Fido Fleece Dog Boots

These leopard print fleece dog boots are from the original Fido Fleece company. A little more than just a standard booty, the durable grippy sole wraps around the front of the toe where boots often see the most wear. In addition to the standard velcro wrap strap, these have a drawstring at the very top to help them stay on and keep stuff out of the boots.

Photo by Erin Koski

I remember hearing about Fido Fleece when Brisbane was a baby. They were the preferred coat for shivering jack russell terriers. While the product line still has the original brand name, the ownership of Fido Fleece has changed quite a bit.

Originally Fido Fleece was its own companyl producing fleece dog jackets and matching booties. Then the company was purchased by Premier, makers of wonderful martingale collars and harnesses. Then Premier was acquired by PetSafe and I assume from there everything went to hell.

I'll be honest, I really don't like PetSafe as a company, and would avoid buying their products if they didn't keep buying up companies I really like. I loved the Premier SureFit harness long before PetSafe bought them. I had Busy Buddy toys for my cocker spaniel before Brisbane was born. I feel like they acquire small businesses with excellent customer service and then assimilate them into the giant and faceless corporation.

Photo by Erin Koski

Some giant corporations have decent customer service, but PetSafe is just terrible. I bought a couple of their Come With Me Kitty harness and stretchy leash sets, and after slightly over a year of sitting in a drawer the leashes lost their stretch entirely. I had the same issue with one of my original Ruffwear Roamer leashes, and it was considered defective and replaced. Apparently PetSafe's stretchy leashes simply have a shelf life, and when I emailed to ask about it they told me to just buy another one. I was given another stretchy PetSafe leash and it did the same thing, so apparently this is just a product with a short lifespan. I feel icky about supporting a company that doesn't stand behind their product, and makes things seemingly designed to fail just after their warranty period.

Fido Fleece is another wonderful company swallowed by PetSafe. The product line seems to have shrunk significantly since the brand was acquired, and these boots are no longer available. I haven't heard anyone mention Fido Fleece in years now.

Product Review: Busy Buddy Nobbly Nubbly

PetSafe's Busy Buddy Nobbly Nubbly is a durable chew toy designed to hold the company's various ring-shaped treats. The toy features durable nylon ends and a softer rubber center with grooves that can hold peanut butter, cream cheese, or any other gooey spreadable treat. One end unscrews to allow PetSafe's ground, pressed rawhide treats to be threaded onto the toy. The Nobbly Nubbly comes in four sizes for dogs up to 90 pounds.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is one of PetSafe's many variations on their screwbone design. The Build-a-Bone and Bouncy Bone work the same way, just unscrew one end and thread the treat rings on. The ends of the Nobbly are a bit more difficult to chew into oblivion, though.

Ours is a size large for dogs 50-90 lbs, and so far nobody has managed to unscrew it and gnaw the threaded bit, which is fairly impressive. Brisbane and Annie can spend a couple of hours working the treats out of it.

Photo by Erin Koski

I'm not a huge fan of smearing the center bit with peanut butter. This is partly because it presents so little challenge for them to lick it off, and partly because it ends up with peanut butter all over the floor.

Pros: Takes a long time for the dog to eat a very small treat. Easy to reload if you buy the right size rings.

Cons: Not quite durable enough for power chewers. Larger dogs can probably unscrew it fairly easily. Hard nylon ends become sharp when gnawed. Have to buy PetSafe's treat ring refills, and the ones for our medium-size toys don't fit this large one.

Bottom Line: This keeps Brisbane and Annie busy for longer than pretty much any toy in the house.

Food Friday: Alternative Protein Roundup, Pork Edition

My quest for Brisbane-safe foods has brought us a variety of pork-based treats and dog food over the nearly two years I've been blogging here. We've already summed up the venison- and rabbit-based goodies, so this week it's time to take a look at an often-overlooked alternative protein. I'm not a huge ham or sausage fan, but I think we can all agree that bacon is awesome. I even chop it into tiny pieces and toss it with various training treats to make them extra-awesome.

Why Aren't There More Pork-Based Dog Foods?

Photo by Erin Koski

Chicken is by far the most common animal protein found in dog food, beef is the second most common, and lamb third in my own experience reading infinite ingredient labels. Pork is supposed to be a poor-man's meat, cheap and plentiful right? So why isn't everyone making dog food out of it?

The first reason I've heard for not feeding pork to dogs is trichinosis, or trichinellosis. This is a parasite transmitted through consumption of raw or undercooked meat of infected animals. The worms live in the muscles until the meat is eaten, then they are released to infect the new host. This used to be a major issue with pork in particular until laws passed in 1980, along with good food storage and handling practices like freezing pork for several weeks before cooking it. Today, trichinellosis is extremely rare, with around 20 cases reported annually in the United States according to the CDC. Most of these are not from consuming commercially-raised pork though, they are from eating raw or undercooked wild game meats.

The second reason I've heard for not feeding pork to dogs is because it supposedly causes pancreatitis. Given that Brisbane has eating tons of raw pork bones without developing it, I'm not terribly worried. The association mostly seems to be between dogs eating super-rich fat scraps and getting pancreatitis, and obviously pet food manufacturers are monitoring the fat and protein levels in their products. It mostly seems that some companies in the industry are leery of using pork just because of their customers' outdated or inaccurate information. This is actually a good thing though, because it means most dogs have never been fed pork, so it can be used as an alternative protein and part of an elimination diet.

Pork Dog Foods

It seems that some of the very best dog food companies use pork as an alternative protein. Primal offers pork-based versions of both their Nuggets and Pronto foods, and both of these use only pork and some veggies so they can be useful for helping sort out food sensitivities. Acana Singles Pork and Butternut Squash is the only kibble we've tried so far that only used pork protein.

