Category Archives: Product Reviews

Light up your Life

Scarab beacon dog safety light

It’s that time of year again when the darker nights and mornings are catching up with us fast. Like a lot of people, we find ourselves walking the dogs at twilight and let’s face it, it’s only going to get worse in the coming months. However, let’s think positively and break out the glowing dog balls, flashing discs, light up dog collars and flashing dog harnesses to brighten up the long nights, or at least, provide us with some much-needed illumination!

So what’s on offer in the world of Lighted Safetywear?

Beacons of Flashing Light

First up we have the powerful  Scarab Beacon rechargeable safety light for dogs. This is one of our personal favourites and it comes in two varieties. There is the Scarab Trio which gives you a choice of 3 colours (red, yellow, and green) all in the one device and 3 power settings depending on your requirement. It is waterproof, has approximately 120 hours run time and 4km visibility. Scarab uses every bit of the lens to ensure your dog’s safety making them visible from any angle. In safety terms, it maximises awareness that you and your dog are present – premium safety when you are outside in low light and the dark! Scarab stands out that’s for sure.

The second offering is the LED Scarab Uno. It has one colour (red), 4 light modes, and 3km visibility. Because Scarab flashes it heightens your dog’s location, on or off the lead this is a valuable feature. If you have more than one dog or walk in groups, you can easily identify your dog when off the lead by changing the RED light modes. The perfect beacon if you don’t need quite so many features or for the budget-conscious.

What’s in the box:

What comes with a Scarab Beacon

Scarab Beacon for dogs, walkers and trekkers, for runners

Our very own Archie is a huge fan of the Scarab as it fits nicely onto his harness, thanks to the Velcro uni-strap.

Archie modelling the Scarab

Orbiloc Dog Dual Safety LightNext, we have the Orbiloc Dog Dual Safety Light which we have been offering for many years now, and have watched develop into the versatile and we have to say, attractive, lighted accessory that it is today.

The design is modern and streamlined with a size of 35mm x 20mm, and it weighs only 19 grams. That means it won’t get in your dog’s way, even if he’s lying down or rolling around on the light itself. The Orbiloc Dog Dual is also very user-friendly. To choose the function you prefer, just turn the Mode Selector Ring to the left or right. It will flash or stay steady-on accordingly. The battery life is approximately 100 hours when steady-on, approximately 250 hours when flashing.

The Orbiloc Dog Dual is 100% waterproof and offers your best friend the opportunity to take a swim or play in the snow.

The Orbiloc Dog Dual has a range of accessories so that you can decide how and where you want to place the light. Included is the Orbiloc Quick Mount Adjustable, which allows for a quick attachment on your dog’s collar, leash or harness. You can adjust the Quick Mount Adjustable to multiple sizes, without leaving a mark on your gear. There are other mounts and maintenance kits available to purchase separately, which also makes the Orbiloc perfect for runners or hikers or dog walkers. Get one for yourself and one for your dog, in matching or contrasting colours!

The Orbiloc Safety Light comes in nine different colours. Five Safety Colours (Yellow, Red, Blue, Green and White), giving you the opportunity to choose the right one for your specific needs, as well as one suited to specific weather conditions. And four Fashion Colours (Pink, Turquoise, Dark and Amber) allowing you to give your gear a personal touch. But don’t worry. Orbiloc Dark isn’t actually dark. It has a bright white light, but with a dark lens for a sleek style!

Or if you have multiple dogs, as we do, get them all a different colour and then you can identify each one in a flash!

Orbiloc Dog Safety Light Colours

Orbiloc’s Five Safety Colours

Orbiloc Dog Safety Light Fashion Colours

Orbiloc’s Four Fashion Colours

The latest colour, Amber, blends perfectly with the autumnal mood at the moment.

Orbiloc Dog Safety Light in Amber

Orbiloc Dog Dual in stunning Amber

Overall the Orbiloc Dog Dual Safety Light has managed to merge safety and fashion, giving a wide range of choice and making safety a lot more fun!

