
Stuffed Kong or Toppl
Equipment and tools I use in my sessions
Olly Dog Treat Bags (available here)
20 foot long line (always have a long line attached to a harness)
Body Harness I exclusively use front clip harnesses. They help to prevent your dog from pulling as hard as when they are on their collar or back clip.
Balance Harness (available here)
Freedom Harness (available here)
SENSE-ation Harness (available here)
Bitter Apple an anti chew spray deterrent to prevent licking and chewing
And a bonus — what’s in my trail mix!
When making my bin of trail mix, I always start with a base of my dog’s food. The mix is forever changing, and I may be leaving out some options I sometimes have, but I do lean towards making my bin as healthy and chewy as possible. Some dogs take crunching their treats very seriously and this time can eat into our training time. So I stick to soft, but when making your own mix, add some of the delicious crunchy treats in there too!
These are listed with the most popular first.
Stella & Chewy’s Meal Mixers - I most often have the Duck Duck Goose flavor as it is a very soft and easy to tear into smaller pieces. The Savory Salmon is also a very soft and popular choice. The other flavors are very popular with dogs, however they tend to be a bit too crumbly to break up for training.
Real Meat Venison - When I get this home, the first thing I do is get out my butcher block and knife. These are also super soft and easy to break up, but I like to have these already small and ready to go.
Wellness Soft Wellbites - These are just as they say... soft and also easy to tear up into smaller pieces. Lots of flavors to choose from!
Ziwi’s Air dried Dog Treats - These are already small and ready to go
K9 Natural Freeze Dried Food Topper
Whatever my dog’s kibble is at the moment