How was your Halloween?? This was my first year, in a long time, not throwing a big Halloween bash. Ahhhh….it was nice. We picked up our new puppy, Aspen, just a handful of days before, and I knew I couldn’t handle a party AND a puppy. So, I nixed it and I went trick-or-treating with a whole slew of kids, all mine. They were quite the eclectic bunch this year…let’s see, we have some Halo dude on the left, Mr. Conductor, I think her name is…Frankie?? (Monster High), a fairy, and a gladiator. I was a pregnant, frazzled, frumpy mom.
Oh, Joey…my little train boy. I think I want him to wear this every day of his life, he looked so sweet.
Puppy Aspen hung out with Dan in the back of the truck, during the Trunk-or-Treat. She was the hit with all the kids…they didn’t even care about our treats, they just wanted to pet the pup!
Anyhow, so in preparing for this puppy, I read like 3 puppy-raising books, read endless articles online, watched YouTube videos…I was nervous! It’s been ten years since I had a dog, I’ve got 5 kids, and all I knew was, I wanted to do this dog-thing the best I could, so we can all be happy and experience as little stress as possible. The kids spent a lot of time watching The Dog Whisperer and we had several family meetings about how we were going to teach the pup. I must say, so far the kids have been doing awesome. They found this website called www.pawlife.com, I’m so glad I waited until they were a little older (the oldest is 11). The two boys have to set their alarms and take her out every 3 hours at night, the walk her, feed her, and clean up accidents. It’s still been hard…well, she IS a puppy, but I’m glad it’s hard. It’s so good for the kids. Although, an adult dog is already starting to sound really great. But, we’ll get there. She’s pretty cute, right?!?
As you know, there are some much needed supplies to stock up on before bringing a puppy home. In typical Mariel-fashion, I read review after review, trying to find the greatest, must-have products for dogs. It’s funny, I think this is the FIRST post about dogs on ‘Or so she says…’! I never thought my kids would be able to convince me to get one, but they’re pretty slick.
Anyway, browse these toys for your pets, here’s some of top-rated products that I came across…
The best-selling and top rated dog treat, Zuke’s Mini Naturals. These are not only healthy and loved by dogs, but the perfect size for treats. When you’re trying to train your puppy, and you want to sometimes reward them with a treat, it’s nice to just have something tiny that they can chew in two seconds. Not something that they have to plop down and chew for a minute while you’re anxiously waiting to keep training. There are 3 different flavors to choose from.
I’ve never been a fan of eating or wearing dog hair. So, I was pretty stoked when I read about the FURminator deShed Tool for Dogs, I knew I needed it. With hundreds of perfect reviews, people claim they have never had a tool that works better for removing loose hair. I don’t think we’re quite at Aspen’s shedding season, but let me tell you…if the kids use this on her, she is asleep in 10 seconds. She loves it and they love that it gives them a chance to be affectionate with her while she’s holding still. There are different size tools and one for short or long hair dogs.
Speaking of grooming, the best nail trimmer is the Safari Professional Nail Trimmer. Loved for their ability to make clean cuts, the sharpness of the blade, the nail guard to prevent injury, and the comfortable grip.
I haven’t tried this one yet, but reviewers love this Cloud Star’s Buddy Wash Lavender & Mint Shampoo because it’s gentle and the smell last for days, some say weeks. I’ll have to try that out.
To give Aspen a place to call her own and to help with house-training, I opted for this Firstrax Sof-Krate. It’s super easy to pop up and close down, making it convenient for traveling. It’s ventilated on all side and opens completely on the top, making it easier to pick them up. Plus, let’s be honest…I like the way it looks, lots better than the wire crates. 🙂
I’m not sure why Amazon has such a stinky picture, but maybe because this tool is for stinky stuff. Very few things are worse than stepping in dog poop, and I hate feeling like I can’t walk anywhere in my yard without watching my step. Enter a pooper scooper. Although it’s nothing fancy, this Wire Rake Scooper for Grass gets the best and most reviews of all the scoopers.
What dog doesn’t love a little play time? These are the most loved dog toys…
The floating, high bouncing, easy-to-clean, and durable Chuck-it! Ball.
The Kong Wobbler Treat Dispensing Toy…
Dogs go nuts (and reviewers rave) over this Hide-a-Squirrel Puzzle Toy.
To satisfy the need to chew, reviewers love the Nylabone Dura Chew for it’s ability to hold-up to major chewing and the shape makes it easy for the dog to prop up.
Well, I should probably wrap this up. Dan is getting after me to come watch Survivor, and I have piles of Halloween candy calling my name. Oh, wait…one last thing…I wanted to show you the collar we got Aspen. It’s too big for her right now, but I love it. I love how the name is right on the buckle, no jingle-jangles hanging down. I love the color too. Girly, but not too girly. It’s from the Etsy Shop, Laser Pets. That’s all. Now, I’m done.
Do you have any favorite products for your dog??