Daisy wearing the Orbiloc Yellow

Daisy wearing the Orbiloc in her pre-wheelchair days!

Be Safe Be Seen in our Light up Dogwear

In addition to the beacons, there is a whole host of Lighted Safetywear to suit your needs and help ensure both you and your dog can be seen.

Safer Life Flashing USB Collars and Safer Life Flasher

Around the neck and clip-on Lighted Safetywear

The Safer Life Flasher is a neat device that attaches to a collar so there are no dangly bits, or what about the Flash Light Rings which slip around the neck, can be easily cut to size and are USB chargeable.

We have items to wear on the body such as harnesses and vests and Safetywear for walking or jogging such as lighted safety belts.

Flash Active Belt by Trixie and Safer Life Flashing Safety Vest

Lighted Safety Wearables

For you, the Flash Active Belt is a comfortable neoprene belt with a flashing strip at the back for safety, but not only that, it has an assortment of pockets which can store keys, mobile phone, pick-up bags, etc. and straps at the front to hold your dog’s lead!

For your dog, the Safer Life Flashing Safety Vest has Velcro fastenings for an easy fit, and is both reflective AND illuminated.  It operates in both flashing and continuous modes and is available in two varieties, either battery operated or USB rechargeable.

And you really can’t forget your cat who would also benefit from being visible on dark nights. It may even help you to spot them when they’re hiding in the undergrowth!

Safer Life Flasher for Cats and Dog and the Safer Life Flash Light Collar

We have the Safer Life Flasher For Dogs and Cats, which hangs your pet’s collar and flashes with 3 small LEDs (Red, White, Blue).  Visible up to 300m and comes in vibrant colours (batteries are included).  And for those that prefer a traditional lighted collar, there is the Flash Light Collar for Dogs. Visible up to 500m, and a great way to illuminate your dog during morning and evening walks with it’s fast and slow flashing and continuous light modes. Plus it’s USB rechargeable.

Playtime Never Ends with our Glowing and Flashing Dog Toys

Finally, don’t let playtime end when the sun goes down; there are plenty of toys that light up in the dark.

HyperFlite Midnight Sun Flying Disc, Chuckit! Light Play Kick Fetch Dog Toy, Hyperflite Jawz Bite Resistant Flying Disc, Chuckit Max Glow Ball for Dogs, The Flashing Bal,The Flash Dog Disc, The Flash & Glow Illuminated Ball for Dogs

 

From left to right, HyperFlite Midnight Sun Flying Disc, the brightest and longest-lasting glow-in-the-dark disc ever made! Chuckit! Kick Light Play Kick Fetch Dog Toy, large enough to kick, and the contours make it easy for your dog to carry. The ‘glow technology’ charges up in bright light for a long-lasting glow! Hyperflite Jawz Bite Resistant Flying Disc, the toughest and best-flying puncture-resistant disc ever made in a Glow-in-the-Dark option. Chuckit Max Glow Ball for Dogs, a durable, grip-able rubber ball that glows in the dark to allow the game to keep going when the sun goes down.  The USB Light Ball Dog Toy is a robust and fun, silicone toy which illuminates when touched lightly and flashes for approx 45 seconds. USB rechargeable. The Flash Dog Disc is made from soft silicone that is gentle on your dog’s mouth. The centre can be set to continuous light mode, or one of three flashing light modes. The Flash & Glow Illuminated Ball for Dogs is made from a durable plastic which glows after being exposed to light, has a flasher inside that is motion activated and flashes for 25 seconds.  It floats too!

Vetgood Protective Waterproof Dog Boots

Vetgood Protective Waterproof Dog Boots

Vetgood Protective Veterinary Dog BootsBoots are In! Collars are out!