Companies seem to be more likely to make canned foods out of pork, rather than kibble Wild Calling offers one that is just pork and vitamins to make it a complete diet. Fromm's Four Star Shredded Pork Entree is the most appetizing food we sell at work, if a dog won't eat that they won't eat anything. Nature's Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diets only offers a canned pork food, but offers a kibble variety for each of their other proteins. Natural Balance offers a wild boar and brown rice canned food, but no boar kibble. We got a carton of Caru Real Pork Stew in our November BarkBox.

Pork Dog Treats

All our favorite pork-based dog treats were discovered via BarkBox. The Bixbi Essentials Pork Jerky arrived in the 2014 December box. Two years ago we got some PetSafe Indigo Smokehouse Strips in our March box, last year we got some Healthy Dogma Bacon Hearts in the March Box. The August Box brought us some Wagatha's Maple Bacon Biscuits. Surprisingly, our favorite pork-based chew, the bacon-flavored Dogswell Boundless, did not come in a subscription box. 

A Better Way to Adjust the Easy Walk Harness

The PetSafe Easy Walk harness works well for a lot of people, but it can be difficult to fit on the dog properly. The instructions included with this harness don't work very well for most dogs. Sure, they look plausible when you read them:














Just make the straps that go around the bottom and top tight enough that they remain in a straight vertical line even when the front strap is pulled forward. Then adjust the front strap so that it is tight enough to stay horizontal, 90 degrees from the other two straps, but not so tight that it pulls them forward. The connector rings and front strap should sit precisely at the level of the dog's breastbone. Easy, right?

The Mythical T-Shape
It sounds easy until you actually try to put an Easy Walk harness on a dog. Then physics comes into play and you begin to realize that dogs aren't shaped like that. I have yet to find a dog on which I could fit an Easy Walk harness as directed. No matter how incredibly dog-suffocatingly tight I make those top and bottom straps, they will not remain vertical. Nope. Not happening. Also, the straps attach to each other via a ring on either side. This allows the straps to rotate freely out of position at the slightest pressure.

If your harness fits like this and any of the straps are at their maximum
length, you probably need a bigger harness.
Photo by Erin Koski

The front strap on the Premier PetSafe EasyWalk harness includes a martingale loop that allows it to tighten. This feature also makes it very heavy. Unless your dog has an extremely prominent breastbone on which to hang that strap, it is going to sag. Heavy leash clips exacerbate this issue, and once again those handy side rings allow it to rotate very easily. There is no keeping the front strap horizontal.

So what can you do? If you try to keep the front strap tight enough to stay up, it pulls the top and bottom straps out of vertical and into the NO Y-shape. If you try to keep the top and bottom straps vertical, the front strap sags. There is no happy medium. Even worse, the mythical T-shape requires that the top and bottom straps sit in your dog's armpits, and fit very tightly. Chafed underarms galore.

The SENSE-ible Solution
The fitting instructions for the SENSE-ation harness are a bit different, but they work extremely well for the EasyWalk. For a better, more comfortable, less droopy fit, loosen that bottom strap and tighten up the top one a bit. The connector rings should now sit higher than the dog's breastbone.

A size bigger, this M/L can be adjusted for a better fit.
Photo by Erin Koski

With the front strap now attached a bit higher, it should sag right into its ideal position. When light pressure is applied, the Easy Walk harness may even take on the mythical T-shape. Since the front is no longer being held in place purely by tension, the bottom strap can be loosened enough to allow some freedom of movement. This also keeps it out of the dog's armpits and reduces chafing.

How to Fit an Easy Walk Harness Comfortably
1. Find the point of the dog's breastbone at the front of their chest, just below their neck.
2. Adjust the top shoulder strap so that the connector rings on either side sit an inch or two above this point.
3. Adjust the bottom belly strap so that it is snug, but loose enough to allow the dog to sit comfortably without getting jabbed in the armpits.
4. Adjust the front chest strap so it is snug enough to sit against the dog's body, but not so tight as the affect the position of the other two straps. It should droop slightly and sit just at the dog's breastbone.
5. If the front chest straps hangs lower than the breastbone or the leash clasp hits the dog's legs, tighten the top shoulder strap more. If the bottom belly strap is chafing under the front legs, loosen the front chest strap and tighten the top shoulder strap.

Keep in mind that Easy Walk harnesses tend to loosen up over time, and need to be tightened and adjusted often. Have you used this harness? How well did it work for you?

Product Review: PetSafe Martingale Collar with Quick Snap Buckle

The PetSafe Martingale Collar with Quick Snap Buckle is just like the regular PetSafe martingale collar, with the addition of a buckle so it does not need to be pulled over the dog's head. This collar is available in five colors and four sizes to fit necks 5-20" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

This martingale collar is a size medium, for 10-16" necks. It has a significantly smaller loop than any of my other PetSafe collars, which makes me wonder if they've updated the design.

These used to be made by Premier, who also made the Busy Buddy toys. They were bought out by PetSafe, who then dropped the Premier name after a while. The stock photos on their website show the collars with PetSafe tags, but all of mine say Premier, so this is probably a recent change.

The loop on this collar is an inch shorter than on my large collars, making it much less droopy. It adds four inches of length, which is still quite a bit. The loops on the buckle martingales could potentially be shorter, since the collar does not need to open wide enough to be slipped over the dog's head.

Pros: Sturdy, reliable. Bright colors are long-lasting. Escape-proof.

Cons: No dead ring for attachment of tags, they're supposed to be attached to the metal slides on either side of the loop.

