And The Winner is…

Now for the giveaway announcement!  A little drum roll please!

And the winner of the Martha Stewart Slow Feeder Bowl is…Shawnna Maxwell!

Congratulations Shawnna!

More Giveaways Coming Soon!

We have a couple more items we will giveaway in the coming weeks.  If you haven’t already seen our initial KONG Wobbler Review then please check it out.  The Wobbler is not quite a dog bowl, but rather a toy that dispenses food.  It’s another innovative dog product to help slow down fast eating dogs.  We will be giving away a KONG Wobbler to one lucky winner.  You just have to guess how long it will take Stetson to eat 1 1/2 cups of food out of his new KONG Wobbler Dog Toy.  Check out our KONG Wobbler Review and leave us a comment!

KONG Wobbler

KONG Wobbler

The following week we will be reviewing and also giving away the PetSmart Puppy Starter Kit (affiliate link).  If you’re planning on getting a new puppy then the Puppy Starter Kit might be for you.

PetSmart Puppy Starter Kit

PetSmart Puppy Starter Kit

Make sure you don’t miss our reviews and giveaways by following us:

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Special thanks to PetSmart (affiliate link) for providing free product samples and our giveaway products in order to do our reviews. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.

Post from: Puppy Training

And The Winner Of The Martha Stewart Slow Feeder Bowl Is…

Related posts:

1. Martha Stewart Pets – Slow Feeder Dog Bowl Video Review
2. Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl Review
3. Does Your Dog Eat Too Fast? Our Top 3 Slow Feeder Dog Bowls

ENTER…the KONG Wobbler Dog Toy (affiliate link)!

Apache Modeling The KONG Wobbler

Yep!  It’s not a dog bowl!  This time Stetson is going to test a new treat dispensing device.  At first we didn’t think it would be a very good dog bowl replacement until we came across the large version of this giant KONG!

So without further adieu lets get down to the details on this bad boy!

KONG Wobbler Dog Toy Review

PetSmart.com Product Description

KONG Wobbler Dog Treat Dispenser and Feeding Toy

The Ginormous KONG Wobbler (affiliate link)!

The Wobbler is a KONG-shaped food dispensing toy and feeder that sits upright until pushed with a dog’s paw or nose, then dispenses treats as it wobbles, spins and rolls.

The Wobbler unscrews for quick filling and easy clean up, and is top-shelf dishwasher safe. It is great for playtime, providing challenge and physical activity the whole family will enjoy watching. It also presents and excellent alternative to the traditional food bowl, extending the joy of feeding time and preventing unhealthy gulping. The Wobbler is made of a durable, FDA food-approved, high strength polymer and can accommodate up to two cups of food.

Directions:

Twist off top to open
Fill Wobbler dish with dry dog food or favorite small treats.
Twist on top. Encourage dog to rock Wobbler to dispense reward.

For dogs 25 pounds and up.

Made in the USA.

Here are a few more things I got off of the “Official” KONG Wobbler packaging:

• Dispense food and treats for hours of fun – “Uhhh…I hope it doesn’t take hours for Stetson to finish a whole meal of food!”
• entertaining wobble action
• Supervised use only
• Inspect toy frequently – Remove toy if damaged
• Twist off easy fill dispenser
• Prevents rapid eating – “This is the number 1 reason why we’re reviewing this doggy toy!”

It even came with some simple directions on how to use it on the packaging:

1. Twist off top to open
2. Fill Wobbler dish with dry dog food, small KONG Stuff ‘N Snacks or favorite small treats.
• For treat dispensing fun, add a handful.
• For mealtime feeding, feed normal amount, up to 1 cup per filling
3. Twist top on tightly. Encourage dog to rock Wobbler to dispense reward

Top Shelf Dishwasher safe.

A Few Pics Of The KONG Wobbler

I always like giving my initial thoughts of all our dog toys and products before I let any of the pups start their own interactive review prodding, playing, and sometimes destroying these toys.

First of all, this is not you’re regular sized rubber classic KONG as you can see below.  On the left is your standard sized KONG (as you can see it’s well used by my pups) and on the right is the ginormous (this is the Large) KONG Wobbler!  This thing was a lot larger than I expected and according to the PetSmart.com (affiliate link) description it can hold up to 2 cups of food!  That’s awesome because Stetson’s normal feedings are 1 1/2 cups of food!

The KONG Wobbler vs. The Regular KONG

Here’s a shot of the KONG Wobbler next to our recently reviewed Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl (affiliate link).  As you can see the KONG Wobbler is similar in size to the Martha Stewart bowl.  I was hoping to include a few pictures next to familiar objects to give you an idea of the size of the Wobbler.

KONG Wobbler vs Martha Stewart Slow Feeder Bowl

Tops off! Here’s our final picture of the Wobbler with it’s top off. It’s very easy to unscrew and looks like it will be very easy to load up with Stetson’s kibble.  In fact the lid portion of the Wobbler almost looks like a small dog bowl.

KONG Wobbler Tops Off!

My Initial Thoughts On The KONG Wobbler

When I first saw the KONG Wobbler I thought it was just a giant hollow KONG with a nice treat dispensing hole, but as soon as I had one in my hands I knew it was a completely different kind of dog toy, treat dispenser, feeding device.