If you have ever been to the vet for paw or leg wounds, you will know that most of the time you are sent home with a neatly wrapped bandage or even worse a cast or splint and an uncomfortable and hideous Elizabethan collar to prevent your dog from interfering with the wound.  Your dog walks into walls or your shins, slobbers in the collar and lets you know by barking or whining that the hot and uncomfortable collar has to go! Finally, someone has thought of an answer!

Vetgood Protective Boots keep your dog's wound clean

Vet wrapping versus Vetgood

Vetgood Protective Waterproof Dog Boots

We are delighted to distribute the Vetgood line of boots for wound care! These lightweight and durable protective boots cover all types of wounds and have so many benefits to us the pet owner. First, you can get rid of the Elizabethan collar-hooray!  Second, you can protect the wound not only indoors, but also outdoors allowing your pet to get the much-needed exercise to heal and to resume his normal routine even with the bandage, cast, etc. And finally, it reduces the number of times you need to return to the vet clinic to get a bandage re-wrapped or re-casted which is so inconvenient for you and a real relief for your dog!

Vetgood offer a range of boots for all your needs

Vetgood offer a wide range of sizes in their protective boots

So which boot do you need?  (See the chart below to choose the right one for your pet.)

VetGood-Boot-Comparison-Chart

The Vetgood Extreme Dog Boot

If they have a cast or splint or a bandaged wound that will last more than 2 weeks? You need the Extreme boot with the durable, moulded bottom.

The Vetgood Extreme Boot for longer-term injuries

Vetgood Extreme Protective Veterinary Dog Boots

The Vetgood Basic Dog Boot

If they have a soft bandage then you need the Basic boot.

The Vetgood Basic Boot for bandaged wounds

Vetgood Basic Protective Veterinary Dog Boots

The Vetgood Slim Dog Boot

There is even a boot for open wounds that have no bandages – perfect for hot spots or lick granulomas – lined in a soft bamboo and nanosilver fabric that has antimicrobial properties to promote healing.

The Vetgood Slim Boot with a microbial lining for open wounds

Vetgood Protective Slim Veterinary Dog Boots

So stop struggling with the E-collar.  Boots are in!

How to size your Vetgood boots

Tested by Daisy!

But we use Vetgood boots as we find they are great protection for Daisy’s delicate paws, whether she’s being carried in her harness or out and about in her wheelchair.

Daisy wearing her Vetgood Slim Boots

Daisy shows us a clean pair of heels in her super smart Vetgood Slim Boots.

The Ricochet Electronic Dog Toy

Petsafe Ricochet Electronic Dog Toy

Tilly tests the new Ricochet dog toy

A new type of interactive toy

When the new Ricochet Electronic Dog Toy landed on our doorstep, we couldn’t wait to give it a try. It is, in fact, two toys. As your dog plays with one of the interactive paired toys, a fun and exciting squeak sound is heard from the other toy. When your dog rushes to investigate the second toy, the sound bounces back to the first toy, hence the name. It will keep your dog entertained ping-ponging between the two units trying to capture that illusive squeak!

The paired Ricochet Dog Toys

The Ricochet is made of hard plastic with rubber top

Tilly is a keen tester

We chose Tilly to be the chief tester because she loves squeaky toys. We took her out to the field where we could hide the toys in the grass.

She was a little confused at first and couldn’t quite grasp what was going on, but after a few minutes, she got the hang of the game and was dashing back and forth between one and the other and attempting to round them up!

You can see how she got on with our video of her first encounter.

Product details

While not a chew toy, the Ricochet is durable enough for intense play. Change up the game by hiding one of the toys behind furniture or in a nearby room. The toys have a range of up to 30 feet. When your dog is done for the day, it will automatically turn off after 60 minutes of non-interaction to conserve the battery life.