Bottom Line: I got this for my foster puppies, but it also fits Brisbane at its greatest length. I don't leave it on any unattended dogs, it's strictly for leash walking. It's probably my third favorite collar, after the Cetacea and EzyDog slips.

Puzzle Toy Review: Busy Buddy Squeak 'n Treat Booya

The Busy Buddy Booya is part of PetSafe's Squeak 'n Treat toy line. It is made from a durable, bouncy material and is designed to dispense treats randomly during play. This toy is dishwasher safe and comes in three sizes.

Photo by Erin Koski

Like several Busy Buddy toys, the Booya has flexible rubber fingers extending into the food opening. These can be trimmed to change the rate at which the food is dispensed. Of course, tiny kibbles are going to come out much faster than larger ones.

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 1/5
Maybe a quarter cup, this is definitely not a meal-feeding toy.

Loading Speed: 1/5
Most of the interior of this toy is taken up by the squeaker chamber, and there's not enough clearance in the treat chamber to use a funnel.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 3/5
It takes Xena a while to get the last treat out of the Booya.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 1/5
Brisbane is a pro at emptying this toy, he definitely enjoys it, though.

Size: 4/5
Ranging from 6-8" long, the three sizes of Booya should be usable by most dogs.

Durability: 5/5
Several users have reported that this toy outlasted their Kongs! Definitely one to try for destructive chewers, or at least dogs that rip out squeakers immediately.

Noise: 1/5
Sure it rolls quietly across the floor, but it also makes an unholy shrieking noise.

Locatability: 2/5
It rolls a bit, and the dogs like to carry it around. It's a bit bigger than a Kong, though.

Washability: 2/5
This is a hollow toy that is dishwasher safe, so it should be fairly cleanable. It's definitely not easy, though.

Versatility: 2/5
The squeak makes this toy fun for Xhuuya the raven, but it needs to be more easily washable before I'm willing to give it to someone who eats carrion as a hobby.

Total: 22/50

Product Review: Fido Float Life Jacket

The PetSafe Fido Float is a doggy lifejacket that is supportive, easy to put on, and very secure. It is a step-in style lifevest that closes with a zipper on the back. The smaller sizes have a single handle on the back for helping the dog out of the water, the larger sizes have two handles for more support. The Fido Float personal flotation device comes in six sizes to fit dogs with chests 10-37" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

The vest is well-designed in my opinion, but I do have some concerns about material durability. I think the step-in style is very supportive, there is a mesh panel supporting Ru's entire chest instead of concentrating all the pressure onto a few straps.

Though it's not terribly obvious from the pictures, this little life vest has two handles. When the vest is zippered shut, the handles can be grabbed together in one hand. This allows me to lift Ru without ever putting pressure on the zipper at the top.

Photo by Erin Koski

The design basically guarantees that there is minimal pressure put on the zipper. This is important because that zipper is a major weakness of the design. One bad grab that misses a handle and you've likely destroyed the zipper for good. The good news is that a faulty zipper shouldn't cause the Fido Float to fail while your dog is swimming. The bad news is that it will likely fall off as soon as he gets out of the water.

The mesh bottom between the foam panels is a clever was to make this a supportive and somewhat form-fitting design. However, it is a very wide mesh. Most dogs won't have an issue, but I've heard of several short-haired highly-active dogs getting nipple irritation after a while.

I think durability is my biggest concern for the Fido Float. It looks nice, and I even bought this one secondhand, but I don't think the orange material on the outside would hold up to that much action. It makes a great just-in-case safety device for a dog that just sits on a boat, but I would choose a sturdier personal flotation device for a pup that is going to party hard at the beach. The difference between the Fido Float and the Ruffwear Float Coat is like the difference between an inexpensive kids' life jacket and a serious fishing life vest.

Pros: Inexpensive. Brightly colored and easy to spot. Supportive and easy to put on older dogs. Design will still support a swimming dog even if the fastener fails.

Cons: Not durable enough for serious active dog use. Zipper is likely to fail under stress. Mesh bottom can irritate some dogs.

Bottom Line: For keeping a sedentary dog safe on the water, for occasional use, and for helping an old dog swim, this is an economical choice. I would not expect it to hold up to a whole lot of adventuring.

Treat Tuesday: PetSafe Indigo Catfish Po' Boy

These PetSafe Indigo Catfish Po' Boy treats arrived in our February Allergy-Friendly BarkBox. They certainly fit the Mardis Gras theme of that particular box. While we haven't tried this particular flavor before, we did get some pork ones in our September BarkBox. These are very special treats because they are highly perishable and need to used up right away.

Good For: Dogs with allergies to things that aren't catfish or pork. High value treats if I cut them up into little pieces.

Not Good For: Forgetting inside my treat bag for a week.

How Much We Like Them: Not enough to go looking for them in my local stores, but enough to use the ones we get in our BarkBoxes.

Product Review: Busy Buddy Biscuit Bouncer

The Busy Buddy Biscuit Bouncer is a durable chew toy that can hold some types of treats. It comes in two sizes for medium and large dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is an interesting food toy, we don't have anything like it. This is a very solid, heavy rubber ball with a slot all the way through it. The packaging indicates that I should shove a standard bone-shaped dog biscuit into the toy. I do not have any standard bone-shaped dog biscuits.

This seems like it could be a great food toy for a serious power chewer. Convincing a less determined chewer to use it requires a little creativity.

Photo by Erin Koski

A dog with powerful jaws could bite down hard and crunch a biscuit inside the Biscuit Bouncer. Brisbane doesn't bite down on his toys like that though, and he doesn't find dry dog biscuits to be terribly motivating.