• First of all, it’s not made out of the same material as your standard Classic KONG.  The red KONG toys I’ve had in the past are made of a soft, durable, rubber that usually last a long time even with heavy chewing dogs (they also have more durable versions, but the most common is the red classic KONG).  The Wobbler is made of a hard plastic and according to the PetSmart.com(affiliate link) description: “The Wobbler is made of a durable, FDA food-approved, high strength polymer” If you haven’t felt one of these then just think hard plastic as opposed to the normal soft rubber KONG.
• The base of the KONG Wobbler is weighted.  If you shake the bottom it sounds like there is sand on the inside.
• I played around with it for a little bit and after screwing it back together it always stands upright no matter which direction you push it.
• There’s one circle hole the dispense treats, but there are a couple notches that I believe are meant as cutaways.  However, cutting away at those holes would definitely require some work.

After checking over the Wobbler up and down, back and forth, left and right I have a feeling it is going to take Stetson a while to eat 1 1/2 cups of food out of this treat dispenser.  It took Stetson about 1 minute to eat 1 1/2 cups out of his normal dog bowl and 2 minutes to eat out of the Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl(affiliate link).  My prediction is that it will take well over 5 minutes for Stetson to get every last morsel out of the KONG Wobbler.

Of course, the true test and review will come from Stetson my black Labrador Retriever.  He will get his chance to poke, prod, and play with the new KONG Wobbler over the next few days and we’ll put together a nice video review next week.

I’m excited to see how well this new product works.  So far it looks like a great dog product because it’s not only a dog toy, but also a possible dog bowl/feeder, and it’s also interactive and will make Stetson think.

The KONG Wobbler Giveaway

It’s simple to enter!  We want to hear your thoughts about the KONG Wobbler.  Just leave us a comment in the comment section below and tell us 2 things:

1. You’ve seen the pictures and my initial thoughts.  What do you think about the KONG Wobbler.
2. How long do you think it will take Stetson to eat 1 1/2 cups of food using the KONG Wobbler.

We’re going to do this giveaway “Price Is Right” style.  Whoever gets closest to Stetson’s time for eating 1 1/2 cups of food without going over using the KONG Wobbler will win a brand new KONG Wobbler (affiliate link) for their dog(s).

We’ll announce the winner late next week.

Special thanks to PetSmart (affiliate link) for providing a free product sample in order to do our review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.

Post from: Puppy Training

KONG Wobbler Dog Toy Review

Related posts:

1. How To Enjoy Your Puppy Toy – The Air Kong
2. Does Your Dog Eat Too Fast? Our Top 3 Slow Feeder Dog Bowls
3. Martha Stewart Pets – Slow Feeder Dog Bowl Video Review

We actually first saw the original blue BrakeFast Dog Bowl when we were taking Linus to Puppy Kindergarten way back in 2004.  At that time we only had Linus and he ate very slowly.  In fact he used to grab a mouthful of kibble, drop it on the carpet, then eat each piece 1 at a time.  Now that’s the definition of slow eating!

Derby And His Slow Feeder Dog Bowl

Stetson was our first guide dog puppy in training and he gulped his food, then often times threw up a few seconds/minutes later.  So thus started our search for the best slow feed dog bowl.

Our Top 3 Slow Feeder Dog Bowls

Over the years we’ve tested several slow feeder dog bowls, but we’ve only tested 3 that we truly liked for Stetson.

Our current reigning champion and favorite slow feeder dog bowl is the bowl we just reviewed this past week…

#1 – Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl

• Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl – Our newest review and current favorite slow feeder dog bowl.

Martha Stewart Slow Feeder Dog Bowl

 3 quick points about the Martha Stewart Slow Feeder Dog Bowl

• The bowl feels more sturdy and durable than all the other dog bowls we reviewed except the Metal BrakeFast Bowl.
• It took about 2x as long for Stetson to finish his meal using this bowl and no choking or vomiting since we started using it.
• I’m hoping the plastic does not cause allergies or acne with Stetson.  So far so good!

#2 Metal BrakeFast Dog Food Bowl

• Metal BrakeFast Dog Food Bowl – The metal version of the popular BrakeFast Dog Food Bowl.

Metal BrakeFast Dog Bowl

3 quick points about the Metal BrakeFast Dog Bowl

• This was by far the heaviest, sturdiest bowl we reviewed.  Very durable!
• It took close to 2x as long for Stetson to eat food out of this bowl versus his regular bowl.
• The one major drawback with this bowl is Stetson sometimes eats so violently that he chipped his tooth.  That’s the main reason why we opted for the Martha Stewart Bowl as our #1 bowl.  If your dog is not a violent eater then this bowl may work for you.

#3 Aikiou Dog Bowl

Aikiou Dog Bowl – They actual official name is the Aikiou Interactive Dog Feeder.  So technically it may not be considered an official dog bowl.

Aikiou Dog Bowl

3 quick points about the Aikiou Dog Bowl

• It’s an interactive dog feeder that really makes you dog think.
• It definitely slows down your dogs eating as he has to move different pieces around to reveal the different chambers of food.
• It takes a little extra time to load the food and to clean up after your dog is finished eating.

And The Rest Of The Slow Feeder Dog Bowls

Here are the other dog bowls we’ve reviewed over the years.  You’ll see Derby and Stetson both helped in some of our video reviews.

