Meliora Drents

A semi-comprehensive list of our favorite dog-related supplies. This list does not include “sport-specific” gear – that will have to come in its own post! We don’t get any kickbacks from these, just sharing the supplies that we love!

Collars

Gun Dog Supply Biothane Collars & Nameplates – a very affordable biothane (faux leather) collar that is easy to clean, available in tons of colors, and comes with a nameplate tag.

Rivet-On Curved Nameplate from DogIDs – rather than a dangling tag, the customizeable tags are quiet, slick, safe, and won’t fall off and get lost!

Leashes

I make my own from 3/4″ biothane and hardware from Strapworks, but Pacific Hound also makes biothane leashes and they are also available from many sellers on etsy.

Mendota Slip Leashes – also a must-have backup. I keep one by my front door and one in my car in case I forget a collar/leash or I run across a loose/lost dog.

Tug Retractable Leash – yep, I love a retractable leash. When used responsibly (ie, not letting my dog run up to other dogs/people or otherwise be a menace), these are a great tool to give my dogs a little more freedom than a standard six foot leash. I’m particualrly a fan of retractable leashes for hiking in areas where it’s not responsible to let them off-leash.

General Harness

Ruffwear Front Range – probably the highest quality versatile harness you can get. They also have many other types and styles of harness and other adventure dog gear. Ruffwear can be pricey, but the quality and style in unmatched.

Dog Copenhagen Comfort Walk Air – Another excellent high-quality harness that has the added benefit of being more lightweight than the Ruffwear, and has a buckle on the neck loop. The only downside is the lead time and shipping cost.

Food

Inukshuk – Iris was on the 26/16 since her first puppy mash meal at her breeder and transitioned to Marine 30 and Marine 16 (as needed) as an adult. Affordable, high quality, and calorically DENSE for active dogs.

Purina Pro Plan 7+ Sensitive Stomach – Kaia switched from Natural Balance to PPP when she became a “senior” dog and I saw a subtle but marked difference in her physical and mental energy after a few weeks on this food.

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet – Kaia did well on this for a long time. Great option for dogs with food allergies like her, with multiple flavor/protein options to rotate through.

Vittles Vault Food Storage – these come in a couple sizes depending on your needs, but make food easy to store and scoop and keep fresh. Just make sure to wash them between refills.

Food Puzzle/Enrichment Toys

IQ Treat Ball – easy to fill and clean.

Beehive – not as easy to fill or clean, but quieter rolling around the house than the hard plastic IQ ball!

Kong – best for filling with softer food/treats and freezing for a long-lasting enrichment toy.

Toys

Outward Hound Fire Biterz – a good balance of durable and satisfying to chew for medium-strength chewers like my girls.

Chuck-it balls – I tend to go for the squeaker style, but there are tons of different types. These rubber balls are much safer for a dog’s teeth than regular tennis balls.

JW Hol-ee Roller – a great combination tug/fetch toy that is so durable that it lives in our backyard for random play sessions.

Barkbox – every once in a while I’ll sign up for six months of boxes to replenish our plush toys and get some fun treats.

Clean Run Tug Toy Selection – an unbelievable variety of tug toys!

Beds

Joyelf Memory Foam Dog Bed – super soft, cozy, orthpedic dog bed. Removable cover for easy washing.

Frisco Farmhouse Dog Bed – another cozy and slightly nicer aesthetic dog bed.

K&H Pet Products Elevated Cot – these are great “place” cots in and around the house, as well as a cooler place to lay in the summer, and portable enough to take on camping trips.

Training Collars

Herm Sprenger Prong Collar – only the Herm Sprenger brand will do. I strongly believe these are the safest and most humane collars for a dog that is prone to pulling on leash. However, I also recommend consulting with a trainer before use to ensure it is used in a fair and consistent manner.

E-Collar Technologies Mini Educator – for off-leash safety and reliability, I’ll always have an e-collar on my dogs. I highly recommend utilizing an e-collar only in conjunction with advice from an experienced and trusted dog trainer, who can teach you how to use it properly to reinforce already known behaviors in your dog.

E-Collar Bungee Quick Snap Collar – a replacement for the standard Mini Educator receiver strap, with easy on/off and better contact.

Crates

Top Paw Double Dour Wire Crate – A pretty standard wire crate. I prefer the double door for flexibility. Kaia (40lbs) uses a 36″, Iris (50lbs) a 42″ as their “house crates”.

Top Paw Crate Cover – This makes the wire crates look a little nicer and creates more of a nice “den” for the dogs.

You & Me Portable Canvas Crate – I use these for shows, trials, and group classes where I need to crate my dog and/or give them a place to rest between runs when we aren’t crating out of the car. Kaia uses a 30″ and Iris a 36″ as their “travel crates”.

Ruffland Kennel – Crating your dog in the car in a kennel meant for that purpose is the safest way to travel. You could spend thousands of dollars on a car crate, but the RLKs are a great balance of safety and price. The lead time and shipping cost are a pain, but these kennels hold value better than gold, so if it doesn’t work out they are easy to re-sale. Iris uses an Intermediate crate (30″) – a more snug fit is the safest for a car kennel.

Supplements

Cosequin – both my dogs get this supplement daily for joint health. The link will send you to Amazon, but the best place to get it is Costco 🙂

Slippery Elm – the best thing to have on hand for runny poops. Soak a teaspoon or two in warm water until it turns into a mushy paste, then add to a meal or feed on it’s own as a fiber supplement and stomach soother. I will also feed proactively when I know my dogs are trying a new treat or chew, or when they get lots of fatty treats in training.

Lazarus Naturals Pet CBD Tincture – Kaia gets this regularly to take the edge off her anxiety and ease old girl aches and pains. I also take the human version CBD gummies and it works wonders to ease stress and anxiety.

Grooming

Dremel Nail Grinder – I know not all dogs will take to the dremel (Kaia is one of them) but I will condition all my dogs to it in the future. Much easier, faster, and safer than a nail clipper. I particularly like that I can round the end of each nail so you don’t get sharp edges, which can catch on things.

Shiny Pet Comb – simple and does the job. But with a comb like this, I can be sure I’m brushing all the way down to the skin and getting knots/tangles out.

Chews

Downtown Pet Supply Bully Sticks – I give chews as a teeth-cleaning and enrichment treat, and these have consistently been good quality and not crazy expensive.

Bully Grip – Iris was a “gulper” as a puppy, and once swallowed a 4 inch long piece of bully stick when she was only about 15 lbs. After that, we found these. She has since grown out of that habit so we rarely use these anymore, but they were a fantastic solution. I recommend getting a couple sizes because they only really work if they are tightly fitted to the bully stick, and sometimes bully sticks will come in varying thicknesses.

Beef Cheek Roll – a longer-lasting option than a Bully Stick.

Other

Earth Rated Poop Bags – until they can come up with a truly compostible poop bag that I don’t worry about breaking down in my hand, these seem to be one of the more eco-friendly options available.

Redline K9 Clear Plastic Muzzle – I ended up modifying it for a better fit for Kaia, but this is a good quality and subtle muzzle for the dogs and situations that need it.