Features

  • Hide and Squeak – The PetSafe® Ricochet Electronic Dog Toy features 2 paired toys that will have your dog bouncing back and forth as he tries to catch a “moving” squeak sound
  • Surprise Sound – The PetSafe® Ricochet is perfect for single-dog households; when your dog interacts with one of the toys, the other toy makes a squeak sound from up to 30 ft. away
  • Automatic Exercise – Dogs will love to chase the squeak between the toys, and you will love knowing your dog is staying active
  • Mental Stimulation – The moving squeak provides a fun puzzle for your dog, as the sound is never where he expects it
  • Free from Stuffing – The PetSafe® Ricochet has no stuffing or fabric to tear, making it a no-mess toy
  • Long-Lasting Play – Playtime with the Ricochet lasts up to a month of daily use; both toys turns off after 60 minutes of no activity to save battery life
  • One-Year Warranty – The PetSafe® Ricochet is backed by a one-year manufacturer’s warranty.
  • Each toy uses 3 AAA batteries (not included)

Available now!

Training Treats. Which ones deserve a Click?

Training Treats for Dogs and Cats

Left to right, Rattle and Reward Treats for Dogs, Trixie Trainer Snack Poultry Balls, Trixie Trainer Snack Lamb Balls, Pet Munchies Stix, Pet Munchies Training Treats, JR Pure Training Treats, Pet Munchies Natural Cat Treats, Homemade liver and garlic treats, Rattle and Reward Natural Treats for Cats, Davies Puffed Jerky

What not to use

There are a wide variety of ‘training’ treats available on the market and whilst many of them are no doubt tasty and tempting for your dog, not all really deserve that name. We take a look at some of the best-known dog treats and give our honest opinion of them from a training perspective.

Unsuitable training treats

A few years ago, when we ran our own training classes, one of the biggest problems we encountered was owners bringing inappropriate treats to the class. When training a dog, whether it be clicker training or not, a treat must be large enough to be seen, but small enough to be consumed quickly so that you can reward and carry on. Munching on a biscuit for a few minutes is not the best way to achieve results, and large quantities of unsuitable treats can result in weight gain.

But not only must a treat be small, it must also be palatable, tempting and motivate your dog.

From our own experience, we found the very best treats which worked on 99% of our client’s dogs were our homemade liver and garlic treats. We would buy a whole cows liver, cut it into tiny pieces, around the size of a fingernail, sprinkle it with garlic and then nuke it in a microwave until it was dried but not crunchy; you could still squash it between finger and thumb. Where that failed, tuna cake would be the answer.

For those not wishing to go to such lengths, we have tested many of the commercially available treats and with the willing help of our own dogs have come up with the best ones for the job.

Our testing results

Rattle and Reward Natural Training Treats

Rattle and Reward. Actual size of treats compared with a 5p coin

Rattle and Reward Treats for Dogs are now available in both poultry and fish flavours, but whichever flavour you choose, your dog is sure to love them. They are natural, grain-free and come in a variety of sizes. The small bone or fish shapes are actually not a bad size for training. However, the one drawback with them is they are crunchy, so they take a few moments longer to eat.

Handling:  Slightly greasy, hard treats
Ease of Use:  Easy to get a grip on and dispense
Palatability:  Our dogs love both flavours
Motivation:  The dogs are very happy to work for them
Training Treat (TT) Rating 6/10

Pet Munchies 100% Natural Dog Training Treats

Pet Munchies Training Treats. Actual size of treat compared with a 5p coin.

Pet Munchies Training Treats are available in five different flavours, Liver and Chicken, Chicken, Duck, Venison and Sushi. These 100% natural dog treats are low fat. They proved popular with our dogs who were eager to eat them. The pieces are just a tiny bit too big to be ideal, and the Sushi treats are slightly larger than the others, but they are soft and easily consumed.