• DogPause Dog Bowl – This dog bowl is a little bit different.  Instead of obstacles or pillars in the bowl it has 4 separate chambers.
• EatBetter Dog Bowl – We really liked the sturdy durable construction of this dog bowl, but the little dog bone shaped obstacle did not slow down our pups much.
• Regular Blue BrakeFast Dog Bowl – We liked this dog food bowl, but it ended up not being too durable (the dogs chewed up some of the pillars) and Stetson ended up with canine acne/allergies and our vet said it could have been from this plastic dog bowl.
• DrinkBetter Dog Water Bowl – Not a dog food bowl, but this was a water bowl.  It was meant to slow down fast drinkers, but instead it made a water mess on our tile floors.

All of these dog bowls worked to some degree slowing down my pups.  Some better than others.

If you watch all of the video reviews you’ll notice that Stetson has slowed down his eating over the years.

Do you have a slow feeder dog bowl that works well for your dog?  If so, please tell us about it in the comment section below.  In the coming days we will review the KONG Wobbler, another dog toy that can help with fast eating dogs.  So don’t forget to follow us:

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Post from: Puppy Training

Does Your Dog Eat Too Fast? Our Top 3 Slow Feeder Dog Bowls

Related posts:

1. Martha Stewart Pets – Slow Feeder Dog Bowl Video Review
2. Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl Review
3. Metal Brake-Fast Dog Food Bowl Review

After pounding, playing, and using this new dog bowl for the past week we put together a short video review of Stetson using the dog bowl along with our awesome (not really) commentary.

So lets get to that video review shall we?

Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl Video Review by Stetson

Video Transcription

Welcome to the PuppyInTraining.com Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl Review (affiliate link).

Here’s our new slow feeder dog bowl which came in some very nice packaging quite different from bowls we reviewed in the past.

The Martha Stewart Bowl had a nice little niche along the bottom which made it easy to pick up off the floor as well as a no skid rubber bottom that you can see if you look closely.

You can’t tell from video, but this bowl was much sturdier and felt higher quality then some of the other dog bowls we reviewed.

Okay…now here’s Stetson putting this new dog bowl to the true test.

Stetson’s eating 1 ½ cups of kibble out of his new slow feeder dog bowl. And in the upper right corner he’s eating the same amount out of a standard dog food bowl.

After reviewing these videos of Stetson eating I noticed that he takes large gulps when using a standard dog bowl. However, when using the Martha Stewart Slow Feeder Dog Bowl he tends to take much smaller bites.

As you can see in the video. The pillars prevent Stetson from taking those large gulps.

Another thing that you probably can’t see in this video is that each pillar or obstacle is a different height and has a kidney shape.

We’ve been looking for a good slow feeder dog bowl because Stetson regularly chokes on his food while using his regular bowl and every so often he does throw up

I timed Stetson using his regular stainless steel bowl several times and on average it takes him about 1 minute to polish off 1 ½ cups of food.

We’re going to speed things up a bit here. Using his new Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl(affiliate link) Stetson took on average about 2 minutes to finish off his food. That’s a huge difference!

The biggest bonus for us is that during our week long test Stetson never experienced choking or vomiting using his new slow feeder dog bowl.

One other big plus is slowing down Stetson’s eating may help prevent canine bloat which is a serious and sometimes fatal intestinal condition.

Special thanks to PetSmart(affiliate link) for providing a free product sample in order to do our review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.

My Final Thoughts On The Martha Stewart Slow Feeder Dog Bowl

Stetson And His New Slow Feeder Dog Bowl

After using this new slow feeder dog bowl for over a week I did find some advantages and disadvantages to the bowl.  Here’s a look at my thoughts and reactions:

PLUSES:

• Good Dog Bowl For Fast Eaters - and definitely slowed down Stetson’s eating by doubling his eating time from 1 to 2 minutes.
• Nice Solid Construction.  Much nicer than every “plastic” dog bowl we’ve reviewed.
• Feels Very Durable in comparison to most of the other dog bowls we’ve reviewed.
• Better Design Features. I liked several of the design features: niche in the side, no skid rubber bottom, kidney shaped pillars, and the varying heights of the pillars.
• Nice Packaging – I’m not sure if this is a plus, but it makes the bowl seem higher quality to start.
• Makes Stetson Move While He Eats – If you notice in the video while Stetson eats out of his regular dog bowl he just stands in one place and gulps down his food.  When using his new slow feeder dog bowl he’s constantly moving around the bowl trying to get at his kibble.  This was a result of the no skid bottom along with the pillars blocking the kibble.

MINUSES:

•  Still Eats Fast At The Beginning – If you noticed in the video when Stetson finishes his last morsel of food with his regular bowl he only has maybe a 1/4 of his food left in his slow feeder bowl.  The Martha Stewart Bowl really slows Stetson down for the last 1/2 to 1/4 cup.  However, the first cup or so he can eat fairly fast.  The good news is his bites are smaller throughout and he doesn’t seem to gulp like he does with his regular bowl.
• Made of Plastic - It’s a plastic bowl.  In general I prefer my standard stainless steel bowl.  Mainly because in the past I’ve had dogs that have had allergic reactions to plastic and the plastic seems to harbor bacteria more easily sometimes causing canine acne.  However, this bowl is made of melamine and silicone which appears to be a very sturdy material and I’m not too sure if I’d have the same problems that I’ve had with regular plastic bowls.