I've been putting jerky treats inside the Biscuit Bouncer. The Bixbi Daily Essentials and Fruitables Real Jerky both work great. This makes a worthwhile challenge for Briz.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Super durable! I have yet to hear of a dog destroying this toy. Works as a ball without food, too.

Cons: It's really quite difficult to mash any kind of treat in there.

Bottom Line: This is a different sort of puzzle than most of our toys, and presents a unique challenge. It's not a toy that we use a lot, but it is certainly a way to keep Brisbane busy and thinking for ten minutes or more.

The February Allergy-Friendly BarkBox

The theme of the February Allergy-Friendly BarkBox is Mardi Gras! Not being Catholic or even slightly religious, we think of Mardi Gras as a big weird party that happens to other people. That's ok though, the dogs are thrilled with this month's box. As always, nothing in here contains any chicken, turkey, beef, corn wheat, soy, or gluten. Happily, this month's box also didn't include anything with duck or eggs.

Ru liked the Harry Barker Stuffed Mardi Gras Mask with Rope. It's a good size for him, and he enjoys dragging around rope toys.

Brisbane immediately stole the Delca Jester Ball and has been nose-punching it to make it squeak all evening. This is a stuffy with a spiky ball inside.

There is also an Aussie Naturals Salmon Half Cigar, which is slightly less stinky than the Fish Strips we got in last month's box.

We got some gluten-free Le Petit Treat King Cake Biscuits. These are so cute, but there's only a few in there. It's a tiny box, we went through the last one in a couple of days.

The most interesting thing in this month's box is a package of Petsafe Indigo Catfish Po'Boy treats. These are super high-value treats that must be refrigerated after opening and consumed within three days. I haven't opened them yet, but they're probably pretty stinky.

This month's box contents are all from familiar companies, and we've gotten similar things in previous boxes. In fact, our January BarkBox had a plush Delco toy and Aussie Naturals fish skin treats, so this month feels a tiny bit like a rerun. Come to think of it, our June box last year contained both a Harry Barker plushy and some Le Petit Treat biscuits as well. Do these things always come paired?

Product Review: Premier Sure-Fit Harness

The Premier Sure-Fit Harness is a Roman-style harness that does not restrict shoulder movement. It features two buckles on the girth strap, so I don't have to lift up Brisbane's feet to put it on. This is a highly adjustable harness, in addition to the adjustable neck and girth straps, the central chest strap that runs between the front legs is also adjustable. The Sure-Fit Harness is available in an impressive twelve colors and five sizes to fit dogs with chests 12-42" around.

Pardon my fat dog.
Photo by Erin Koski

This is one of the first harnesses I bought for Brisbane, way back when he was a baby. I had thought it was long gone, donated to rescue with assorted other silly things, until I found it in my car. Nothing makes me feel sillier than discovering something that has been hiding in my car for years, though in my defense it was stuffed in the spare tire compartment with assorted other things I used to use when I picked up dogs to send to New York.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is a great harness that does not restrict shoulder movement in any way. It was mentioned by name when I emailed Dr. Christine Zink for harness recommendations, and she's basically the expert on such things so I take her word for it.

I have a green medium Premier Sure-Fit harness, and recently picked up a purple large harness at a thrift store. I'm beginning to think I'm a bit weird about harness fitting, because I pretty much adjust the center strap on any harness to be as long as possible. I just want the straps to sit as far away from sensitive armpits as possible. On Brisbane, the medium Sure-Fit is adjusted with the necks straps at about half their maximum length, the chest straps each about an inch short of their maximum length, and the center strap adjusted as long as possible. On foster puppy Darla, the neck and chest straps are all adjusted nearly as small as they go, but the chest strap is still set to its maximum length. I did the same thing with the Red Dingo harness, so it's not something about this particular brand. On Brisbane the large harness fits loosely with every strap adjusted as short as possible...except that center strap.

Photo by Erin Koski

When properly fitted, the neck straps of the Sure Fit harness should sit way up high on the neck, well away from the shoulders. I try to get it just below where a collar would sit.

Pros: Highly adjustable for a good fit. Comes in tons of colors. Two buckles make it easier to put on, I don't have to put any feet through any straps. Front ring allows it to be used as a no-pull harness.

Cons: There's not a lot of overlap between the larger sizes. I almost feel like the front center strap isn't quite long enough on the medium, but the large doesn't adjust small enough.

Bottom Line: It may be plain, but the Sure-Fit harness is a great non-restrictive option for canine athletes, dogs who run with their owners, and really almost any dog. I like harnesses. This is a good one. Since I rediscovered it we have been using it a lot.

What's your favorite harness?

Puzzle Toy Review: Busy Buddy Twist 'n Treat

The Busy Buddy Twist 'n Treat is a roller-type treat-dispensing toy. It is made from durable rubber and comes in four sizes. This toy is also available in a softer rubber for teething puppies, and there is a cat version as well.

Photo by Erin Koski

The toy shown here is an extra small that we borrowed from Xhuuya the raven, we don't currently have one of our own. I did get one for my dearly departed cocker spaniel a few years before I got Brisbane, and that toy lasted us well over a decade before the rubber started to get a bit weird.

The Twist 'n Treat consists of two halves that screw together and come apart completely for easy cleaning. The toy can be filled with small treats and made more difficult by screwing it together tighter. I used to smear it with peanut butter and fill it with kibble.


Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 2/5
Our old medium-sized Twist 'n Treat held less than a quarter cup of kibble. I know the large holds more than that, but not a ton.

Loading Speed: 4/5
Untwist, dump food in, re-twist. It can be tough to get it closed when filled to max capacity, however.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 3/5
The peanut butter made it last a bit longer, but this was never a time-consuming project for Oakely.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 2/5
There was a reason I stopped using this long before it began to degrade.

