Ruff Land Review
A lot of dog guardians create a “safe space” for their dog by crate training them. When I adopted our samoyed Freja, she was immediately obsessed with crates/kennels. If she sees an open kennel door, she’ll go right inside to take a nap.
We take frequent trips to our vet (that’s an hour away), so I needed a strong kennel for travel that is more durable than a traditional collapsible one. I did a lot of research to decide which design would fit our needs.
What I was looking for:
A kennel that could be used in a car or inside
A lightweight but sturdy design
Easy to clean
Color options
Freja was visiting our vet every week for hip, skin, and eye issues, so she needed to be protected while we were on the road.
Freja enjoys having a safe space to relax in.
When the dogs are at home, the only one who needs to be kenneled while we are gone is Bibbin’. She has a lot of anxiety and FOMO (fear of missing out), so she can get into a lot of trouble if she’s having a meltdown while she’s unsupervised.
Ruff Land‘s design doesn’t seem like a cage, it’s relatively easy to move around, and the dogs prefer it over a traditional metal crate.
Bibbin’s Review: Pomppa Jackets
This is not a sponsored review. Josie aka Bibbin’ had to wait patiently for her human to purchase the coat that fit her needs.
Bibbin’ is a Southern California native who ended up in a cold climate after her life was saved from a high-kill animal control facility. She is used to the desert heat and is not a fan of anything under 75 degrees.
She needs outerwear that is easy to put on and take off, doesn’t irritate her sensitive back (she gets the heebie-jeebies from certain materials), and fits our color-coordinated organization.
The Human’s Thoughts:
I did quite a bit of research before I chose the ToppaPomppa jacket for her. I was searching for plain, pretty, warm, and durable outerwear. This jacket comes in 8 different colors/patterns too!
The ToppaPomppa is warm enough for our cold climate and has important features like a waterproof outer layer, a soft teddy lining & a well-insulating filling. I could tell that it’s durable as soon as I unwrapped it from its package.
Dog-Friendly Features:
It’s easy to do zoomies and run through the woods because of the front slits and durable material that doesn’t easily snag on branches. The snug belt holds the coat in place, and the tail slit doesn’t restrict her from wagging her tail when she’s doing her daily ritual in *her* yard.
She only has to stand still for a few seconds when we have to put it on and take it off. This jacket doesn’t have any extra parts that could get caught on a branch or irritate her legs. When she feels uncomfortable wearing a jacket, she lets us know by rubbing on a tree as soon as she gets outside. The Pomppa design is simple: it’s comfortable and warm!
Muzzle-Up!
Muzzles are helping thousands of dogs and their guardians.
KPA, a leader in the field of animal training and in the science and application of marker-based positive reinforcement, supports muzzle conditioning.
So does Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) Emeritus.
Fear Free courses are developed and written by the most respected veterinary and pet experts in the world, including boarded veterinary behaviorists, boarded veterinary anesthesiologists, pain experts, boarded veterinary internists, veterinary technicians (behavior), experts in shelter medicine, animal training, grooming, boarding, and more. Here’s their guide for muzzle training!
The Muzzle Up! Project is a wonderful community full of responsible dog lovers.
I have two reactive dogs, but they aren’t the only ones who are muzzle trained.
Muzzle training/conditioning is a great skill for all dogs to have. I use a muzzle to prevent kleptomaniac behavior when the “leave it” command is being practiced…or ignored.
Muzzles are also a great tool to use on walks for dogs who have PICA like Freja (pictured above).
Like kennel training, I like to desensitize all of my dogs to muzzles “just in case” they need one in the future during an emergency. If they were sick or injured and had to be muzzled, they would feel comfortable because they associate it with positive things. A dog who isn’t muzzle trained would feel anxious or turn into a potential bite risk.
MASTER LIST: Julius K9 Powerharness
Living with 5 dogs over 45lbs can get chaotic pretty quickly, so I discovered that color-coordinating their gear makes adventures MUCH more efficient.
I saw Julius-K9 harnesses within the dog community and finally decided that it was a good investment.
I chose their IDC® Powerharness because they are sturdy, easy to put on, have multiple color options, and also have a custom patch feature.
Freja is a fluffy samoyed, so a lot of people assume that she is friendly thanks to the samoyed craze on social media.
She is not a fan of strange dogs or kids, so a friendly patch is a good tool to train people to avoid approaching strange dogs in public without asking their handler.
Fiona and Fred’s patches are an invitation to follow them on Instagram!
MASTER LIST: Rex Specs Dog Goggles
A lot of dogs are forced to be active with zero eye protection from the sun, debris and brush, so they eventually have eye issues that could have been prevented.
* let’s take a moment to roast these two *
Freja adjusted to wearing goggles almost immediately. We’re excited to use them on walks, hikes and outdoor adventures that end with a black samoyed.