Handling:  Soft and pliable, flat treats, apart from the Sushi which cube-shaped
Ease of Use:  Not that easy to get a grip on a single treat
Palatability:  The Sushi ones were very popular
Motivation:  The dogs were keen to work for them
TT Rating 7/10

Pet Munchies 100% Natural Chicken Stix

Pet Munchies Chicken Stix

The second offering from Pet Munchies isn’t strictly a training treat, but we have to confess that we used them throughoutToby’s training classes. Pet Munchies Gourmet Stix Dog Treats are 100% natural and tasty too, judging by how keen Toby was. They don’t fit the profile of the perfect training treat, but they are soft and chewy, and we cut them up into very small pieces before every training session. So they do require some work, but if you get the size right, they make an excellent reward worth working for.

Handling:  Soft, pliable treats that tended to dry out if left for a few days after cutting
Ease of Use:  They had to be cut to the right size (this takes some experimentation) before each training session
Palatability:  The Chicken Stix are loved by all our dogs
Motivation:  Toby went through all his training classes using these treats
TT Rating 4/10

JR Pure Training Treats

JR Pure Training Treats. Actual size compared with a 5p coin.

These treats are too big straight from the packet

JR Pure Meat Training Treats for Dogs are 100% meat, a single source protein and grain-free. Great if your dog has allergies as you know exactly what they’re getting. They come in a huge variety of flavours so there should be something for everybody. These treats are a nice consistency, but they are too big for training treats. Cutting them in half, produces a treat around the right size.

Handling:  Firm, dry but pliable and easy to grip
Ease of Use:  Each one would need to be cut in half to be a good size for a training treat
Palatability:  They don’t have a strong odour and we found the dogs inspected them thoroughly the first time they were offered
Motivation:  Once they had the first taste, they were keen for more
TT Rating 6/10

Trixie Trainer Snack Balls in Poultry or Lamb

Trixie Trainer Snack Poultry Balls. Actual size compared with a 5p coin.

The Trixie Trainer Snack Balls in poultry and lamb flavours are gluten-free, with 80% meat content and no added sugar. They are soft rather than crunchy and are the perfect size for a training treat, so can be consumed in a flash. Probably the best size of training treat we have ever come across. Available in 500g tubs.

Handling:  Very small soft treats
Ease of Use:  Because of the round shape, easy to get a grip on and dispense
Palatability:  We’re not sure if the dogs actually got a taste before swallowing
Motivation:  The size of the treat left them eager for more
TT Rating 8.5/10

Home baked liver and garlic treats

Homemade liver treats

There are dozens of different recipes for liver treats and liver cake, and if you have the time and want to create your own dog treats, this is the way forward. Liver cake can be crumbly and difficult to cut into small enough pieces but chopped liver can either be baked in a low oven until it dries out, or in a microwave if you don’t have much time, or better still, use a dehydrator. All the goodness of the liver is retained, and your dogs will love them. A sprinkling of garlic before cooking will make them pungent and irresistible.

Handling: Can be messy and smelly
Ease of Use:  There is effort involved in making them and they need to be refrigerated
Palatability:  99% of dogs love them
Motivation:  Dogs will work hard to earn these treats
TT Rating 9.5/10

Jackpot Joy

Davies Puffed Jerky

Puffed Jerky

One other thing to consider, especially with clicker training is the ‘jackpot’ treat. The one where the dog does so well that a tiny treat is just not enough. This can be larger and can take longer to consume, just to ensure that they know they’ve done really well. We use Davies Puffed Jerky Dog Treat, which is basically dried lungs. This is quite simply the best ever jackpot treat we have come across and our dogs will jump through hoops for it, literally! It is best saved for special moments or to reinforce an outstanding behaviour.

Handling:  Slightly greasy
Ease of Use:  Easy to snap into bite-sized chunks
Palatability:  The dogs adore it
Motivation:  Will encourage and reward the dog in equal measures
TT Rating 10/10

All of these dog treats have been tested on our dogs with differing results. Some were more popular than others, but one thing we did notice was that if one liked them, the others generally did too. It is essential when training to find something that your own dog likes and will motivate them. This may take some experimentation with different treats until you find the one(s)! And if your dog is prone to food allergies do ensure that you check the ingredients carefully. Just because something is called a ‘lamb’ treat doesn’t mean that it is exclusively lamb!

