Top Ten Products To Keep Your Dog Happy and Healthy! Review

When I was growing up, we always had a dog as a pet.  I don't remember a time in my life when I lived with my parents that we didn't have one.  I learned a lot from my father who adored dogs and was the primary care giver for each of them.  When I was married and moved into my own house, we adopted a puppy - turned big white dog- from our local SPCA.  

I am in no way an expert but from my experience, the following is the top 10 products that have worked well for my dogs:   

1. A Good Collar - We have always had good luck with leather collars (check out the Circle T Rolled Leather Collar from Petco.com) or ones made of a non-stretch material.  Always be sure you can stick at least two fingers between the dog's skin and the collar.  There should also be plenty of room for growth.  Check out these two highly rated collars from Viewpoints members: Lupine Collars and for puppies or small dogs see Harmony Puppy Collars. 
2. A Strong Leash - A 6-foot leather or nylon leash is best in my opinion.  Always make sure that the leash has a strong clasp.  For a top rated nylon leash, check out this review from one of our Viewpoints members: Lupine Leashes. For a top notch leather leash, you may want to consider the Circle T Leather Leads at Petco.com.  They come in several sizes and colors.
3. A Weighted Food & Water Bowl - Stainless-steel non-tipping food and water bowls are by far the best.  They won't break or absorb odors.  Shopping.com has many to choose from but one of my favorites is by Pro Select.  They are selling their X-Super Heavy No-Tip Dishes-Stainless Steel Bowls-SET OF 2-32 ouncers for only $11.96 on Amazon.com.
4. Premium Dog Food - We all need good nutrition including our pets.  There are so many brands of dog food out there.  It can be frustrating trying to make the right choice to ensure that your dog is getting all that he needs to be healthy.  After many trials and errors, research and discussions with the vet, I have chosen Iams Healthy Natural Dry Dog Food. Not only is this dry dog food good for him, he also loves the taste.  As a treat, I sometimes mix his dry dog food with Pedigree Pouches.  
5. Comfortable Dog Bed - Our dog is just like a part of the family but when he started trying to sleep on our bed with us at 60 pounds, we knew it was time to purchase his own comfy dog bed.  It was so long ago though that I cannot recall the name of it.  A couple of highly rated beds on Viewpoints are the LL Bean Dog Bed and the Amore Cuddle Up Pet Bed (for small dogs).
6. Effective Flea Comb - Even though my dog is white and I thought that I could see any fleas that he may have, a trip to the vet proved me wrong.  At his regular check-up, the vet found a couple of fleas when he ran a flea comb through his fur.  I was shocked.  He suggested that I purchase the Coastal Safari Flea Comb. I did, and now I check him regularly.  At the first sign of a flea, our dog gets a flea bath!
7. An Effective Flea Shampoo - The chances of any dog getting fleas is almost guaranteed.  As soon as I found one on my dog Rebel, I raced to the pet store and asked for the most effective flea shampoo they had.  They suggested Zodiac Fleatrol Flea and Tick Shampoo. It worked wonders and that is all that we use now. 
8. Durable Nail Trimmers - Just like human nails grow and need to be trimmed, so do dogs' nails.  This is something that should be done regularly.  Our local pet store suggested we purchase Safari Professional Nail Trimmers. These are very durable and do a great job.
9. Dog Bones/Chews- There are hundreds, if not thousands of different kinds of dog bones and chewies to choose from.  Once again, through trial and error and suggestions from our vet, we have found a few great items that are not only good for our dog but that he loves too.  One of them is the Hartz Dental Chew. These chews have an easy grip design, remove plaque and tartar, and come in different sizes.  The Red Barn Chewy Louie Meaty Filled Dog Biscuits are a treat that my dog loves!  These bone shaped treats come with a meaty filling and unlike other leading brand bones; crumbs don't get left behind on the rug!
10. Dog Toys - Ahhh, toys.  There are dog toys of every shape and size.  In my particular case, my dog is large and he destroys about every single toy we give him.  My sister-in-law purchased a huge stocking full of toys for our dog for Christmas one year and not one survived past a week.  Plastic balls were torn apart and eaten and squeaky toys no longer squeaked.  I bought him a rope toy called the Booda Bone thinking we could play tug of war.  Unfortunately, he choked on some of the rope that he pulled apart.  Stay away from that one!  The absolute BEST toy ever that has lasted and lasted is the Kong Toy. Click on the link and you will be able to read several raving reviews on this rubber toy.  Virtually indestructible!

These top 10 products mixed with love and attention will result in your new family member being happy and comfortable.  The love and loyalty you will get in return is priceless.