We really liked this new dog bowl and we plan on continuing to use it as Stetson’s regular dog bowl.  If we find any other pluses or minuses to this new bowl then we’ll let you know about it with a follow up blog post.  However, at this point I have to say it’s our favorite of the slow feeder dog bowls we’ve reviewed.

If you’ve used this bowl or another similar dog bowl then I’d love to hear what you thought.  Tell us about your experience with slow feeder dog bowls in the comment section below.

The Slow Feeder Dog Bowl Giveaway

Okay folks!  You have one more chance to enter our slow feeder dog bowl giveaway.  All you have to do is leave us a comment and this time we’ll keep it nice and simple…just tell us your dogs name, age, and breed plus anything else you’d like to tell us.  That’s all you have to do to enter our Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl(affiliate link) drawing!  We’ll use Random.org to choose a lucky winner next Friday, May 18th.

If you haven’t already seen our initial review then make sure you check out Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl Review.

Special thanks to PetSmart (affiliate link) for providing a free product sample in order to do our review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.

Post from: Puppy Training

Martha Stewart Pets – Slow Feeder Dog Bowl Video Review

Related posts:

1. Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl Review
2. H2O4K9 Dog Water Bottle And Bowl – Video Review
3. DogPause Dog Bowl Review

Good news arrived in the mail the other day in the form of a brand new Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl (affiliate link)!  It’s been a while since we reviewed a dog bowl for fast eaters.  However, I’m sure Stetson is up to the challenge and hopefully this dog bowl will be the solution to slow down Stetson’s speed eating habit.

By the way, make sure you read all the way through to the bottom as we are going to giveaway a Martha Stewart Pet Slow Feeder Dog Bowl to 1 of our lucky readers.

So lets get hopping!  Here’s our latest review in our series of “Dog Bowls For Fast Eaters“!

Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl Review

The tale of the tape.  So what’s this new slow feeder bowl all about?

Product Description From PetSmart.com

It’s important to slow down you dog’s food intake, especially for giant, barrel-chested breeds. Eating too fast can lead to choking, obesity, or canine bloat.

• Do not microwave
• Dishwasher safe with a pet-safe detergent

Designed to slow your pet’s food intake. Non-skid bottom. Shaped hand-grip makes bowls easier to pick up & put down with fewer spills.

• Medium measures 16.9 fl oz (1.06 pints, 500 ml)
• Large measures 27.1 fl oz (1.69 pints, 800ml)

From The Back Of The Packaging

Obstacle – Simple obstacles of different heights force your dog to eat slowly, reducing the risk of choking and bloat

Non-Skid Bowl – The non-skid bottom and generous weight prevent shifting through mealtime.  Rubber base will not leave marks on flooring.  The shaped hand-grip makes the bowl easier to pick up and put down with fewer spills.

Canine Bloat (Orgastric Torsion) is a serious and sometimes fatal intestinal condition that occurs when dogs eat or drink too much too quickly and then engage in excessive exercise.

Symptoms Include:

• abdominal distension
• excessive salivation
• dry heaving
• restlessness
• increased heart rate

To prevent bloat, slow down your dog’s eating and make sure he remains inactive for two to three hours afterward.  Please monitor your pet while feeding.  If you believe your dog is experiencing bloat, please get your dog to veterinarian immediately.

Made of melamine and silicone

A Few Pics Of The Martha Stewart Dog Bowl

Here are a few pictures I took.  Sorry about my photography skills.

The Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Bowl was the first bowl we reviewed that came in actual packaging which made me feel like it might be a more high quality product.  Check out the picture below to get a feel for the packaging on our newest dog bowl.

Full Martha Stewart packaged Slow Feeder Dog Bowl (affiliate link in image)

One problem with this packaging is you really can’t see what this dog bowl is all about until you remove the sash across the middle.  Here’s what the dog bowl looks like in all it’s glory from an aerial view.

Above Shot of the Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl

Finally we removed the packaging and we wanted to get a nice picture of this bowl from more of a side view. You can’t see it in this picture, but there’s also a groove in the base that makes it easier to pick this dog bowl up off the floor.  Another thing you cannot see in these pictures is this dog bowl has a rubber lining along the base that makes for a non skid bottom.

Full View of the Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl

Another point that is difficult to see in this picture is the height of each pillar.  There are 3 pillars and they vary in height from the shortest on the right side, medium on the left and the tallest pillar near the top of this picture.

More Initial Observations of the Martha Stewart Pets Dog Bowl

As I mentioned earlier my initial thoughts after seeing the packaging was that this dog bowl was going to be a higher quality product then the slow feeder dog bowls I’ve reviewed in the past.  In most cases this is true.  This dog bowl is heavier and much more solid then all dog bowl’s I’ve reviewed except for the Metal BrakeFast Dog Bowl.

Most of the other bowls I reviewed skidded around when Stetson tried to eat.  I had read that this was one of the features to slow eating.  I was a bit skeptical, but I could see how this might slow eating. At the same time I thought they may have been trying to cut costs.  The Martha Stewart slow feeder dog bowl has a nice rubber lining that circles the base and feels like it will keep the bowl in place while Stetson eats.

The obstacles in this bowl have a kidney bean shape and vary in height.  This is slightly different then most other bowls we’ve tried.  Other bowls used different chambers or obstacles that were all the same in size and shape.