And remember if you are training, do adjust their main meal(s) accordingly to take into account the number of treats you are feeding.

Training your Kitten or Cat

Teach your cat tricks with tasty treats

Train your kitten or cat before mealtimes, as a food reward won’t be so enticing on a full stomach

And don’t just treat your dogs; cats can be trained and treated too. Although training is more traditionally associated with dogs, you can also teach your cat a few tricks and reward them with cat treats! Your feline can learn to recognise their name and come to you when you call them. To help your pet pick up these skills, it’s important to train your kitten from an early age and as soon as possible, but just like dogs, you can teach an old cat new tricks, especially with the right motivation!

Pet Munchies Gourmet Cat Treats

Pet Munchies 100% Natural Cat Treats

These Pet Munchies 100% Natural Cat Treats were a great hit with a cat-owning pal, particularly the Gourment Fish Fillet which proved to be the paws-down winner! The small, bitesize pieces are highly tasty and ideal as a training snack or just for pleasure.

Natural Treats for Cats

Rattle and Reward Natural Treats for Cats

How many times have you been calling your cat at the back door? With Rattle & Reward Natural Treats for Cats, there’s a healthy way of calling them home. Perfect for training them to behave that little bit better or just a delicious healthy treat for any time of the day (or night)! Available in 30g, 270g tins or refill pouches.

The Puller Dog Fitness Tool

The Puller Dog Fitness Tool

 

Puller Canine Fitness Tool

The Puller. Best toy ever for dogs who love to chase and tug!

We have to rank the Puller Dog Toy as our favourite dog toy of all time. It epitomises our philosophy of Training, Exercise, Play. Every one of our dogs loves it.

It looks simple and it really is, but the fun they get from it is truly amazing.

But the Puller is not just a toy in the conventional sense, it is an innovative fitness tool for dogs developed by a professional cynologist (one who studies dogs). But our dogs are not interested in the science, all they understand is that it’s fun to chase, and also great fun to tug.

The Puller makes a great tuggy toy

Go on then, pull!

So what is the Puller Dog Fitness Tool? It’s a set of two purple rings and they come in five sizes to suit just about every dog. Although the Maxi’s come as singles. The idea behind them being that they enable you and your dog to engage in active daily training with a positive motivation and also the ability to better understand and develop your dog in a psychological way. Really? Not sure about the last bit but they certainly give your dog a thorough workout.

The Puller comes in packs of two

Daisy always likes to carry a spare…

The unique concept of Puller Training is based on working with two circles and comprises of three simple exercises – running, jumping and pulling, which can be combined, modified and customised to achieve the best results for your dog.

The Puller, great for all types of dogs

Even in her wheelchair, Daisy still enjoys her Puller

It is also, apparently, a new Dog Sport, although it doesn’t yet appear to have reached the UK, with the Puller World Championships being held in Hungary this year. It comes in two disciplines – Puller Running and Puller Jumping. Races take place on a rated racing surface, each discipline lasts 90 seconds and has relatively simple rules. Contestants earn points for correct execution of the exercises. Both disciplines are evaluated separately.

Sport Dog Puller is primarily fun for dogs and owners. It is about physical condition, coordination and mental readiness of the dog, team coordination between dog and handler, but mainly it’s about the joy of working together!

The Puller also floats and is great in water

The Puller is equally at home in the water as it is on dry land.

Of course, it floats and is an ideal retrieval toy in the water, especially to motivate our girl, Daisy to do a few extra laps.

Thanks to the convenient range of sizes we were able to get our dogs started as pups with the Mini Puller. And Toby was smitten from his first encounter. He is Puller mad!

Well, we’re not sure about all the science behind it, or the Dog Sport angle but one thing we do know for sure, is that dogs love ’em. We can testify to that. If a simple throw and tug toy is what you’re looking for you can’t go wrong with the Puller.

