Hey everyone, welcome back to another video.
I don't know about you,
but it kind of feels like puppy season has arrived.
And I know quite a few people
who have gotten puppies recently.
It might be because people have more time right now
to dedicate to training while they're at home.
As a result, we've gotten some questions
around what our favorite dog supplies are.
So today we're gonna be sharing our list of items
that we think every dog owner should have.
So the first item on our list is a nice, sturdy crate.
We are big believers in positive reinforcement
and crate training, especially for puppies.
Both Kokoro and Chibi are crate trained.
And we like to use metal crates like this one
to give them a safe space.
Dogs are den animals.
They really like having a nice, secure,
small den-like space.
So a crate really provides for that.
There are a ton of pros to having your dog crate trained.
It's really helpful for potty training.
It's really helpful for behavioral training
and just making sure that they don't get
into any trouble around the house.
At this point, Kokoro and Chibi are six and seven years old
so they don't really spend that much time in their crates.
They really just sleep in them overnight.
For the most part, they spend all day
around the house with free roam.
So, a crate is a really good tool
for any situations where you might need to contain your dog.
For example, if we have somebody coming over
that is allergic or afraid of dogs
or contractors coming over.
Sometimes it's just easier to have the dogs secure
and safely in their own space
so they're not getting in the way of any workers.
Most of all, if you crate train properly,
your dog will end up really loving their crate.
There are a ton of different types of crates out there.
We prefer the metal crates that are foldable
and collapsible so we can fold them up
and store them if you don't want to use them for a while.
They're also more sturdy,
so Chibi has used a portable fabric crate before
and actually ripped her way out of the fabric.
So a collapsible metal crate is our preferred style.
Number two, a dog bed or mat.
This is something that you can put in your crate.
So we have one in Chibi's crate
because of her orthopedic issues,
just makes it more comfortable for her.
Around the house we have a few varieties
of different types of dog beds.
A dog bed or mat is really useful,
particularly if you're gonna do mat training.
So we've talked about mat training before
in our video about solutions for separation anxiety in dogs.
Mat training works very similar to crate training.
You're basically establishing the mat
or the dog bed as a comfortable and safe space for your dog.
Having a dog bed or a mat that your dog is very comfortable
and used to is also very useful
if you're gonna be taking them to your office
or to a hotel or traveling
and bringing that dog bed with you will give them a sense
of security and familiarity with their typical routine.
If you're anything like me,
I'm obsessed with buying my dogs new beds.
I don't know why, it's just my favorite way to spoil them
and dog beds can be really expensive,
but our favorite one is this one by MiaCara.
It has a removable and washable cover.
We've had this bed for about two and a half years now
and it stayed super poofy
and really retained the original structure.
And so we really find that this one was worth it.
Obviously having a dog food that your dog really likes
and is healthy is on this list.
We're gonna actually talk about
the types of bowls that we like.
Right now we're using these two ceramic bowls.
We prefer round bowls like these
because they're easier to wash
and you really should be washing your dog bowls
every couple of days to make sure
that there's no bacterial growth or build up.
We've also used stainless steel bowls in the past
and we really liked those.
So ceramic and stainless steel bowls
are our personal favorites.
In addition, it's probably a good idea
to have some collapsible bowls for your hiking,
going on a long walk.
We use this kind, it folds in and folds out really easily
and we can just clip it to our bag
and bring it along with us if we're going on a long hike.
So we have one bowl each for Kokoro and Chibi
and we also have a water fountain that they share.
The reason why we really like using this water fountain,
and this is the PetSafe water fountain,
is because there are filters inside
that you can change every couple of weeks
and so it keeps the water fresh and filtered all day long.
We use filtered water in it to avoid tear stains for Kokoro.
You just change out the filters every couple of weeks
when the water starts to get a little bubbly
from their saliva.
We find this works a lot better
than just filling a bowl over and over with tap water.
'Cause standing water can get a little bit icky,
so we highly recommend getting a pet fountain for your dog.
Next is lint rollers.
If you have a dog that sheds,
you're gonna need one of these in your car,
in your house, at your workplace.
I have one in my bag that I carry with me all the time.
So definitely this is key for making sure
that you can clean yourself up a little bit
if you need to be presentable
instead of being covered by dog hair.
Next up is an exercise pen.
It's very, very useful for training for a puppy
and for confining them to a safe space,
giving them a little bit more room than just a crate.
We haven't really used our exercise pen that often,
but we still think it's a really good idea
for any dog owner to have an exercise pen
in case you're going to any events
or if you just need to block off
a certain area of the house.
Having exercise pens is very handy for that.
Durable dog chews.
Dogs have a lot of energy and one of the best ways
to get their mental stimulation going
is to give them a durable dog chew.
Our favorite chews are Benebone dog chews.
These typically lasts about one month
and they come in a variety of different flavors.
It's usually a good idea to test out a bunch
of different types of chews
and see which is your dog's favorite.
