My Favorite Products

Flagler Animal Hospital now carries Kongs and Busy Buddy Toys (the waggle, the bouncy bone, and the squirrel dude)!
 
Kongs™: Kongs™ are durable rubber toys that are hollow.   The red Kongs™ are for mild chewers and the black Kongs™ are for aggressive chewers.   There are various recipes that can be found under the tips and advice section of their website that can be used to stuff a Kong™ to make it more challenging for the Kong™ savvy dog.   My dogs love the peanut butter recipe.   My dogs do not pay attention to their Kongs™ unless they are stuffed with an interesting food item.   This toy comes in handy when I leave my dogs in their crates.   They each get a peanut butter and kibble Kong™ and this is how they eat their breakfast.   They both love their Kongs™ and will wait anxiously for them in their crates.   I feel safe leaving my dogs with Kongs™   unsupervised because I know that they will not chew off pieces and swallow them.   Kong™ also makes various toy items like the Kong flyer™, Cool Kong™ for water retrieving and Sport'n Dog™ for field retrieving.   I like the Sport'n Dog Kong because it floats well, has an attached string and is bright orange which makes it easy to spot in the water.   Along with their rubber toys they also carry a line of plush toys called Dr. Noys' Material Dog™Toys.   These are great toys for those dogs who like to kill the squeaker and pull all the stuffing out.   These toys come with extra squeakers and a super durable velcro closure to allow you to replace the squeaker.   This is the one of the only plush toys in my house that has not been ripped apart.

 
Everlasting Treat Ball™and Everlasting Fun Balls:   These balls are also made from a tough puncture resistant material.   They are hollow and come with two caps that cover both openings.   The caps are edible and come in a variety of flavors.   Tallula loves eating her dinner out of this ball.   Without the caps it keeps her occupied for about 30 - 60 minutes.   I find that the caps come off easily once the toy gets slick with dog drool.   The caps do keep her extra busy as she chews them up but are somewhat expensive for everyday use.   Some versions of this toy come with a locking mechanism for the caps that helps to keep them on longer.  Overall I really think that this toy is a high quality toy that is interactive yet challenging enough for your average dog.













Busy Buddy Toys™ : These toys are made of a durable rubber material and are hollow.   They have four prongs just inside the opening that make it a bit more challenging to get dry treats out.   The prongs can be trimmed if it proves to be too difficult or frustrating for your dog.   While this toy is fairly durable I have seen some aggressive chewers chew off pieces of this toy. My favorites of this line of toys are the Squirrel Dudes, the Waggle and the Bouncy Bone.  The Bouncy Bone has gnawhide rings that get screwed onto the bone that help keep the dogs insterested and are fairly economical for everyday use. 


Buster Cube™:   This toy is made of a hard durable plastic.   It is in the shape of a cube and has an opening that can be adjusted to increase the level of difficulty.   Dry treats or kibble is placed in the cube and then the dog must roll it around to dispense the treats.   I like this toy because it is interactive and relatively safe to leave with your dog while you are not home.   The only downsides of this toy are that it is relatively noisy on hard floors and it can be difficult to clean.



The IQube™ :   This is a nice plush interactive toy.   It comes with four balls that the dog then has to pull out of the toy’s openings.   This is a good toy for dogs who like to de-stuff their toys and it helps puppies develop problem solving skills.   It comes in two sizes as well as in various themes such as Hide-a-Squirrel and Hide-a-Bird and Hide-a-Bee.


Fat Cat Toys™:   This company makes a variety of cat and dog toys.   I like their toys because they are fairly durable for soft toys and they have a line of toys that crackle when they are chewed on.   This is great for some paper eating dogs and cats who really like that crackling sensation.   These toys are consistently played with and kept “alive” in my household.   They also have a variety of scratch boxes that are very handy to have on carpets or rugs to help prevent unwanted scratching.


