Favorite Products for My Pandemic Puppy
He’s not my first dog, but he’s my first puppy.
PUPPY PADS
Potty Training! OMG. Whether you have a little puppy or a rescue who is learning to live indoors for the first time, it’s not easy. The puppy pads help a lot. They give the dog a place to relieve themselves when they can’t make it outside or when you’re away from home.
BUFFALO EARS
I like these buffalo ears as a chew toy. Puppies love to chew, and this pug has been a lot more destructive than I imagined he could be. I give him a chew I think will keep him busy for 30 minutes and it’s gone in 30 seconds. These Buffalo Ears last a long time, but he’s not able to bite pieces off and swallow them (like rawhide). I’ve found him chewing on these things after weeks. You can find them sold individually at stores or in a large bag online.
YUCK SPRAY
This yuck spray has many uses! We first got a bottle from the vet when Ollie was neutered to keep him from licking his stitches. This is a nicer alternative (imo) to the cone of shame. It’s also good for allergies and anxiety. Pugs are prone to nervous licking and chewing. You can spray this on them or on your couch, whatever it is they are trying to chew, bite, or lick. It’s got a yucky taste so they stop licking. You’ll have to re-spray after a few minutes, but don’t worry, it’s water-based and won’t mess up your furniture.
FOAM DOG BED
The reason I prefer a foam bed is that our dog ate some stuffing out of his dog bed, it got blocked in his intestine and he had to have surgery to remove it. While that’s not the bed’s fault, we’re trying to keep all stuffing away from him these days. On top of that, whenever Ollie got the chance to lay on another dog’s foam bed, he was in love! These beds can get expensive, so you can spend as much as you want. It might be worth looking into a more specialty bed if your pup has arthritis or any joint issues. They make memory foam and beds with orthopedic functions.
WAIST LEASH
I love this! I used a waist leash for the first time that my friend had to walk her dog, and I had to get one. One part goes around your waist and connects to the other part, the leash. There’s a bungee on the leash that keeps the dog from pulling and jerking you. This is great if you’re a jogger or just want to go hands-free. It’s so helpful if you need to check something on your phone or open a door or carry bags. There’s a handle on the leash in case you need to hold your dog back. Look into different styles of waist leashes. Some come with attached poop bag holders or pouches. The waist size is adjustable. I also use it when I’m doing yard work. I can take the belt off and attach it around a tree or pole so Ollie can chill close to me.
PUPPIA HARNESS and VEST
These are the best harnesses for breeds like Pugs, French Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, anything that looks like a cinderblock on toothpicks. They are soft and don’t poke them anywhere. If your dog pulls at all, a collar could be choking them, and a harness or vest would be a better option. I’m using the Puppia vest now. I like that it doens’t have to go over the dog’s head. He had a dark blue now and it looked like the vest Walmart employees wear. The sizing on the vest is weird. Ollie (pug) is a Medium in the harness (and most other things) but an XL in the vest. Make sure you adjust them to fit snugly so they don’t rub or chafe their skin.
HIDE AND SEEK TOYS
I love these hide and seek toys! First of all, it’s like four toys in one. The large toy is hollow with one or two openings for the small toys. The 3-5 small toys fit inside where your dog can pull them out. The small toys each have little squeakers. My dog plays with the small toys and drags around the larger one. He always kills the squeakers. I like that it doesn’t have stuffing and it keeps my pup busy. I have to keep putting the toys back in and keep up with them, but he plays with them a lot. I think what I like most is it reminds me of Puppy Surprise, only this time the surprise is for the puppy!
PILL POCKETS
When all your treats are really tricks. This one has Benadryl inside. Ollie is really bad about swallowing pills. He eats the cheese, peanut butter, treats surrounding the pill, and then spits out the pill. It’s an amazing skill. We have about a 50% success rate with the Pill Pockets, but it’s still our best option to get him to take medicine.
