It can happen to anyone. You’re out on a walk with Charlie. He’s wagging his tail; you’re thinking about your plans for the evening; life is perfect. Then a cat slinks by your peripheral vision and, before you realize you’ve let your grip go slack, Charlie chases after the cat and takes the leash with him.  At that point, you rather have chosen a hands-free Buddy System leash, wouldn’t you? Then you could still be lost in that fantasy, secure in the knowledge that Charlie was tied to your waist, on track, where he’s supposed to be.  The Buddy System comes in basic matte finish, but the reflective model is even mo’ better because it’s — duh — reflective, making you both easier to see once the light starts to fade. The leash itself is adjustable to both your waist and the connecting leash. It even has an option for an extra buddy, so you can bring your dog’s BFF along for the ride.

*Hands-free.

*Durable.

*Available in black or red.

In its most basic form, agility is a timed obstacle course.  Handlers are required to memorize a course they have never seen before and then successfully navigate their dogs through a sea of equipment, without incurring an off course penalty.  Of course it’s not enough to stay on course.  The dogs must perform each obstacle [...]

Nothing says indulgence like a roomful of slimy, used dog toys strewn about. So with its vaguely House of Blues folk art appearance, the Good Dog Toy Box is pretty cool.  In addition to being a storage space, the top can be left open to provide easy access, or shut so there are no distractions when, say, the dog is doing his homework. There’s a handle so that you can carry it from room to room; nylon fabric so you can wipe it clean; it even folds up for easy storage, though not when there are toys in it. But putting an empty storage box into storage sort of defeats the purpose, so we’re not sure if that’s a big selling point or not.

*11”x10”x!6”.

*Imported.

*Fade-resistant

When a friend rescued a loveable but undisciplined dog home and they bonded, she thought the whole thing was great — until she came back from her office to find that Joey had not just chewed on the rug, but had actually munched her way through a portion of the wall that divided the living room from the rest of the apartment. It was an expensive meal: The repair bill topped $1700 (on top of her security deposit).  So, yes there’s a downside to undeterred chewing. Which is why she wished she had heard of Grannicks Bitter Apple Spray. The spray, composed of bitter extracts, isopropyl alcohol and inert ingredients, has a bitter unpalatable taste to most dogs and stops them from biting and chewing fur and wounds, as well as from licking, gnawing and chewing on surfaces that have been sprayed. Note that the stuff has to be reapplied a few times for best results.  In case you’re concerned about the safety of the product either for your dog or your furniture, the company has a lengthy booklet sharing test results that show the ingredients and interactions pose no health threats. Maybe that’s why bitter is the new sweet.

*Made of 1.0% bitter extracts, 69% isopropyl alcohol, 30% inert ingredients.

*Comes in an 8” pump spray. Don’t expect beautiful packaging.

*Can be used for and on cats, as well as plants, where it serves its signature function: protecting plants and leaves.

Bad breath is gross, even when it belongs to your best four-legged friend. So rather than risking serious health problems, stomp the problem out with PetAlive’s OralHealth Mouth Spray.   PetAlive by Native Remedies is known for using only the best quality raw ingredients straight from nature’s medicine chest and manufacturing them according to the highest pharmaceutical standards. In this case, they throw in colloidal silver, filtered water, celery and cleavers, a climbing plant useful in detoxification.   Just two or three sprays a day should be enough to clear up or prevent any problems, especially when they are used as part of an overall hygiene program. Yes, it’s one more thing to remember, but count your blessings. At least dogs don’t have to floss.

*Can be used for but are not and will never be tested on animals.

*One bottle lasts approximately one month with regular use.

*Use during pregnancy and nursing has not been studied and therefore is discouraged.

If you’ve got a small dog (up to 22 pounds, 18” long from the base of the neck to the nape of the tail, and 11” tall), the Sherpa Original Deluxe Pet Carrier may be the “suitcase” you’ve been waiting for. Like any classic luggage, the emphasis is on functional design, durable materials and features that make the ride a smooth, comfortable one.  The bed’s faux lambskin lining is soft, and mesh panels on three sides provide ventilation and sight. The extra rear zippered pocket is perfect for food, treats and travel documents. It folds flat for storage, but only when your dog isn’t in it.  One note of caution: Although the bags were designed to confirm to carry-on regulations, the airlines have been changing those frequently so it’s best to check with them beforehand to make sure you won’t be hiring a real Sherpa to get you from here to there.