Cat Dancer™ and Cat Charmer™:   These are really great cat toys.   They are very helpful for getting all that extra energy out of a wild kitten.   Even our oldest cat can’t resist playing with these toys.   The Cat Dancer™ mimics the movements of a bug or fly and the Cat Charmer mimics the movements of a snake.   I have to keep these toys in a closet or drawer when I am not playing with them so they do not get chewed on and swallowed.   This is especially important for any interactive cat toys that have some kind of string attached to them.


Da Bird™:  All of my cats really love this toy.  Even if they are too pooped to continue chasing it they all watch it with big eyes and seem to really enjoy it.   This toy can also help calm the feisty kitten but has also claimed to help those chubby cats get into shape.   This toy has a flexible rod that has an attached string with feathers on the end.   The company does sell extra feather attachments should yours get frayed or worn.  



DAP (dog appeasing phermone) and Feliway:   These products are both synthetically made phermones.   Phermones are chemical substances that are secreted by animals to send some kind of message.   The phermone in Feliway is made by cats and is secreted onto objects when they rub their cheeks on them.   This is usually a method of happy marking (as opposed to the unhappy marking of urine spraying).   This product is useful for cats that spray, urinate or defecate outside the litter box, are anxious, or when introducing a new piece of furniture, cat or human into the household.   I use it whenever I need to take my cat to the vet and whenever something stressful is happening in the house (moving, introducing new animals, parties etc.).   DAP is a dog phermone that is secreted by the mother when the pups are nursing.   It has a calming effect on dogs and can be used when introducing a new pet to the household, helping puppies or new dogs adapt to a new home, and in some cases of separation anxiety.   Both of these products can be found in a spray pump or a diffuser.   Some veterinary hospitals carry these products as well as some on-line pet stores.


Treat Bags and Clickers: These are a must for most behavior modification programs.   I like treat bags that are easy to open and easy to clean.   SitStay.com carries a nice treat bag made by Outward Hound that is well priced.   Karen Pryor's web site www.clickertraining.com also has a nice online store that sells good treat bags and a great clicker called the i-click.   This clicker is easy to hold and easy to click.   I also like Triple Crown's clicker which is similar to the i-click but it requires a little more pressure to click and it is a lot louder.   This is good for outdoor or noisy conditions.

Citronella Collars:   There are two forms of citronella collars.   One is an anti-bark collar only and it is called the Premier   Gentle Spray Citronella Anti-Bark Collar.   This collar emits a spray of citronella whenever the dog barks.   To be most effective you should check the reservoir of citronella oil every day and make sure that the battery is working.   Most people find that the barking doesn't stop completely right away.   Unlike a shock collar the citronella collars work better the longer they wear it and it has a higher rate of success than electric shock collars for barking.   This may mean that it seems like your dog is still barking a lot the first week or two they wear it but hang in there, the barking will slow down and eventually stop after 2-3 weeks.   This product is not to be used with dogs who are barking due to anxiety or fear. This collar can be found at   SitStay.com in the equipment section.   The other is a remote activated collar called the Spray Commander.   This product has three buttons, one for positive reinforcement, one for a short spray and one for a long spray.   Most dogs find that the spray is more of an interruption than a punishment.   It gives you an opportunity to reward the dog for making the right choice which can be helpful for dogs who chase cats, get in the trash, steal objects, jump on counters, dig, and eat poop. Your best bet for this product is to shop around on-line to find the best deal.  

Spray Shield or Direct Stop:  This is a must have item for anyone who has a dog who has been attacked by an aggressive dog or anyone that has an aggressive dog and would like to keep other dogs from approaching when your dog is on leash.  The spray is a citronella spray and is harmelss although the sudden burst of spray along with the strong citronella odor will stop many dogs from advancing.  Each can contains approximately 12 one-second sprays at a range of up to 10 ft. and is highly effective in stopping low to medium- level aggression.  This product is also useful if you are a jogger or bicyclist and there are many off leash dogs in your neighborhood.