DENTA STIX
Like I said, every treat is really a trick. This one is to clean their teeth and freshen their breath. Ew, Puppy Breath! Take care of your dog’s teeth. It’s the key to helping them live a long life. Dentastix are a treat that is supposed to clean your dog’s teeth. It’s not a substitute for brushing your dog’s teeth, but it’s better than nothing. I first tried Dentastix when a neighbor of mine worked for Pedigree’s parent company Mars. He brought my dog a gallon-sized plastic bag full of them, with no labels. I don’t think they even had a name yet. My dog, Mook loved them so much. When he ran out I panicked because they weren’t available in stores yet. Now you can find them in any store. I’ve also tried Greenies Dental Treats, but I don’t think dogs like the taste quite as much.
SOLIMO CHICKEN JERKY
I was stocking up on these small packages of chicken jerky every time I went to Trader Joe’s, but I found a giant bag online for a better price. These are big treats! We have cut our pup down to just a small portion of one at a time (he’s gotta shed some LBs). But it’s all chicken and veggie, not grain.
WAHL DRY SKIN SHAMPOO
I knew black pugs had more sensitive skin, but I didn’t know just how sensitive their skin can be. We’re constantly checking Ollie’s skin. He gets a lot of chaffing, and anything can rub his fur off. His chest went completely bald from a Seresto collar (the company was very nice, reimbursed the collar). His skin gets dry and itchy. This skin and itch relief shampoo is supposed to help. We bathe him every one-two weeks and the day before he gets his flea/heartworm treatment. It’s Oatmeal Formula with Coconut Lime Verbena. I like those smells. He smells really good but not perfumy. I don’t think dogs want to smell like perfumes, they roll around in dead stuff, but this scent is a good compromise.
PURINA SENSITIVE SKIN DRY FOOD
His skin was getting so bad that we decided to switch to a more expensive dry food after several people suggested it. We went from Purina Puppy Chow to Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach. We were hesitant about the price, but it’s made a big difference in his coat, and he LOVES it. It’s high protein and made for dogs with sensitive skin and stomach.
EARTH RATED POOP BAGS
We went from living in California where people watch you like a hawk to make sure you pick up after your dog to Kentucky where we had neighbors tell us not to even worry if he poops in their front yard! It’s such a different mindset, but also not illegal to leave your poo. Since we were in the habit of picking up the poop, we thought we might as well keep it up. Picking up poop from a pug is a lot easier than say a Great Dane. Apparently, these Earth Rated bags have you covered no matter what size log, I mean dog you have. My favorite part is the dispenser has a little hook to hold the bag ‘o poo until you get to the trash.
BIRTHDAY PARTY IN A BAG
Is it silly? Sure! Is it fun though? To me it is. If you want the part with minimal efforts, like me, then the birthday party in a bag is for you. There are a million different styles. I’m sure you can go on Etsy and get something personalized, but your cheapest option is right here. Most of them come with balloons, a birthday banner, a bandana, and a party hat. It’s perfect for a cute little photo op. Mostly the color schemes are boy/blue and girl/pink. The pink ones can come with girlier things like tutus and tiaras, but other than that, options are limited.
MICROWAVE DOG CAKE
If you have a local dog bakery that you support, please continue to do so. If you don’t have funds like that, or skills, but are still doing your best…there’s the microwave dog cake. This is a little kit that comes with almost everything you need to make a cute little bone-shaped cake for your dog. It comes with a microwavable bone-shaped pan, carob cake mix, yogurt frosting mix, and a candle. A REAL Candle. I was dumb enough to light the candle for the photo and Ollie burnt part of a whisker. Poor baby! Please don’t light the candle. Learn from my mistake. The first thing your puppy wants to do is take a bite out of the cake and they can’t blow out the candle. Anyway…the other things you’ll need to make this cake are water, honey, peanut butter, and of course a microwave. If you want anything besides the white yogurt frosting you’ll need to get that too. I personally think dogs prefer things like fruit and peanut butter on their cake over sprinkles. And no lit candles! Sorry, we already covered that. I’m traumatized.
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