And lastly, our girl Tilly has her own unique take on the Puller! How does your dog hold theirs?

The Puller a unique toy for your unique dog

Tilly has a very unconventional way of carrying her Puller!

Unleash the Power of KONG

Unleash the power of KONG toys!

Do you know what a KONG can do?

The unassuming toy with a secret

When we first came across KONG Dog Toys, which must be twenty years ago now, they didn’t look like the most exciting dog toy we had ever seen. In fact, probably like a lot of people, we saw them as a tough chew toy with an erratic bounce. Our dogs just weren’t that interested.

How wrong can you be?

The secret to the Classic, Puppy, Senior, Extreme, and indeed the Kitty KONG, is that it’s a hollow rubber receptacle for all sorts of doggy, or feline delights. It has holes at both ends, one large and one small. The key KONG ingredient is the stuffing. That’s what makes it so special and so very useful.

What does the inside of Classic KONG look like?

The inside of a KONG

Let your dog, or cat, in on the secret

Firstly, you need to get your dog or cat interested in it. Once they understand what it’s all about they will not only want it but love it. To begin with, you just need to fill it with a couple of their favourite treats. Something they really enjoy, that they can smell, and that will easily slip out of the large opening. Try this for a few days. Don’t hand them their favourite treat, put it in a KONG and let them get it out themselves.

As soon as they understand that this ‘toy’ is the bearer of delicious snacks, they will start to get excited as soon as they see it.

You can work on this, gradually stuffing the KONG with other delights and making it a tad more difficult for the dog to get out. Make them work for it. Plug the small hole at the bottom with peanut butter (check it’s Xylitol free) or cream cheese and then fill with a variety of treats. Leave a longish chew sticking out to get them started.

A fully loaded KONG

Eventually, you could dispense with your food bowl and feed them their meals in the KONG. You can also freeze the filled KONG which is great for hot sunny days; a KONG Popsicle, or to make them longer lasting.

It can take your dog a couple of hours to fully empty the KONG and lick the peanut butter or maybe liver pâté from the bottom so they are perfect to extend play-time and can help distract them if they suffer from separation anxiety.

Problem behaviours can be helped with a KONG

Feed their minds

An excellent enrichment toy. They are perfect boredom busters if they are confined to a crate, hopefully, cut down on chewing and stimulate them mentally at the same time.  We had one dog, Sophie, who was KONG mad. She had developed a foolproof method of getting every last grain from her KONG toy. She would take it to the top of the stairs and drop it. As it bounced down the steps the treats would come tumbling out and she would snaffle them up!

It’s important to get the correct size for your dog so do check out the detailed KONG size chart before purchasing. And take another look at this seemingly simple KONG toy, now that you know how to unlock its secrets.

Check the KONG size chart before you buy

It’s important to get the right size for your dog. If in doubt, size up.

Get stuffing

You may also like our short video on how to stuff a KONG, and you can find plenty of inventive KONG stuffing recipes at BARKTHINK, or maybe your cat may be partial to a Kitty KONG stuffed with bacon and eggs?

Sit back and be amazed at how your much your dog loves its KONG. And the good news for us humans is that when they’ve emptied it, we can stick it in the dishwasher.

But of course, your cat can benefit from a KONG in the same way your dog does. Cats go absolutely crazy over the Kitty KONG once they learn to use it; it’s an excellent way to keep your cat occupied and challenged.

The original and the best KONG

The KONG range

Since their original and we think best ever invention, the KONG Company have branched out and now do a wide range of enrichment toys for dogs and cats. See our full range of exciting and innovative KONG products here.

KONG now do a wide range of enrichment toys for both dogs and cats

We have a wide range of KONG products, both new and old favourites

From left to right KONG Tiltz, KONG Replay, KONG Babbler, KONG Snacks, KONG Safestix, KONG Easy Treat, KONG Ballistic Hide ‘n Treat, KONG Quest Foragers Dumbbell, KONG Rewards Shell, KONG Senior, KONG Quest Foragers Flower, KONG Squeezz Ball, KONG Stuff-a-Ball.