*Available in three sizes.

*Safety strap can slip over handles of rolling luggage for a seat-belt safe ride.

*Faux lambskin liner is washable.

Sometimes dogs have all the luck. While we’re taught to mind our P’s and Q’s when it comes to mealtime, they get to slobber all over their toys while they’re eating.   The Triple Crown of Fun or, more exactly, the Triple Crown Everlasting Fun Ball for Dogs, is a case in point. Made from an exclusively designed material that’s puncture resistant, it will hold up to even the toughest chewers. Because of its design, furthermore, the ball is easy to fill with food, and thanks to the positioning of the holes, does not need to be primed with peanut butter or anything else to keep the treats from spilling out of the holes.    So go ahead and let them play with their food. They might get to have all the fun but at least it’s one less bowl to wash.

*Comes in two sizes, medium (2.75”) and large (4”).

*Proprietary elastomer-type material allows ball to stretch and be pulled without tearing or developing sharp edges.

*Helps strengthen teeth and gums.

On a list of great inventions, T-shirts have to rank right up there with the best of them.  Inexpensive. Durable. Stylish. Not to mention a canvas for sloganeering. Under the logic that what works for us works for them, dogs can wear tank tops too. That way they too can turn their bodies into a medium reflecting, in the manufacturer’s words, their “innermost selves.”   They evidently do that by wearing a T-shirt that’s silk-screened with a “To Love & Obey” scrawled on the front. And while it’s not clear whose obeying whom, the shirt’s attention to detail is apparent in its 2×1 ribbed 100% cotton tank top. In addition, it’s hand silk-screened and hand embellished, and is machine washable.    One caveat. These shirts run on the slim side “for that classic muscle shirt look.” If your dog is on the border of a size range, buy larger. We know it’s traumatic, but sometimes reality is a bitter pill to swallow.

*Do not iron. (Duh! Sorta defeats the purpose of a T-shirt, don’t ya’ think?)

*SM size: dogs 4 - 9 lbs, chest, 10” - 15”; shirt, 8.5”. M: 10 - 26 lbs, chest, 12 - 17”, shirt, 11.5”. *LG, 27 - 49 lbs, chest, 18” - 23”, shirt, 14.5”. XL: dogs 50 - 90 lbs., chest, 20 - 30”, shirt, 16.5”.

Well, you can fill in your own blank. Whatever it looks like, this nylon plastic bone-shaped chew toy satisfies a dog’s desire to chew and helps clean his teeth and gums at the same time. That’s why Galileo Nylabones are made of super-tough virgin DuPont nylon, which is more than ten times as tough as any bone on the market.   As such, it’s designed for aggressive chewers over 25 pounds, is safer than abrasive bones or rawhide and comes with a warning that despite its shape, it’s a chew toy, not something to be thrown.   That’s clear enough. Why it’s named after Galileo, however, is anyone’s guess. Granted, Galileo was many things, such as the father of modern astronomy, physics and science. He said that Copernicus was right and that the earth revolved around the sun, for which he was punished with house arrest by the Catholic Church for heresy. But there’s nothing to indicate he had any interest in chew toys or nylon. Even so, Galileo, we salute you.

*Ten times stronger than any other bone on the market.

*Made for aggressive chewers weighing more than 25 pounds only.

*Comes in five sizes, from petite (3.75”) to souper (7.75”).

Leave it to the OurPets to come up with a new angle on poop scooping. Biodegradable Poop Pik-up Bags feels like a plastic bag, is big enough to get the job done and is a self-contained product that remains the environment’s best friend. All you do is put a  Biodegradable Poop Pik-up Bag over your hand, pick up your dog’s remnants and pull the bag from your arm over your hand. Then you tie the top on top and make it go bye-bye.  Although  Biodegradable Poop Pik-up Bags can go into the trash with no ill effects, everything in it–including the poop, natch–is biodegradable so the manufacturers prefer you toss it into the compost heap instead. In 40 days, everything should be converted, just as nature designed it.

*100% biodegradable and compostable.