Size: 5/5
Comes in Ru-sized all the way up to Doberman-sized.

Durability: 4/5
It'll stand up to all forms of flinging, squishing, and biting. Not hard chewing, though.

Noise: 5/5
Soft rubber means it can be bounced all over the hardwood without waking the neighbors.

Locatability: 1/5
It rolls, and the medium was small enough to fit under most furniture. Was often found in Brisbane's lairs.

Washability: 5/5
Unscrews all the way for easy scrubbing. Also top rack dishwasher safe.

Versatility: 5/5
The various sizes and flexibility of this toy make it good for a variety of creatures. Premier markets it for dogs and cats, it is also raven-approved and could potentially be used for enrichment for a variety of animals. The fact that it can be unscrewed gives it huge potential, and it has no hard parts of sharp edges.

Total: 36/50

Product Review: Gentle Leader Head Collar

The Premier Gentle Leader is a head collar, or head halter, made by PetSafe. The basic nylon webbing version comes in five sizes and nine different colors to fit dogs of all sizes. The deluxe version features a fleece-lined nose loop with a ribbon overlay, it comes in three colors and includes a matching leash.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Gentle Leader is probably the easiest to find head collar, and might be the easiest to use. I find them at thrift stores on a regular basis, and currently own three or four. Many dogs really hate wearing a head collar, but for the dogs that don't mind, this can be a really excellent bandaid for pulling on the leash.

The Gentle Leader became popular and easy to find in stores in the late 1990's, but it had been around for at least a decade before that under a different name. The Promise Collar was touted as a "natural" training system designed to work with the dominance-based pack structure believed to be the key to dog training at the
time. As the science of behaviorism began to influence dog training, and reward-based positive training surged in popularity, the Promise Collar was rebranded as the Gentle Leader. The Authority Loop became the Leader Loop, and the training tool was no longer intended to dominate subordinate pack members.

Briz is not a fan/

I sort of love and hate this collar. I love that I haven't paid more than a dollar for any of the many I have owned and given away. I love that this collar is incredibly adjustable, one side of the neck strap is a fixed length and the other side as well as the nose loop can be adjusted all the way down to nothing, so Brisbane can wear a medium, a large, and possibly even an extra large Gentle Leader. I love that there are only two loops, so it is relatively simple to put on.

At the same time, I hate that most dogs fight this collar even when it has been carefully introduced. I hate seeing long leashes and even retractables attached to these. I hate seeing dogs back out of them at the worst possible time, and I hate how pretty much everyone has them sized wrong. The neck loop is supposed to be very tight, so tight even a single finger can't be slid under it. Most dogs hate this, and most of their owners do, too. The thing is, the neck strap needs to be super tight, sitting right up behind the ears, in order to keep the nose loop in place. If the neck strap is too loose, the nose loop can slip off, and most people respond by making the nose loop too tight.

A correctly-fitted Gentle Leader should fit tightly around the neck, but very loose around the nose. The plastic adjuster on the nose loop should be positioned so that it is barely not loose. Most dogs will not be able to back out of the collar when it is super tight, but I use a martingale or slip collar as a backup in case they do manage to escape the Gentle Leader.

Pros: Easy to find, easy to use, and each size fits a wide range of dogs. Definitely the least-confusing and most user-friendly head collar.

Cons: Most dogs hate it at first, many continue to hate it even when properly introduced. Difficult to adjust correctly, and may be uncomfortable for the dog when the neck strap is tight enough. No backup or safety feature in case dog backs out of collar. Unlined nose loop tends to rub marks on dogs who wear the Gentle Leader often.

Bottom Line: There are head collars I like better than the Gentle Leader. There are head collars that many dogs like better than the Gentle Leader. However, this is still my best bet for introducing people to the whole concept without overwhelming them with a tangle of straps.

Product Review: Busy Buddy Bouncy Bone

The PetSafe Busy Buddy Bouncy Bone is a durable chew toy with ends that can be unscrewed to add Busy Buddy treat rings. It comes in four sizes for tiny through large dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Busy Buddy Treat Rings are made from ground up rawhide and probably some other stuff. They are digestible and not terribly tough, but they fit on all sorts of Busy Buddy toys and come in various sizes. There are also thicker treat rings for use with certain toys. These are fairly low-value chew around here, Brisbane and Ulysses don't find them exciting enough to fight over, and everyone tends to ignore them when they are used with toys like the Build-a-Bone.

If the treat rings were more exciting for my dogs, I would buy them a lot more often. I would also love to find a recipe or method for making my own. There are probably jerky treats or something that I could stab the Busy Buddy toys through for a more exciting activity. Ru likes to gnaw on his Bouncy Bone, it's a lot like a Nylabone and that makes him happy. He won't chew the treat rings off it though, but Briz is quite skilled at removing them without damaging the toy.

Pros: Holds Treat Rings to encourage chewing. Durable bone material is sturdy enough for average chewers. Comes in a super tiny size for super tiny dogs.

Cons: Treat rings are ridiculously easy to remove from the toy, so this is only a challenge for beginners and low-effort dogs. The bone ends are fairly hard, and tend to develop sharp ridges when heavily chewed, these can cut a dog's gums.

Bottom Line: It's cute and colorful, but not for power chewers. I believe it to be less durable than a Nylabone.

The September Allergy-Friendly BarkBox

Our September BarkBox arrived on Tuesday, and I am relatively pleased. It's not an all-star lineup, but we should be able to use most of the things inside. The theme this time around in football, which is not my favorite thing. It's not so much that I have a problem with football in particular, I just disapprove of the entire institution of professional sports. Still, this BarkBox had some interesting goodies.