Next up is a slip collar or a leash.
We actually don't have Kokoro
and Chibi wear collars permanently.
For Kokoro, the coat around her neck
can get matted really easily
with different types of collars.
And there's also an added risk of them getting stuck
on things when we're not at home because of a collar.
That can happen when the metal pieces
of the collar get stuck on, for example,
the bars of a crate.
So, just for safety reasons,
we prefer to have them just totally naked
when we're at home.
And because both of the dogs
have really good off-lease training and recall,
we prefer to just have them use slip collars
and leashes when we're out and about.
So this is what a slip or Martingale collar looks like.
Basically, as long as you size it properly,
you can just slip it over the dog's head
and it will tighten as you're using the leash
or going on a walk.
These are just super easy and quick to use
if you're getting the leash or collar on and off.
There's no buckles or weird clasps
that need to be worked with, so we just find this
to be the most convenient and easy way.
Next we have paw wipes.
We always wipe our dog's paws when coming in from a walk.
You just never know what they could
have stepped on out there, especially during these times.
Obviously you need poop bags and a poop bag dispenser.
These are our favorite types of poop bag dispensers
that we put on the leashes with us
so that we never forget a poop bag
if we're on a walk.
I've gone through so many different types
of leash attachable poop dispensers
and these are really my favorite ones.
They fit one roll perfectly, and they're not too big.
They don't have too much space and they're very compact.
And they attach really, really easily to your leash.
We also got this adhesive poop bag dispenser
for our backyard.
So if you have an outdoor space
and you want to have a poop bag dispenser available
so that you can pick up any poop in your backyard,
this is one that we got and we really, really like
and it's been really handy to not have
to run back inside to grab a poop bag
if we're hanging out with our dogs in the backyard.
Next up is a treat pouch.
First of all, I think that it's a really good idea
for everyone to have a treat pouch
and have it in your bag or somewhere handy
or just bring it along with you wherever you are.
For us, training never really stops
and it's a good idea to have treats available
if you want to reinforce your dog's good behavior
when you're out and about on a walk, walking by a dog park.
We've gone through so many different types of treat pouches.
There are some huge ones that are like this big
and they attach like a fanny pack to your hip.
We're not a fan of those.
I personally like a treat pouch that's small and compact
and that has a magnetic closure
which makes it really easy to open and close
and it keeps all the treats really secure.
This is our favorite one, it's by Wildebeest.
And I have searched all over for a better treat pouch,
but so far this is the best one that I've been able to find.
We also like to carry this little nifty tool
with us on walks, it's called a pet corrector.
This is good if you have a reactive dog
or just to protect yourself from off-leash dogs
that may run up to you.
It basically just makes a loud, air hissing noise
that startles dogs.
We like to keep this just in case of emergencies.
We have been charged at, and Kokoro's been attacked
while we've been on a walk before.
So, it's better safe than sorry.
You can use it to deter off-leash, aggressive dogs
from coming up to you.
Next step is a really secure travel crate or a seatbelt.
We used to actually just let the dogs kind of roam free
in the car and stick their heads out the window.
Until I learned that this is actually very unsafe
and you can get a ticket in some states
for having an unrestrained dog in your vehicle.
Having a really secure crate is a really good idea
so that you can keep your dog safe
in case of anything going wrong.
It actually works out really well for us too
because Chibi has like no core strength
and it makes it easier for her to travel in the car
so she's not like wiggling around
and moving along with the G4.
So, this is our favorite brand of portable fabric crate.
It folds down really, really easily.
So if I have a bunch of groceries,
I can just quickly fold them both down
and it's like they're not even there in my trunk.
Otherwise I keep them both side by side
in the back of my car here.
And the dogs are used to riding in them wherever we go.
This one is a lifesaver.
We are in love with our BISSELL spot cleaner.
I honest think this is a must-have for every dog owner
no matter what kind of dog you have
and no matter how old they are,
this is the perfect cleaner
for if your dog has any accidents
on any type of rug or carpet,
probably even more essential for puppy owners.
But we found that it's really useful for us even now
because Kokoro tends to have some stomach problems.
This spot cleaner is amazing.
All you have to do is add some hot water into it,
mix it with some cleaning solution,
and it basically sprays the effected area
and vacuums at the same time.
So we've used this in so many tricky situations.
One time the dogs literally got into a bag of fertilizer
in my backyard and started throwing up everywhere
and it was able to get all the stains out of my white rug.
This is one of my favorite, favorite items
and I highly recommend everyone
with a dog consider getting one.
It's probably also a good idea
to have stain and odor remover.
We really like Nature's Miracle.
This is something that we usually reserve
for accidents on the hardwood floor.
For any accidents on carpets or rugs,
we usually go with the BISSELL spot cleaner.
Next up is a nail grinder.
We prefer to use this one by Dremel
and it makes clipping your dog's nails super, super easy.
