A Dogg's Tail: June 2016

This post is going to be all about Chip’s absolutely favorite things, as well as those things that his mom feels cannot be topped by any other.

First up on the list is the Petco Adjustable Mesh Harness. They are the store’s own brand and we recommend them to everyone! They come in many different colors (as shown in the photo) and some limited or special editions. They are available in regular sizes and big and tall sizes. The four regular ones are available in four different sizes: x-small (minimum girth 15.5 inches – maximum 19 inches), small (minimum girth 18 inches – maximum 21 inches), medium (minimum girth 20 inches – maximum 25 inches), and large (minimum 23.5 inches – maximum 30 inches). The big and tall are available in three different sizes: small (minimum girth 26 inches – maximum 34 inches), medium (minimum girth 30 inches – maximum 40 inches), and large (minimum girth 33 inches – maximum 44 inches). These harnesses are fully adjustable for a snug, custom fit and are made from lightly padded, breathable mesh for utmost comfort. They run from $19.99 to $22.99 for the regular and $29.99 to 34.99 for the big and tall, but can sometimes be found among the clearance items.

The wall of harnesses at Petco.

Chip's collection.

The front has these heavy duty adjustable mechanisms on each side.

In our household we love the harness because it is more secure than a collar and when Chip pulls or gets in too big of a hurry it doesn’t choke him the way a collar would. That being said it mainly depends on the activity we are doing whether Chip wears one of this four Petco harnesses or just his collar. If we are planning on any sort of long walking activity or is being left to wander about the yard attached to a stake he wears a harness. If he is being taken outside for a quick potty break we usually just clip his leash to the d-ring on his collar. We tend to use the harnesses more in the spring, summer, and fall.

Second on the list is the Bayer Seresto Flea and Tick Collar. This collar is made by Bayer and comes in two sizes: small (weight maximum 18 pounds, 15 inches in length) and large (weight minimum 18 pounds, 27.6 inches in length). It provides 8 months of safe and odorless protection against fleas, ticks, and lice. It’s adjustable size allows for a custom fit. It also has a breakaway design and comes with 3 visibility reflectors for safety. This is possibly one of the more expensive flea preventions out there running right around $79.99, but I feel that it is worth it.

The tin the collar comes in.

The collar on Chip

I love this flea collar! It was introduced to me by Chip’s grandma who had gotten it for her two dogs. I was excited by the prospects of not having to squeeze the messy, smelly liquids on every month. In my opinion the liquids never seemed to do any good at all. Chip would come home from his grandparent’s and aunt’s homes covered in fleas, causing me to give him more baths with flea killing shampoo then should be necessary. I ordered Chip’s collar in January 2016, and put it on him the day it arrived in early February. Since then I have not seen one flea on him! (It is now late June.) I have seen around 4 ticks crawling on him during walks on trails through the woods, but not in our average day to day activities. I love that I don’t have to worry about doing anything with the collar until October.

The third item on the list is the Spetacular silicone dog shampoo brush. This brush comes in either blue or red and is made from silicone as the name suggests. It’s designed for both short and long hair. It massages the skin while stimulating capillaries which enhance healthy skin and coats. I found ours at Walmart for around $6. Upon looking at it I thought that it was possibly going to be a good alternative to a more expensive brand’s brush. I have never used ours in the bath for shampooing, but upon using it dry as just a regular brush I love how it attracts all the loose hair and pulls it off Chip. I have had to vacuum the area we used the brush in after every time we use it because it gets rid of that much fur! I think that the extra three little nubs at the end of each silicone tooth may even make it better than its more expensive counterpart.

The packaging.

The numbs on the brush.

A little gross, but after a quick brushing.

Get your own Spetacular Silicone Dog Shampoo Brush here.

The fourth product that made the list is an interactive toy. It’s called the Smarter Toys Interactive IQ Treat Ball Dog Toy. It’s a plastic ball that twists open in the middle and has a flat disk inside that separates the halves of the spheres. You put treats in the lower sphere and they have to be gotten into the top sphere by an adjustable hole in the disk and out a hole in the top sphere. It is available in two sizes (small – 3 inches and large – 4 inches), as well as two colors (blue and orange). It claims to promote physical and mental alertness. As far as I can tell both sizes come in both colors, making it appear to me a random sort of situation as to which color you may end up with.

From left to right this photo shows the bottom sphere, the middle flat plate, and the top sphere.

The ball all put together.

Chip loves this ball! He has both sizes and he loves both equally. He chases them all around the house, into furniture, around furniture, even under furniture. If he gets it stuck he will try to get it unstuck himself before seeking you out for help. I have seen him climb under furniture to go after it. He has also somehow figured out how to hook one of his teeth in the top hole and carry it around! (Somehow I feel that may be cheating, but he loves it so much.) He also takes it into his bed and rolls it against the side so he’s sure he doesn’t loose and treats!

The fifth and final item is the Gulpy Water Dispenser for Pet. The Gulpy is a water bottle and bowl in one. You simply flip to open and flip to close. It is leak proof with a belt clip on the back and a spot to clip it onto a leash. It claims to be able to also take a standard water bottle, although I have not tested that personally. As far as I can tell it comes in either 10 ounces or 20 ounces, and in yellow, green, blue, pink, or orange. As with the IQ ball I believe that both sizes come in all colors and it is a sort of random color choice. We have an orange 20 ounce Gulpy that I purchased at T. J. Maxx for $4.99. I would highly recommend checking at T. J. Maxx close to you before ordering online if you are looking to save money. They are running from around $11 and up on Amazon. Our Gulpy goes just about everywhere Chip does currently since it is summer out. I find it convenient to not have to fumble with a separate bowl and bottle while holding the leash, especially if you are on a walk alone with your dog and yours are the only two hands available!

The Gulpy open and ready to dispense water for your thirsty dog.

Sincerely,

Jessica & Chip

We are starting this blog with the express purpose of sharing the joys and trials of being a fur parent. We hope that whether you are an experienced fur parent or a brand new one that you can take something helpful from our posts.

A Dogg’s Tail will be following the adventures of Fiona. She is a five month old Puggle (Pug/Beagle). She lives a busy fun filled life with her human mom and dad. Her favorite places to visit include Petco, the park, and meeting her fur-friends. Keep up with Fiona and her everyday adventures by following her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. The links for her social media will be listed at the end of this post and will always be in the right in the sidebar.

Fiona’s furry partner in crime is Chip. He is a two year old Chiweenie, Miniature Dachshund and Chihuahua mix. He loves to go on car rides and walks. He strongly dislikes the rain and bath time. I could spend all day telling you all about him, but in short he is a very well loved Momma’s boy! You can take a closer look into more of his everyday life by following him on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. The links for his social media will also be listed at the end of this post and will also always be in the right in the sidebar.

In addition to Fiona and Chip, our A Dogg’s Tail staff includes their fur moms, Amanda and Jessica. Our fur mom’s have been friends since the seventh grade. Over the past fifteen years their lives have drifted them in different directions and at times brought them together to catch up with each other. With Amanda and her husband’s addition of Fiona they have found a whole new path to share.

This brings us around to the blog. Amanda couldn’t believe that as a “crazy” dog mom Jessica hadn’t already been blogging about all things dog related. She shared her interest in starting such a blog and Jessica suggested doing one jointly to be able to cover more topics. And thus A Dogg’s Tail was born. In addition to the blog, we also have Twitter and a YouTube channel where we will also be sharing content. Some of the things you can expect to see around here will be reviews, helpful tips and tricks, and simply some moments of our everyday lives with our four legged children.

We hope you’ll be around to share in this journey with us!