I think my favorite thing in this month's box is the PetProjekt Football Tretball. Most of this company's products are along ultra-modern design lines, with plenty of bright colors and unique shapes. Many of their toys look like they were designed with a specific dog in mind, or a specific problem to solve. I like the Tennisbal rubber grip that fits over any standard-sized tennis ball and helps hang onto slippery, slobbery balls. Their YapCap screws onto any water bottle and turns it into a squeaky toy. We have their DogLog and Squeeki Tiki toys, and I'd like to get their Tretcon and a Furchun cookie puzzle toys. The Tretbal Football is interesting, it kind of reminds me of the Busy Buddy Kibble Nibble. The holes are too small to let most kibble fall out, so the intention is to have dogs squash, crush, and flip the toy inside out for their treats.

Ulysses particularly liked the FabDog Pom Poms. They're supposed to be cheerleader pom poms, I'm curious whether other BarkBox subscribers got the same or different colors. If I were not willfully ignorant about teams, I would probably know who these colors represent. This particular toy was specially made for BarkBox, it doesn't look like FabDog normally carries tennis-ball-on-rope toys.

We got an Etta Says Duck Chew, which Ulysses has already devoured. Brisbane is allergic to duck, and Ru won't eat most poultry, fortunately Uly is here to pick up the slack. These things are a mixture of duck feet and rawhide, and the company also makes them out of beef, deer, and probably some other stuff. One of our local stores recently started carrying a whole bunch of different Etta Says stuff, so we will be trying more of their goodies. I have long been a fan of their liver treats.

Duck was apparently a big thing this month, it's the only meat in the allergy-friendly lineup that Briz can't eat and this month we got two duck things. The second one is a bag of BBQ Duck-flavored yumZies Jerky Burgers from Nootie. The company primarily makes shampoos and bath products for dogs, but also produces yumZies dog treats.

The last thing in our September BarkBox is a box of bacon-flavored PetSafe Indigo Smokehouse Strips. These were vacuum-sealed and need to be refrigerated because they are totally perishable once they're open. BarkBox recommends using them within three days. I've been stuffing them into toys and so far nobody is complaining.

Puzzle Toy: PetSafe Busy Buddy Squirrel Dude

The PetSafe Busy Buddy Squirrel Dude is a durable rubber chew toy with a hole at the bottom for dispensing food. The Squirrel Dude comes in four sizes suitable for most dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

So this is basically an off-brand Kong in a lot of ways. It's a hard, durable rubber toy that is hollow inside, but it's shaped like a squirrel. The hole is in the bottom, so the squirrel basically poops kibble. Erin wanted everyone to be very clear about this.

So how is the Squirrel Dude different from everybody's favorite durable rubber chew toy? For one thing, the cavity inside is longer and narrower. We have a large Squirrel, intended for dogs over 50 pounds, and Brisbane and Ulysses can never get all the goodies out of the very bottom.

Photo by Erin Koski

The hole (in the Squirrel's bottom) is also smaller in diameter than the ones in our non-animal-shaped Kongs. This makes the Squirrel Dude a little safer for smaller dogs, who can get their lower jaws stuck inside the biggest Kongs.

The Squirrel Dude is made from harder rubber than Kongs, I think it's actually less flexible than our XL Extreme Kong. The large Squirrel is surprisingly heavy and while PetSafe claims it has a fun unpredictable bounce, I would be worried about head injuries and broken windows if this thing started bouncing anywhere nearby.

So what makes the Squirrel Dude a puzzle toy and not just a stuffable rubber toy? It's the four little prongs poking out around the butthole. These prevent kibble from pouring out and turn the toy into a challenge rather than a simple unstuffing task. The prongs can be trimmed to widen the hole, and are flexible enough that I can violate the squirrel with a bottle brush in order to clean it. Stuffing this thing is a bit of an art though, particularly since the large Squirrel is a bit oversized for my dogs. The fastest way to stuff it with a soda bottle funnel, which jams the prongs open. With heavy use the prongs may eventually break off, but the squirrel can still be stuffed with peanut butter and other goodies. I've had to abandon the idea of jamming larger biscuits inside our Squirrel because Briz and Uly can't get them out, and even with thumbs I have a tough time of it.

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 5/5

I can fit an entire cup of kibble in this thing.

Loading Speed: 5/5

Jam a funnel in the hole, pour in the kibble, done.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5

Ulysses, the dog who recently mastered the ball with a hole in it, can spend all day getting a meal out of this thing.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 4/5

Brisbane never gets a whole cup of kibble because he would turn into a blimp, but it takes him an appreciable amount of time to get his daily quarter cup out. It doesn't require a whole lot of effort, but it's tougher than a ball with a hole in it, and doesn't randomly dump most of its load at once.

Size: 5/5

Comes in Extra Small for tinydogs and large for big guys. I might have been happier with a medium, but the large is a nice addition to my collection of heavy duty toys.

Durability: 5/5

This is one of the few puzzle toys I actually would give to a power chewer. It's not indestructible, but it's also not made from hard plastic like many puzzles. It's a seriously heavy duty toy, and often one of the only ones a power chewer can enjoy without demolishing. Careful supervision is required for a while, but the Squirrel Dude is one of the first toys I feel comfortable leaving a new dog with unattended. Is the Squirrel Dude tougher than the Extreme Kong? It seems to depend on the dog, many destroy one and not the other.

Noise: 4/5

While I don't relish it thudding repeatedly on my hardwood floors, it's much quieter than heavy bobbers and hard plastic toys.

Locatability: 4/5

It's small enough to be shoved under the furniture, but the woodland creature shape prevents it from rolling under the furniture most of the time. It's also big enough to prevent the boys from carting it around the house.

