We have used Flexi retractable leashes for many years. You just get used to a favorite brand of something, and that’s how it goes. Once we bought a clone but it just didn’t feel right in my hand, and I was glad when it wore out. So when I was asked by a publicist who works with Flexi if I would review their new Flexi City 6 foot lead, I said sure and she sent me one. We don’t live in a city but I still see some good use for this leash in our family, and even more for city dwellers.

We keep our leashes handy by the front door. The little gray one on the right is the new city leash,and the other two are our longer ones. The black bag hanging above contains dry dog treats and a clicker for the walks where I do a little training. The other bags are for our grocery shopping and the like, as we try to use as little plastic as we can.

What is a retractable leash? Read the rest of this entry

If you haven’t heard of this stuff before, you may wonder what kind of baby talk I am babbling today! Anti Icky Poo is said to be one of the most effective ways to deal with smells from dog urine, vomit, poo, whatever. It’s also effective with stinks from cats, skunks, humans, and other animals. It contains microbes that destroy — not just mask — the bacteria that cause the bad smells in the first place.

This approach makes it an environmentally friendly choice, safe for use around us humans and our pets. It works on carpets as well as on other surfaces, and has been in use at vet clinics, pet hospitals, and carpet cleaning companies for over 15 years. Read the rest of this entry

What does your dog do when you go out? We still laugh ruefully about the time our Rottie Lola dug up every carrot in our garden and ate most of them.

Give your dog a Kong and it will provide entertainment for a good long time.

Funny looking, isn’t it? We always have a few somewhere, usually including some temporarily lost in the bushes.

I’ve used them for years.  Even with my Rottweiler’s strong jaws working them over, the Kongs seem to last and last. Read the rest of this entry

We train our dogs so that we and they can enjoy life together. Sometimes we manage situations with them, and that’s what today’s article is about. Here are some handy steps, the   Solvit PupSTEP Plus Pet Stairs, that can be used to help your dog get up or down in situations where they are too small to jump, or shouldn’t jump for whatever reason. They can sure save your back too!

Use them for getting in and out of beds, SUV and pickups, sofas, etc. I bet some dogs  play on them! Read the rest of this entry