There are 2 essentials to rainy day walking I need whenever I take Thor out to either go to the restroom or for a quick walk! Thor absolutely hates being out in the rain or even getting his paws slightly wet from wet floors. These products have tremendously helped with the after math of cleaning him!

Every now again there comes a time in a dog owners’ life where taking their dog out in the rain to use the restroom becomes a difficult and messy time. Thor hates getting wet or using the restroom out in the rain but when he must go, HE HAS TO GO! When we come back from outside Thor is a mess and I’m spending so much time trying to get him to dry off in his crate and feel terrible for putting a wet puppy in his crate to slowly dry off. Otherwise, he will try to dry off by shaking and getting everything wet and muddy. There is nothing worse than seeing your dog wipe his dirty paws on your beige couch and rubbing his back against the couch sides. Then I have to follow him everywhere he goes inside the house! It is a process for not only him but me too! Luckily, Thor is our only dog for the time being and everything is trial and error. I am grateful for these crazy learning curves because this will help my boyfriend and I be more prepared for a future puppy we eventually want to adopt!

On the bright side there are a few products that become essentials throughout this process that makes it less stressful and much cleaner in the end.

1. Micro-fiber towels

One of the many products that have helped with the clean up after math when it comes to taking Thor out after rainy walks is MICRO-FIBER TOWELS! My boyfriend is such a maniac when it comes to good quality towels that could be very multi-purpose for multiple occasions around the house. Micro-fiber towels are made from a blend of fibers that are extremely absorbent and gentle. These are more absorbent than normal towels and come in cute colors! This is the reason I use them for Thor every time we come inside and gently rub this fur with this material of cloth and soaks up the moisture from his fur. Luckily, Thor is a short haired dog to keep in mind and just needs a few pats with these and just aired dries. I can only imagine if we had a long-haired dog!

I couldn’t imagine life without micro-fiber towels and would recommend these to any dog owner!

• My favorite micro-fiber towels are from amazon (Click the link right below):

https://www.amazon.com/microfiber-towels/s?k=microfiber+towels

2. Paw Cleaner

This next product was something I didn’t know what I needed until I was gifted this earlier this year! Paw cleaner is a portable cleaner used to clean your dog’s paws from muddy residue. There are silicone bristles inside to wipe off mud  and dirt from their paws to reveal noticeably cleaner paws. Thor always tend to track in dirt, mud and rocks from outside the house but using this product has helped with keeping his paws clean after rainy days. This could be used for other events such as hikes, trips swimming or even gentle for even everyday use.

The first time, we used this product with Thor he was sketched out with what we were doing with his dirty paws. It is with most things the more you use it with your dog the more your dog will be used to it. Perfect example is using the vacuum cleaner! Thor used to be terrified of the vacuum cleaner and would bark at it and use his paws to fight it! (Did I mention he is a crazy dog?) The more we used the vacuum cleaner the less he got nervous around it until one day he didn’t react to us using the vacuum cleaner! Which is amazing because I am a neat freak that loves a vacuumed house every other day (ideally every day).

This product has helped so much with making sure Thor does not bring in any dirt since especially he is a dog that we allow on our couch! In addition, from time to time our bed while my boyfriend and I are folding clothes.

• Click below for a quick video to show how you can use this product with your dog/ dogs at home!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYWQCb_nES8

• You can purchase your own paw cleaner for your pup from Amazon (Click the link right below):

https://www.amazon.com/Dexas-MudBuster-Portable-Cleaner-Medium/dp/B01N64DCPR/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=paw+cleaner&qid=1570344115&sr=8-4

Comment below what your favorite aftercare essentials are for your fur buddy!

Thank you for your time, Chelsea

The 2 dog products that you absolutely need for your furry friend or friends is a good, quality brand harness and Kong treat dispensers.

Firstly, purchasing a quality brand harness has not only allow me to walk my 70lb. furry friend Thor around with ease and puts me more in control of our walking time together. (Instead of him walking me around). My favorite harness that I have purchased for him has been from Amazon which only took two days to get to my front door step and only $15. (That’s affordable without breaking the bank too). This harness has also allowed me to full gain control whenever I need to pull him away from anything with the large handle on the back of the harness and does not pull on his neck instead its his chest. Overall, I give harnesses 10/10 stars, if you have a large dog that you need a little more help controlling, this will definitely help you out.

The link to the exact one I personally purchased is right below:

https://www.amazon.com/Babyltrl-Harness-Adjustable-Reflective-Material/dp/B07FKVTFWP/ref=sr_1_5?crid=61CXACBLD3KH&keywords=dog+harness&qid=1569814261&s=gateway&sprefix=dog+har%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-5

Secondly, having a treat dispenser toy can be a huge advantage for any dog parent because they are the perfect distraction for when you need to leave the house or when they are barking profusely. The Kong brand is a great brand that has many selections for dogs all across the board. The have a helpful chart that can makes it easier to pick which Kong would be the best fit for your dog. It ranges from toughness and age for all dogs. Personally, Thor has had two or three different kinds since he has continually grown from a puppy. In addition, cleaning them is a breeze with little efforts to get rid for any residue left behind. Thor has always loved getting his Kong in his crate because that is where he feels safe and has an awesome treat whenever he has to be crate trained. This has helped him feel excited to get into his crate and explore what treat there is in his Kong.