You may have to do a little bit
of training to get them used to the sound,
but we used to clip Kokoro's nails with actual clippers
and it's just much harder to be accurate
and you can potentially clip their quick.
So we highly recommend everybody
to just use a Dremel nail grinder.
We clip the dog's nails at least once a week.
We just flip them on their backs
and give them treats when it's done.
Pro tip, dogs are creatures of routine.
So if you always clip the dog's nails
in the same order from the same paw.
So for example, front right front left, back right back left
and you go in the same order every single time,
they'll know when the nail clipping is gonna be over
and they'll know when to expect it
which could just make the whole experience easier for them.
We also always like to have an eye cleaner
or a tear stain remover,
especially because Kokoro has a white coat
and it's easy to see a lot of tear stains on our face.
We found that having an eye cleaner is very, very useful
and we clean both of the dog's eyes every morning and night
to prevent any sort of staining right here.
You're probably also going to need an e-collar or a cone.
We prefer to use this inflatable one
that kind of looks like an adorable airplane pillow
over an actual plastic cone.
It's much more comfortable for the dog
and it just looks way cuter than the cone.
All right, this next one is one
of my favorite new items that we've just added.
It's basically a portable, foldable dog bath for small dogs.
One of the biggest issues that I've had
as a small dog owner is bathing them.
We have standing showers in our house
and if we're gonna wash the dogs in the shower,
that means I'm gonna have to bend down, wash them,
and it really causes a big strain on your back.
This dog bath is amazing
because it basically acts as a standing bathtub.
There's a hole at the bottom that drains
just like a regular bathtub would.
You can use it inside your bathtub or shower.
We've used it also outside on our back patio
which makes it really easy
and no dog hair get anywhere in our bathroom.
Honestly I feel like this dog bath
is a game changer for anyone
with a small dog and I've been highly recommending it
to all of my small dog friends.
On the note of grooming,
we also really like using the high velocity pet dryer
rather than using a normal hair dryer
that you would use on yourself.
We love that these are made especially for dogs
and have the right velocity and heat for their coats.
Along with a grooming table or arm,
this makes it much easier and faster to dry your dog.
If you have coated breeds that shed like Kokoro and Chibi,
having a cordless vacuum is a must.
We have a Roomba robot vacuum
that we use every single day to start off the day
and it actually gets a lot
of the dog hair in hard-to-reach places under the couch.
We also have a Dyson cordless vacuum,
the V8 that we've had for a couple of years now,
and it's been a lifesaver and game changer
for vacuuming up messes or vacuuming up a certain area
after I've brushed the dog
and there's a lot of dog hair around,
especially if you have dogs that shed,
having cordless vacuums is a must.
I also think it's really important for everyone
to have treat dispensing toys to keep your dogs busy.
They're also a really, really great tool
for separation anxiety training.
Here are just a few of our favorite treat dispensing toys.
Our favorite way to use these
is to actually fill a whole bunch of toys
before we're about to leave
and we hide them all over the house
so that when we leave we release the dogs
and they're able to use some time
and get mentally stimulated and not be bothered
by the fact that we're leaving.
To fill these toys, we use low calorie training treats
and our absolute favorite ones are by Charlee Bear.
And we just find that these treats
are the perfect size to fill most toys.
I also love that they're dry.
I don't really like crumbly or moist treats
that can get your hands really dirty.
So these are my favorite type to throw in a treat pouch
or throw into a treat dispensing toy.
And the best part is that they're low calorie
so that your dog doesn't get too chubby.
We also always keep a supply
of natural edible chews for the dogs.
We've actually made a video in the past
about our favorite long-lasting chews for dogs.
So you can check that out if you're interested
in more detail about which specific chews we use.
Having a really sturdy toy bin is also a must.
Our dogs are just spoiled with so many toys.
There are a ton that they don't even play with.
Having one place for them to contain
all of their toys is really important.
We actually really like this one that we have.
I think we found it at Target and it's just a wire basket
and this way they can see and smell other toys
that may be closer to the bottom
and they can dig them out.
We also love our Furbo pet camera.
In addition to having cameras set up around our house
with ring and nest just for security purposes,
the Furbo pet camera is made for dogs specifically.
The top of it contains some treats.
So the Charlee Bear treats that I talked about earlier
are perfect for using here and via a phone app,
you can basically control the camera
and have it shoot out treats even when you're not home.
All right, so that wraps it up.
I know that that was a lot of products
that we've just talked about
and obviously Kokoro got tired of me talking
and has already left the video,
but we hope this was helpful for anybody
who is getting a new dog
or just looking to add some more nifty tools
to their list of dog supplies.
I'll also be linking in the description to my blog posts
that will have photos and links to all
of our preferred brands and the products
that we've talked about in this video.
If you have any questions or suggestions of items
that I might've left out,
feel free to leave a comment below.
Thank you guys so much
for watching and we'll see you guys next time.