Toby’s Fetch n Treat fun

Toby has a crack at the Fetch n Treat

Since Toby Pup started returning his feeding bowl to us every day, which we developed into a fun game with all of the dogs’ bowls, we often try out different things to see how he gets on.

We thought he might like to give the All For Paws Fetch n Treat a go.

The Fetch n Treat is a simple mechanical toy that requires a dog to drop a tennis ball into a hole at the top. The tennis ball travels down the chute and rolls out of the bottom of the toy, and as it does so it trips a lever which causes treats to fall out too!

As Toby loves toys AND treats, it’s no surprise that the Fetch n Treat is a big hit!

We tend to use Pet Munchies treats in most situations. For this toy, we cut a Lamb Stix treat along the length and then sliced it into tiny pieces.  We felt that these small pieces would work better in the mechanism, and so it proved.

The first step was to encourage him to drop the ball in the right place. As he knows the ‘give’ command (most of the time), we encouraged him into position and said ‘give’ while he was above the Fetch n Treat, and with some minor deflection, it went in. After 3 or 4 goes, we saw the lightbulb moment in his face, and off he went. Such fun to watch!

Heres Toby in action!

If you enjoyed this video, why not subscribe to our YouTube Channel?

Toby Pup’s Marathon

Toby Pup enjoys a (KONG) Marathon play session!

With Toby Pup’s episodes of high energy occurring at regular intervals, he really benefits from having something to focus it on. Thankfully, the KONG Company’s range of Marathon toys play right into his paws!

These fun rubber toys have a recess in the side that is shaped specifically to hold a Marathon treat firmly in place. The treat is mostly beneath the surface of the toy, and whilst Toby can still reach and taste it, it is deliberately difficult for him to get a good hold on it. Also, as he does manage to wear the treat down, it goes deeper into the toy and becomes harder to reach.

One added bonus we found is that the toys are hollow, allowing for small additional treats to be hidden inside as an extra incentive!

Toby has used his Kong Marathon Ball several times now, and although he has obviously got better at it, it still keeps him very well occupied.

Here he is in action:

If you enjoyed this video, why not subscribe to our YouTube Channel?

Toby Pup and the Treat Ringer Orb

Toby Pup tries out a Treat Ringer Orb from Starmark

Toby loves trying out new toys for us, and today we introduce him to the Treat Ringer Orb from Starmark.

Starmark’s Treat Ringer toys are made of firm plastic and they have a wide outer with a hard to reach rail inside.  Edible Treat Rings are pushed onto this inner rail for your dog to try and remove. Not easy!

The Ringers are supplied with some treat rings, but they are available separately too for when you need to refill.

For most dogs it can be quite a challenging toy at first and during Toby’s initial 20 minute session he did not manage to remove one singe ring. However, during play the rings do become softer and easier to work.  Plus, as with most toys, dogs become more adept over time so in subsequent sessions he does manage to remove the treats eventually.

A couple of months on, and Toby still loves it!

See how he got on in our video below:

If you enjoyed this video, why not subscribe to our YouTube Channel?

Daisy and the HyperDog Ball Launcher

Daisy enjoys a workout with the HyperDog Ball Launcher!

It’s no secret that Daisy likes toys she can chase, so we gave her a try with a HyperDog Bal Launcher from Hyper Pet.

Unlike more conventional tennis ball launchers that you swing in an overarm fashion, the HyperPet launchers work more like a catapult. You place the ball in a ‘sling’, pull back on the strong elastic, and let go (of the ball end)…

We used a Single Ball Launcher, but a larger, 4 Ball arrangent is also available.  It has the same sling and elastic, but there is space underneath to carry 4 HyperDog tennis balls, and it also has a support that sits over your arm for stability.

Daisy had a fantastic time, as you can see below!