The link to purchase a new Kong for your friend is right below:

https://www.kongcompany.com/

Comment what are your favorite dog products that you can not live without!

Thank you for your time, Chelsea Ruiz

If you have a tough chewer as a dog, you also know how difficult it is to find the right kind of toy that can actually survive a day without your dog tearing it to shreds! Many toys we found either from Pet Smart or Target would be torn to shreds even though they claimed to be crafted for tough chewers. I quickly learned what kinds of items to stay away from because our dog Thor is a beast when it comes to his toys.

The better I understood what Thor liked in general, the better I became learning the toys he might be interested in playing with. Firstly, Thor is a 70 lb. dog that loves to tug, rough house and play fetch for days. I knew I had to stay away from any toy that had plush stuffing because that could be easily torn and string items that could be pulled with his teeth. He loves to go after any round ball and especially if it squeaks! (That is his weakness). The toys that I figured that could be long lasting, durable and easily be cleaned if we brought it indoors or outdoors is the Chuckit line.

The Chuckit line has ultra rubber bouncy balls that are made to last! They can be easily thrown and easy to wipe clean from dirt, water or slobber. They are brightly colored and extra thick in the rubber quality that can also float which makes a nice toy to play with your dog in the water. They can be accessible online or any pet store like Pet Smart or Petco.

https://www.chewy.com/chuckit-ultra-rubber-ball-dog-toy-2/dp/38326

These have become a hands down favorite from Thor and are reasonably priced which make purchasing them affordable. These have lasted many, many months for Thor and he is thrilled to play with every time we give it to him!

It is all about finding out what works best for your dog and what works well with their playing needs. By doing so, you’ll be able to narrow down products they will love and enjoy. There will be many trials and errors made through this process, but it will be worth it when you find the perfect toys for your dog!

Good luck, Chelsea

Separation anxiety can be a tough hurdle to overcome with your fur buddy. I am currently in the middle of tackling this issue with my fur buddy, Thor. Thor is about to be 2  years old in December and has been crated since he was about 4 months. Although, crating him has been great with teaching him to go to the restroom outside and not outside, I want to be able to give him more freedom by giving him full reign of the house.

The problem is Thor gets separation anxiety whenever my boyfriend or I leave the house, just for a second. Thor will bark after us leaving, pace back and forth all while trying to anticipate our every move until we are out the door. The past week, we have been leaving him out in the living room in increments of two hours with his stuffed peanut-butter-filled Kong, water and a nice seating area to look outside the window (as the protector of the neighboorhood). In addition, dog proofing the living room with no little objects lying around such as remotes , pens or my hair ties (his favorite)! He is doing pretty well with not chewing anything he is not suppose to and still gets super excited to see us come home, but I still want to know how he is doing when no one is around! This is why I am researching my next possible dog purchase, Furbo the dog camera.

The Furbo Dog Camera

The Furbo dog camera is a surveillance camera that dispenses treats to your dog and has a two-way audio system where you can hear and talk to your dog.

The Pros are:

•  Easy to set-up and download the Furbo app onto your mobile phone.
•  Takes dog selfies
•  Dispenses dog treat on voice command
•  Modern design

The Cons are:

•  Does need to be plugged in
•  Camera is non adjustable
•  Requires to have a strong signal near home wi-fi

Another con that could have been added to the list was the price tag of the Furbo. The Furbo can set you back $199 with free shipping, but as The Best Tech Review Blog compares the pricing has consistently become lower since the manufacturing. It has become more affordable now more than ever.

Statistics of the current price is $199.00 08/28/19

highest price is $345.77 04/28/19

https://besttech.reviews/review/furbo-dog-camera-review/ 

While, the cons are to be taken into consideration, I am definitely still interested in purchasing the Furbo for my fur buddy and think it would give me peace in mind to see how Thor is doing and give me ability to check in on him when I need to. He’s worth it!

Thank you for your time!

My name is Chelsea Ruiz. I live in Austin, Texas where I am currently enrolled at St. Edward’s University for a master’s degree in Digital Marketing and Analytics. My hobbies include watching scary movies, listening to true-crime podcasts and obsessing over my 70 lb. mixed dog named Thor. (Yes, my boyfriend and I are huge marvel fans). Becoming a new dog parent a year ago has inhabited another hobby of mine for discovering new dog treats and products for Thor. I relate my favorite dog treats and products I like to use on this blog in future postings.