Washability: 3/5

Dishwasher safe, whoopity-doo.(I don't have a dishwasher) The prongs make scrubbing a bit annoying, and since Briz and Uly can't get bigger stuff out I end up scrubbing this thing quite a bit. The small hole is great at preventing kibble from dumping out, not so great for getting the Squirrel squeaky-clean inside.

Hoardability: 2/5
Brisbane and Ulysses can both pick the Squirrel up, but it's kind of awkward and heavy so they tend to just empty it in place. I'm more likely to find it on the kitchen floor than in a crate or bed.

Total: 42/50

Product Review: Busy Buddy Build-a-Bone

The PetSafe Busy Buddy Build-a-Bone is a durable plastic chew toy with ends that unscrew to allow various rubber and rawhide discs to be added to the center post. It comes in two sizes for medium and large dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Busy Buddy products are an extensive line of puzzle toys by PetSafe. They last a long time, I had a Busy Buddy Twist'n'Treat for over a decade before I decided it was kind of gross and tossed it. It was a favorite of my late cocker spaniel Oakley.

The Build-a-Bone is similar to several other Busy Buddy toys. The Bouncy Bone and Bristle Bone have the same twist-off ends. All of these toys use the Busy Buddy rawhide rings. These are made from ground and pressed rawhide, so they are digestible even if swallowed whole. They come in different sizes to fit the different Busy Buddy toys, and PetSafe also makes extra-thick rings.

"You want me to do what?!"
Photo by Erin Koski

The Build-a-Bone is a special Busy Buddy toy that is custom assembled from a selection of parts at a special store kiosk. There are two different sizes of bone ends and center posts to choose from, and then various rubber shapes to go in the middle. Busy Buddy rawhide discs can also be added to the center to entice dogs to chew and play. The toy in the picture features a pink heart, a yellow flower, and two purple teeth-cleaning shapes. It also has at least one rawhide disc between the purple spikeys,

"Seriously?"
Photo by Erin Koski

We a have a lime green ring and another pink heart on our second Build-a-Bone. The video on the Busy Buddy website also shows a red spiked disc and a blue textured disc, but I have yet to see these in a store. Our bones came from Lemos, a local pet store with a fantastically helpful staff. Both of our Build-a-Bones are the smaller size, these don't come in tiny-little-ratdog size and Ru ignores them. Brisbane only finds them interesting when they have rawhide rings on them, and like the Everlasting Treat Ball will often ignore them for weeks before suddenly deciding to chew.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Fun and customizable, buying a second bone gave us more options. Far more durable than the Busy Buddy Bristle Bone, and more challenging than the Bouncy Bone. Brisbane enjoys gnawing this thing, and he doesn't care for Nylabones or other durable chew toys unless they are stuffed with tasty food. The Build-a-Bone provides a different type of puzzle for him to solve.

Cons: Brisbane tends to solve this puzzle by unscrewing one end and sliding off all the rings. Sometimes I can tighten it enough to prevent him from taking it apart. The reason I bought the second bone was because one day he decided the gnaw the end of the center post after disassembly. This seems to be a pretty common issue for users, others have had issues with the end of the post shearing off while tightening. The hard bone ends can develop jagged ridges that can cut the dog's gums.

Bottom Line: Obviously I like this toy enough to have purchased a second one. I usually have a package of rawhide rings for it in the cupboard. It's not a particularly high value item around here, but the dogs enjoy it. Definitely a toy for some dogs and not others, this is not a toy for serious power chewers.

Product Review: PetSafe Clik-R

The PetSafe Premier Clik-R is a training clicker with a finger loop on the back. It has a soft, low volume click. This product only comes in one size and color.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is a nice little clicker, it makes a sound a little quieter than the iClick, much softer than the big box clickers that can spook sensitive animals. It is much larger than the iClick, and has nice rounded edges that make it more comfortable to hold for long periods of time.

The best part about this clicker is that is has a little elastic band on the back that allows me to slip it on a finger. This keeps it in a convenient position when I'm juggling treats, targeting objects, leashes, and other training paraphernalia. Fair warning: a lot of reviews for this clicker state that the elastic loop is much too small and squeezes their normal-size fingers. Others complain that it is too loose and slips off their thumb easily. I wear rings in sizes 7-9 and the loop on my Clik-R works exactly as intended.

Pros: Super-convenient finger loop keeps clicker in my hand way better than a wrist strap. Raised button allows it to be clicked with a foot/elbow/chin/buttcheek. Loop at bottom allows for attachment of neck lanyard or wrist strap. This is a super-quiet clicker, great for skittish pets and group classes where not everyone wants to hear me click.

Cons: This product seems to have some quality control issues, some people have issue with the button sticking and the size of the finger loop seems to vary wildly. Not all dogs respond well to the soft click, and can miss the marker in noisy areas.

Bottom Line: I don't like it as much as the iClick, but I still use my Clik-R all the time because that finger loop is just so cool.

The July BarkBox, a Celebration of Chicken

Yesterday I canceled Brisbane's BarkBox subscription after opening our July box. Two of the four items inside were treats containing chicken, and after last month's disappointment I decided I was done. Our first two boxes were wonderful assortments of goodies that were all Brisbane-safe. After that, things started to go downhill.

I think the problem lies in the number of items contained in the box. The two most recent boxes contained only four items each. The March BarkBox contained five. My rating system for items in simple, they are either good, ok, or unusable. Good items are tasty, fun treats and irresistible or stuffable toys. Ok items are kind of blah, the dogs might be mildly interested or may just leave them. Unusable items contain Brisbane's allergens, chicken, turkey, duck, and eggs. To illustrate the decrease in BarkBox satisfaction, I am awarding each month's box one point per good item, zero points for ok items, and subtracting a point for each unusable item.