I’m very excited to test out this slow feeder dog bowl and can’t wait to see how it performs with Stetson and his speed eating.

We’re going to give Stetson a week to use his new slow feeder dog bowl and see how it holds up to a real speed eating champion.  Next week we will have a video review of the Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl along with our thoughts and conclusions about this dog bowl.  So make sure you subscribe to our blog or one of our social media channels so you don’t miss our video review!

Blog RSS | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter | Google+

The Slow Feeder Dog Bowl Giveaway

It’s simple!  All you have to do is leave us a comment telling us little bit about your dog and why he/she could use a Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl.  That’s it!  As an added bonus we’ll enter your name a 2nd time if you “Like” our  Facebook page (let us know with a comment that you “Liked” us so we can add that 2nd entry).  We’ll use Random.org to choose a lucky winner next Friday, May 18th.

Special thanks to PetSmart for providing a free product sample in order to do our review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.

Post from: Puppy Training

Martha Stewart Pets Slow Feeder Dog Bowl Review

Related posts:

1. Aikiou Dog Bowl – In For Review
2. DogPause Dog Bowl Review
3. Metal Brake-Fast Dog Food Bowl Review

Today I’m going in the other direction and talking about different types of toys that I would encourage you to get for your puppy.

Let start off by going over the reasons why your puppy should have different types of toys.

Why Should My Puppy Have Different Types Of Dog Toys?

Stetson about to play with his new Kyjen Dog Toys

I’ve probably sat guide dog puppy kindergarten over a dozen times and I must admit that every time I attend these puppy training classes I learn something new about how to train a puppy.

The first day of puppy kindergarten always covers dog toys and which kind of toys are good for our pups and which one’s we should avoid (ummm…tennis balls and frisbees if you’re keeping track from yesterday’s post).

One of the most important things I’ve learned about dog toys for puppies is that you should always get many different textured toys as your puppy may get bored with certain toys, he may not like certain textures, and it’s always good to mix it up to keep your puppy interested in his toys.  I’ve always found that each of my puppies has had a favorite kind of toy, but changing them around and not giving my puppy all the toys at once kept him more interested in whichever toy he happened to be playing with at the time.

So lesson #1 about dog toys for puppies: Get as many different textured toys as possible.

That brings us back to the title and what are the 6 types of toys for my puppy?

6 Types Of Dog Toys You Should Get Your Puppy

Here are the 6 types of dog toys I’d recommend you purchase for your puppy.

Quoted areas are from our GDA Puppy Manual.

1. KONG Toys (affiliate link) – “are bell shaped with a hollow core open at each end.  They are made of a durable rubber, and can be a fun toy to toss for your pup, or can be used as a pacifier type toy to entertain your pup when you leave him alone.”  My experience with the standard KONG Toy has been hit or miss with my puppies.  Dublin and Apache both like playing with the red KONG Toy I purchased a while back.  I also recently purchased the black extreme KONG Toy to test out with Apache.  Of course Kong has a whole lineup of toys with varying levels of durability.  For instance, the KONG Wubba’s eventually get destroyed, but are fun to toss around with your dog.  I like to keep a close eye on my dog if he’s playing with a Wubba.  The affiliate link above is for one of the many different KONG products.  I’d recommend you shop around before deciding on the perfect KONG Toy for your puppy.
2. Nylabones (affiliate link) – “are made of durable plastic and can be useful as a teething toy for your puppy’s sore teeth and gums.  They come in several shapes and sizes.”  Just like KONG, Nylabone has many different products with varying durability.  I purchased one Nylabone product that Stetson destroyed in a matter of seconds.  However, other Nylabone products have a high durability rating and can last for weeks to months.  The affiliate link above is only one of many Nylabone products.  I recommend you look at all the different products before deciding which one is best for your puppy.
3. Hollow Sterilized Bones (affiliate link) – “can also be good for your puppy to gnaw on.”  GDA actually issues us with a hollow sterilized bone in our puppy kits.  Until I brought home Dublin all of my pups tried the sterilized bone, but none liked it…then there was Dublin.  Dublin loved his sterilized bone and would gnaw on it for hours without barely leaving a dent.  I loved giving Dublin his sterilized bone as it was relatively inexpensive and it lasted for several months.  However, none of my other puppies liked these bones so I guess if you’re lucky your pup will spend hours on end with a sterilized bone.
4. Rope Toys (affiliate link) – “can be fun to toss for your pup to chase.  But please watch for loose or frayed pieces from a rope toy, which your pup may swallow.”  I’ve heard these toys can be good for your dogs teeth too.  Most of my puppies like the rope toys, but they easily fray and I’m always afraid my pup will swallow some of the string.  I usually give them one, but I keep a close eye too make sure the toys remain in good condition.
5. Compressed Rawhide Bones (affiliate link) – “can be useful to help a teething puppy exercise his jaws.  Compressed rawhide bones are firmer and denser than the common white knotted rawhides, and can take longer for your puppy to chew.  These bones are only to be given when you can supervise your puppy to make sure he will not choke or swallow it whole.”  I love the compressed rawhide bones during early puppyhood!  When puppies are little they love to chew and these bones can last quite a while as long as your pup is still just a little pup!  As your puppy gets older he will eventually tear these things apart fairly quickly.  In fact I gave Apache a compressed rawhide bone the other day and he ate half of it in just a couple minutes.  I took it away because I didn’t want him accidentally swallowing the other half whole.  The affiliate link above is for quite a few compressed rawide bones through Amazon.  You can purchase smaller quantities at your local pet store.
6. Plush Toys (affiliate link) – “and stuffed animal type toys are quite popular in pet stores.  Please be sure to supervise your puppy with these types of toys, as they can shred them quickly, and swallowed pieces can be dangerous.  Other pups love to play and carry plush toys around, and can find these soft toys comforting. . So watch your puppy and be careful with these easy to destroy toys.” Probably the all time favorite of most puppies are the plush toys with little squeakers.   While your puppy may love these plush toys please be sure to keep close watch when your pup plays with these toys as many puppies like to tear them apart remove and swallow stuffing and squeakers.  Bottom line…Make sure you watch your puppy when he’s playing with plush toys! I chose the Kyjen Squirrel dog toy for the affiliate link above.  Kyjen makes some of my favorite plush toys.

