Recommended Products
*All Products featured here will also be available in the Retail Space at our Facility
Collars / Harnesses / Leashes
We do not recommend the use of choke chains, prong collars or shock collars. Any other flat buckle collars are just fine. Regardless of whether a dog has problems pulling, we are seeing more and more evidence of dogs injuring their spines by being leashed on collars. Collars are great for id-tags and if you need to grab quick hold of your dog, For walking we recommend harnesses.
Front Clip Harness
works great when you need control of a large companion dog. The leash attaches in the front of their chest. When your companion dog pulls the harness turns the front of their body back toward you. Be careful when purchasing a harness if the leash attaches in the back. Your companion dog has push-pull reflexes like you and I. When something pushes against you, (like the wind) your natural reflex is to lean into it. If some one walks up to you and starts to drag you in a certain direction, your natural reflex is to pull against it. Keeping this in mind when your dog pulls and the pressure comes from the back they will naturally pull even harder.
The Walk-In-Sync Harness works great when you need control of a large companion dog. The leash attaches in the front of their chest. When your companion dog pulls the harness turns the front of their body back toward you. Be careful when purchasing a harness if the leash attaches in the back. Your companion dog has push-pull reflexes like you and I. When something pushes against you, (like the wind) your natural reflex is to lean into it. If some one walks up to you and starts to drag you in a certain direction, your natural reflex is to pull against it. Keeping this in mind when your dog pulls and the pressure comes from the back they will naturally pull even harder.
​A leash should be long enough to walk or train your dog with plenty of slack. You don't want a tight leash because of the push-pull reflexes we talked about earlier. Make sure the handle comfortably fits around your thumb and you can make a fist around it. If the leash is too long and you feel like you have to wrap it around your wrist, it is too long. For training purposes we recommend 6-ft leashes (we also carry 8 ft leashes), there is a wide variety available on the market. Leather Leashes are great, because with time they will mold to your hand, making it very comfortable to hold.
We do not recommend Retractable or Flexy Leashes. There are too many accidents waiting to happen and they can be very painful and outright dangerous (cuts, burns, severed fingers, injured eyes). If you want to be able to give your dog a little more freedom we recommend Long Lines. Remember to put a knot every couple of feet in the long leash so when you go to put pressure on it with your foot, it stops. Also, this should be a safety net while training recalls. Please don't tie your dog up with it! When working on recalls (coming when called) with your companion dog we also recommend a 50ft. long leash and a front clip harness. If your dog tries to run and doesn't know the limits of the leash they will close line themselves and can seriously injure themselves. If you are having problems getting you companion dog to come when called please contact me as soon as possible. A strong recall could save your dog's life.
Toys and Mental Enrichment
The Kong is one of mine and my dogs favorite chew toys. It's extremely durable, safe and I can stuff it with just about anything and freeze it. I use the traditional Kong which comes in three different sizes.
I also love the Kong Wobbler but remember you have to teach your dog how to use it. You can feed your companion pet with the wobbler letting them work for their food.
PUPPIES!
This app is wonderful to desensitize your puppies to all kinds of different sounds. A thunderstorm will not necessarily be available during your puppy's first 16 weeks, for example. Click on the links below to download it on your favorite smartphone or tablet!
Other Training Tools
​Clickers are a great way to teach your companion dog new tricks. It's a great way to communicate precisely what you want your companion dog to do. I highly recommend contacting me if you are interested in clicker training. Check out our recommended authors to get ahead start.
Also do not forget a treat pouch and your dog's favorite toy!