The March BarkBox contained three kind of tasty treats, one stuffable toy, and one stuffy. The treats and stuffable toy each earn one point, with no points awarded for the Stuffy, giving the March box an overall score of four.

The June BarkBox contained one small bag of tasty treats, one bag of unusable chicken treats, and two toys from the same company that I ended up giving away because my dogs ignored them even after repeated attempts to get them to play. No points for the toys, one point for the small bag of treats, and negative one point for the chicken treats gave the June box an overall score of zero.

This month's box contained a large bag of Bixbi Daily Essentials Chicken Breast Jerky Treats that are sourced and produced in the USA. They look awesome, but get a -1. Bixbi also makes Briz-safe beef and pork jerky. The PetSafe Indigo Triple Chews also look like fun and are also made from chicken and get a -1. Those don't come in any other flavors. We also got a cup of Healthy Dogma Blissful Banana Crisps, which Brisbane does not find very exciting, zero points. The last item is a P.L.A.Y. Under the Sea Crab stuffy, which Brisbane thought interesting enough to squeak once. They totally make a squid stuffy, and if it had been a squid I would have given it a point, but neither I nor the dogs are a huge fan of the crab so it also gets zero points. This brings the July BarkBox score to -2, hence my disappointment.

I canceled Brisbane's BarkBox subscription and sent the company an email explaining exactly why, and how they had failed to meet my expectations for the last two months. They responded by informing me that they started an allergy-friendly BarkBox last month, and would be happy to switch my subscription to one of those. Our August BarkBox will not contain anything with chicken, turkey, beef, corn, soy, wheat, or gluten. We could still get something with egg or duck in it, but I am hoping our odds of getting something awesome are a little higher.

Comparison: Head Halters

There are a lot of different head halters out there, and I only own three of them. I don't actually use a head halter on any of my dogs, for various reasons. Josie is too old and lame to generate any sort of pulling power. Ru is such a featherweight that I'm not actually sure if I would even notice if he pulled on the leash.

I have used a head halter on Brisbane in the past, but I've never successfully conditioned him to enjoy wearing one. Some dogs fight and paw at their faces when wearing a halter, Brisbane just gives up at life. This is a useful enough feature that I do occasionally put one on him when I need him to just lay there in a pile of despair. I have been told by more than one veterinarian to avoid using head collars on dogs with spinal issues, and they have the potential to hurt the neck of a healthy dog too. I only use a 4' or shorter leash with a head halter, and have to stay attentive and keep the dog from running to the end of the leash and jerking their neck.

Because Brisbane is incapable of looking animated or even lifting his head off the ground when wearing them, Josie is modeling all of my head halters. She is significantly bigger than Briz, but these things fit a pretty decent range of sizes.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is the Gentle Leader. by Premier. It comes in a variety of colors and five different sizes. The Gentle Leader uses a simple design with a loop that goes around the nose of the dog, and another that fits around the neck. The neck loop can be adjusted down very small, and the nose loop is the same width for most of the sizes. This means that a large Gentle Leader can still fit a relatively small dog, which makes them rather versatile. Premier also makes a Deluxe version with a padded noseband.

My experience has been that dogs hate the Gentle Leader more than other headcollars. Josie definitely pawed at it much more during our photo shoot, and it tends to leave marks on dogs with sensitive skin. The Gentle Leader doesn't really have a built-in safety measure in case of escape. The neck loop is supposed to be fitted tightly enough that it can't slip over the dog's head, but Brisbane's neck is fatter than his head and no amount of tightening would prevent him from backing out of this thing if only he could muster the willpower. I would definitely recommend using the Gentle Leader with the leash clipped to a martingale or slip collar because emergency backup measures are awesome.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is the Halti, by The Company of Animals. It is the first headcollar I can remember seeing as a kid. The noseband of this halter sits further down than the Gentle Leader, and I thinks that's why many dogs tolerate it better. This is a Halti sized for Brisbane, but you can see it still fits Josie. When the Halti is pulled tight it closes the dog's mouth, this can be helpful for dogs that bite or attempt to eat things off the ground.

I really appreciate that the Halti has a safety strap with a small clip to attach to the dog's collar. The Halti isn't intended to be as tight around the dog's neck as the Gentle Leader, and this extra safety strap is particularly reassuring when attached to a martingale or slip collar.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is the Canny Collar, and it is a bit different than most head halters because the leash attaches in the back, behind the dog's head. I haven't tried actually using this one yet, but Josie was significantly less unhappy about wearing it. My favorite thing about the Canny Collar is that it does not twist the dog's head around at all. From a training perspective this could be a disadvantage because I would not be able to force the dog to look up at me. However, it seems to be significantly safer for the average dog owner who just wants to go for a walk without their arm getting dislocated.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Canny Collar is built on a flat buckle collar, and this again could be a problem for dogs who back out of collars. One of the neat features about the Canny Collar is that the nose loop can be slipped off and secured around the dog's neck for off-leash play or practice walking on a flat buckle collar.

This would definitely be the first head halter I would recommend to someone who wants to walk and isn't focused on training. I would also probably recommend the Infinity Lead, although I haven't yet found one in a thrift store so I have yet to try it myself. The Infinity Lead also attaches to the dog's collar as an emergency backup measure.

The Snoot Loop, Sporn Halter, and Comfort Trainer are a few more head halters I haven't actually played with yet, but the ones pictured here are the most common and easiest to find. I think the rear-attaching halters like the Canny Collar are becoming more common, something I'm very glad to see. Whether head halters count as positive or negative training equipment probably counts a lot on the dog and handler, but they need to be used carefully to avoid injury.