*Make sure toys are large enough not to be swallowed as your puppy grows.

If you decide to purchase any of these dog toys for your puppy make sure you purchase proper sizes especially as your puppy begins to grow up.  The small puppy size Nylabones should be used with very young puppies, but if you have a larger dog like a Labrador Retriever then as he grows older you’ll need to purchase larger dog toys and chews.

One final note.  A lot of people recommend antlers for dogs, but unfortunately it is not recommended by Guide Dogs of America so I do not give my puppies antlers as chew toys.  However, I did write a couple posts on antlers for dogs and if you check out the post and comment section you can see many other peoples thoughts on these products and whether or not they will work for your dog or puppy.  Take a look at:

Deer Antlers For Dogs

Elk Anlters For Dogs

Those are the 6 types of dog toys I’d recommend you get for your puppy.  Remember don’t give him all of his toys at once. Maybe start him off with one or two toys the rotate them out for a different toy or two.  This will keep him more interested in his dog toys and help to relieve some of that crazy puppy energy.

How about you?  Do you have some favorite dog toys?  Are there other types of dog toys you buy your puppies?  Tell us about it in the comment section below.

Post from: Puppy Training

6 Types Of Dog Toys You Should Get Your Puppy

Related posts:

1. What Dog Toys Are Not Allowed For Guide Dog Puppies?
2. Top 10 Dog Toys
3. Is It Time To Buy Some Christmas Dog Toys?

We recently received a brand new puppy manual which I might add is awesome and it too points out the guide dog banned toys.

So without further adieu lets get to that list of guide dog toys on the no-no list.

Dog Toys On The GDA “Do Not Allow” List

If you’re a guide dog puppy in training then just say no to these dog toys:

1. Tennis Balls
2. Frisbees

Apache is a good boy for ignoring that tennis ball

That’s it!  I know the lists are a little bit different for other guide dog organizations, but at GDA the list is short.  Why no tennis balls or frisbees for our guide dog puppies?  The main reason is because we don’t want our puppies to get overly obsessed with these items as our pups will have to work around these distractions throughout training and his career.

I can attest to tennis ball obsession in dogs.  Our family dog, Maffy had a crazy obsession for his tennis balls.  He’s run into a bush and search for several minutes until he found the ball which recently led me to believe he would have made an excellent search and rescue dog.

Some of the other things that are not specifically considered dog toys that your guide dog puppy should avoid are old socks and shoes.  Your guide dog puppy cannot differentiate between old shoes and new shoes and won’t understand why all shoes are not fair game.  We recently ran into this problem with a pair of plush slippers.

Besides those basic rules we are told to make sure and use common sense and avoid toys that can cause choking hazards or that can be easily swallowed and cause your puppy to get sick.

Are there any dog toys you don’t allow to your dogs?  If you’re a puppy raiser with another group: is there a list of toys you don’t allow to your dogs?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Post from: Puppy Training

What Dog Toys Are Not Allowed For Guide Dog Puppies?

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Dog Toys
2. Is It Time To Buy Some Christmas Dog Toys?
3. Training Your Dog To Play Nice With Toys

ComfortFlex Harness – In For Review

ComfortFlex Harness Review – Putting It To The Test

ComfortFlex Harness Video Review

Thank you everyone for entering the contest by leaving comments on the ComfortFlex Harness review posts.  Unfortunately, there can be only one winner and many of you have left great comments and reasons for wanting/needing one of these great dog harnesses.

I used Random.org to choose one of the comments from the first 2 blog posts and the number that came up was 2.  Here’s a screen shot of the random.org website:

The second comment on the first harness review post belongs to….drumroll…..Dawn. I will be contacting Dawn via email to let her know that she has won the ComfortFlex Sport Harness.  Congratulations Dawn!

One last thing.  I actually received 2 blue ComfortFlex Sport Harnesses in the mail one was a Medium/Large that fit my Aussie mix, Linus perfectly.  The other was a Medium which was a little small for Linus and won’t fit any of my other dogs.  The Medium harness fits a girth of 24″-28″.  Take a look at the first ComfortFlex Harness Review post if you don’t know how to measure girth.

I’m going to give away this harness as well.  To win the Medium, Blue ComfortFlex Sport Harness you must follow these rules:

• The harness must fit your dog
• You must live in the United States in the lower 48 states
• Go to my ComfortFlex Harness Video Review and watch the video
• After you watch the video answer the following questions by commenting on the video review page:
• What breed is your dog?
• What is your dog’s girth? Check my first ComfortFlex Harness Review post if you don’t know how to measure girth.
• Tell me 1 thing you learned about the ComfortFlex Sport Harness in the video review.
• That’s it!

I anticipate there will be very few people entering this contest so if you meet all the criteria listed above then you stand a great chance of winning this blue ComfortFlex Sport Harness.  I’m going to give everyone 1 week until March 12th to enter this contest.  If no one enters then I’ll donate the harness to one of our local dog rescues.

Congratulations again to Dawn on winning the ComfortFlex Sport Harness!

If you have any questions or comments about the ComfortFlex Harness then please leave us a comment in the comment section below.

Post from: Puppy Training

ComfortFlex Sport Harness Giveaway

Related posts:

1. ComfortFlex Harness Video Review
2. ComfortFlex Harness – In For Review
3. ComfortFlex Harness Review – Putting It To The Test

ComfortFlex Harness – In For Review

ComfortFlex Harness Review – Putting It To The Test

Today’s review is a little more special then the previous 2 reviews because I went outside with Linus and Stetson and shot some video.  Stetson gives an excellent example of how wearing this great dog harness during nosework is not like wearing a harness at all.  He also gives a good example of how handy the harness handle works during training.  Linus on the other hand does a little loose leash walking, agility and running demo.

So without further adieu here’s today’s video:

ComfortFlex Harness Video Review

Video Transcription

Welcome to the PuppyInTraining.com ComfortFlex Sport Harness Review.  And that’s the packaging for our ComfortFlex Sport Harness (aff link).  We’re just going to go ahead and open that and see what’s inside.  A product description and of course a brand new ComfortFlex Sport Harness for Linus.  We noticed right away the harnesses sturdy construction and also how stiff it was to make it easier to put on your dog.

Here we are putting the harness on Linus for the first time.  As you can see it’s stiff construction makes it easy to put on over Linus’s head.  It has a velcro side along with a clip buckle…very easy to put on and I’m making a quick adjustment tot he straps so that it will fit Linus perfectly.  Linus is a 55 pound Australian Shepherd mix and the Medium/Large harness fits him just about perfectly. Here’s a side view of the harness, notice the reflective straps.

Now we’re going to show you the harness in action.  That’s me holding Stetson in his orange harness.  You can see that I was holding the handle and we’re working on his K9 Nosework training.  Stetson runs around like crazy when he’s doing his nosework training and he doesn’t even notice his harness.  Right now he’s looking for the odor birch.  Stetson found his first hide easy so I placed this one a little bit higher out of his reach and there he goes he just found it in the box.

A quick example of Linus and I walking through the courtyard.  Linus is wearing his new ComfortFlex Sport Harness (aff link) and I attached his leash to the Sport Harness handle.

None of my dogs do agility training, but I wanted to show you how easy it is for Linus to jump back and forth wearing his harness.

Now I wanted to show you another shot of the ComfortFlex Sport Harness in action.  This is a shot of Linus working on his recall.  Once again, Linus is running at full speed and the harness doesn’t bother him at all.  It’s a little dark outside because it’s right around dusk I wanted to show how well the reflective side straps worked.

Overall we really liked all the features of the ComfortFlex Sport Harness.  Thank you for joining us for the PuppyInTraining.com ComfortFlex Sport Harness Review.

Final thoughts On The ComfortFlex Sport Harness

Stetson doing K9 Nosework with his ComfortFlex Harness

After running the ComfortFlex Harness through many tests I found it to be a great harness for walks, training, and canine sports.  However, one area I would warn against is if you have a dog that likes to pull on his walks then this dog harness is probably not the proper harness for you.  If you have a heavy puller I’d look at a halti or a harness that deters pulling.

A definite thumbs up for the ComfortFlex Sport Harness!

By the way I had a little contest going on for a ComfortFlex Sport Harness giveaway.  I saw 31 total comments on the first 2 ComfortFlex Harness review blog posts.  I’m going to review each comment tomorrow (Monday, March 5th) and let you know the winner late tomorrow eventing.  Sorry for the second delay in this competition, but I want to make sure that I am thorough.

I hope you all enjoyed this series of ComfortFlex Sport Harness Reviews.  If you’d like us to review your dog product then please contact me through the website contact form.

I’m sure some of you out there already use this dog harness.  What are your thoughts on the ComfortFlex Harness.  Tell us what you think in the comment section below

Post from: Puppy Training

ComfortFlex Harness Video Review

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1. ComfortFlex Harness Review – Putting It To The Test
2. ComfortFlex Harness – In For Review
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ComfortFlex Harness – In For Review

By the way I plan on giving away a free ComfortFlex Sport Harness to one lucky winner.  Read through this review to find out how to win this harness.

I’ve heard that a lot of people like to use this dog harness for agility training and that it works very well.  I’ve heard that many harnesses chaff under the armpits, but this one not so much.  Unfortunately, none of my dogs are involved in agility training.  However, I have been working with both Stetson and Linus and attending K9 Nosework training (I like to call it sniffer training or nose detection training).  One of the first things I noticed at nosework class was that all the dogs wore the exact same ComfortFlex Sport Harness that I received recently for review.  In fact, I knew this and Stetson was already using the ComfortFlex harness before I decided to put together a review.

Anyhow, today’s review revolves around what I think of the ComfortFlex Sport Harness for my dogs regular everyday use and during K9 Nosework Training.

ComfortFlex Sport Harness

I have some detailed information in my first review of this harness, but here’s some more information I pulled from amazon.com (affiliate link).

Product Features

• Made in the USA
• Fully padded nylon construction with reflective strapping across the chest, machine washable (line dry)
• Ergonomic design allowing for a full range of motion with no irritation
• Incredibly simple to put on and take off with redundant velco and safety snap closure

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 18 x 4 x 2 inches ; 5 ounces (for the X-Large, size will vary)
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (for the X-Large, weight will vary)

Product Description

The ComfortFlex Sport Harness offers you and your dog only the highest standards of safety, simplicity and security. Unlike many harnesses, the comfortflex sport harness is designed to protect sensitive areas, like your dogs throat and underarm, during any level of excercise. Due to the dynamic position of the leash connection, pressure is always directed directly to the chest, never riding up on the dogs throat. The simple yet effective design also lets your dog retain a full range of motion without having to worry about underarm irritation or chafing. Getting you dog into this harness is incredibly easy. Just drop it over your dogs head, secure the velcro strap around his girth and connect the safety snap. With very little practice, this can even be done with just one hand. Reflective nylon staping is easy seen in low light situations.

Amazon Product Reviews

There were 9 reviews on Amazon.com 8 reviewers gave the ComfortFlex Sport Harness 5 stars while 1 gave it only 2 stars.

Lots of great stuff was said on Amazon.  Here’s a sample of some of the 5 star reviews:

Great Product, Great Company…

Fantastic – easy, durable, comfortable…

Love these harnesses…

And the 2 star review wasn’t even really a bad review.  In fact it’s something I mention in my review below.  Here’s exactly what the reviewer had to say:

I liked the construction and materials a lot!! Unfortunately, my dog is 80 lbs of muscle and a very strong puller. This did not stop him from pulling. I still had to wrap the leash behind me and hold it with two hands.

As far as I know the ComfortFlex Sport Harness is not built to deter pulling so if you plan on buying it to keep your dog from pulling then you’re looking at the wrong dog harness.

Stetson Practicing K9 Nosework Training with his ComfortFlex Harness

A Great Dog Harness For K9 Nosework Training

I’ve been using the ComfortFlex Sport Harness (affiliate link) with Stetson and Linus in their K9 Nosework Training and I must say I really like this harness for this type of training.  Here’s a list of things that I really like:

• Nice construction and very durable.
• The reflective bands on the side make it easy to see your dog at night time or if it’s dark.
• Velcro and redundant snap buckle means this dog harness will not accidentally come undone.
• Stiff construction makes it easy to put on your dog.
• The way the handle is placed on top makes it easy to grab and control your dog.
• Inner padding and placement of straps – I haven’t noticed any chaffing on my dogs.
• Easy to find metal ring on handle for clasping your leash

After putting the ComfortFlex Sport Harness to the test I did find a few minor things that I did not like and they were:

• The buckle strap rubs against the velcro and has started to fray a little bit (it’s all fuzzy now)
• As I mentioned in my first review the price of shipping was very high and almost deterred me from purchasing this harness for my dog.  You can buy this product on Amazon.com (affiliate link)…hopefully the cost of shipping is lower through their site.

Stetson Has An Enthusiasm For K9 Nosework

When I put this harness on my Black Labrador Retriever, Stetson he gets really excited because he knows it’s time for nosework training.  The handle which is right above the shoulder blades is great for holding your dog before doing an off leash training run.  I have not experienced any chaffing in the arm pits or anywhere on the body and it seems like it would be a great dog harness for any canine sport.

I’ve used the ComfortFlex Sport Harness with Linus on daily walks and when working on his nosework training (I plan to use it exclusively for nosework after this review).  It works just fine for daily walks and very nice because pressure is directed towards the chest rather then the throat.  This is nice if your dog chokes himself with his regular flat collar or if he has a weak trachea.  However, if you’re using this harness for strong pullers it may not be the best for your daily walks as your dog will be able to get a lot of force behind his pulling with pressure directed at his chest as opposed to the throat.  I’ve heard of dog harnesses that are built specifically for dogs that pull hard, but I have not yet personally used one.  I currently use a halti for my dogs who like to pull.

So do you want to win your very own ComfortFlex Sport Harness?  It’s actually pretty simple.  Just leave me a comment telling me from what you’ve read so far about the ComfortFlex Sport Harness what is your favorite feature and why.

By the way, you can have 2 entrants into this contest.  Leave a comment on this post and leave a comment on last weeks comfortflex harness review post.

In two weeks (March 4th) I’ll choose 1 random commenter from the comment section below.  Make sure you use a valid email address when leaving your comment so I can contact you if you’re the winner.

A quick note…your chances of winning are pretty good because as of today the first blog post has only 16 comments thus only 16 entrants into the contest so be sure to leave your comment on both blog posts.  Best of luck to everyone!

Just wondering have you used a ComfortFlex Sport Harness?  What do you think about these dog harnesses?  Leave us a comment to become eligible for a free ComfortFlex Sport Harness!

Post from: Puppy Training

ComfortFlex Harness Review – Putting It To The Test

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