Bark Box

Bark Box is a monthly subscription box that is mailed to your house to spoil your puppies. There are three size options; Small and Cute, which is 0 - 25 lbs; Just Right, which is 25 - 50 lbs; and Big & Bold, which is 50 lbs + and the subscription options are 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months, though I have heard that there might be a 1 year coming up soon.

The boxes normally contain a toy, a bag or two of treats, and some cutesy seasonal thing.  The toys are normally a big hit here.  The Orbee Strawberry came in one of his Bark Boxes and he loves it.  Unfortunately some of the toys are soft and Hudson tends to tear those apart, but they provide a few minutes of fun.  I recently upped Hudson's from "Just Right" to "Big & Bold" so maybe those toys will be a bit sturdier.

The treats are all made in the USA, so hopefully there shouldn't be any contamination issues.  Hudson isn't a big food hound, so the treats are just kind of 'meh' here.  He likes them, but doesn't go crazy for them.  That is not a slam on the treats or Bark Box, it's just the way he is.  I have yet to find a treat he goes crazy for.  If your dog has any allergies or sensitivities, there is no way to specify that and since the boxes tend to be food heavy, this might not be a good option for you.

All in all, I like getting boxes in the mail and I like being able to try new things with him.  I like that Bark Box items are all from US companies and I believe they are all made in the USA.  I originally did a 6 month subscription and renewed it for another 6 months.

If you sign up using my referral link, I think it will save you $5 or $10 on your first box.  It also gets me a free box.  If you don't want to do it that way, I also included the link to the main page, if you want to sign up that way.

Invite Link - Bark Box Invite
Bark Box

All K-9 Biothane Leash and Tracking Line

If you have read my Biothane collar thread, you know how much I love biothane.  The All K-9 Leash & Tracking Line were my first experience with Biothane.  I pulled them out of the box and said, "Yep, I'm ordering the biothane collars."  What you have to know about me is that growing up, we had horses.  I like good leather.  Nice, soft, supple leather and had been toying with getting a leather leash to go with my nylon one.  An internet friend made a most about All K-9 having  a sale, so I jumped on it and now have no desire to buy a leather leash.  Of course, if I found a good sale on a leather leash, I'd probably be all over that since you can't beat the smell of leather.  The one thing Biothane is missing :(



I ordered a 5/8" wide, 6 ft leash and a 1/2" wide, 10 ft tracking line.  It took a little while to arrive, but I think my view on that is kind of skewed by being an Amazon Prime member and getting 2 day shipping on everything.   The 10 ft line is my main leash.  I'm still trying to decide if I like it because of the extra 4 ft, or if I like it because it is narrower.  I have freakishly small hands and hate wide, flat leashes. Hate them, will not use them. But anyway, the 10 ft leash is small enough and flexible enough that I can easily fit it in a jacket pocket, but it is also strong enough that I don't worry about it breaking when Hudson pulls against it.  I'm also a terrible dog owner and let Hudson grab the leash and tug on it.  He loves playing tug and if he knows it's OK to tug on the leash, I always have a toy with me.  So this poor leash has taken quite a bit of abuse and still looks really nice.  I think there are a few small areas where you can tell it has been in a dogs mouth, but it is still holding up great.

When we were in NC, I had a long rope to use on the beach, but had a biothane for walking too the beach and any other walks.  When the leash got sandy, I just dunked it in the ocean and it came out as clean as could be.  My rope is still covered in sand.

I love my Biothane leashes, they are awesome and I want to own all of them.  I have heard that not all biothane is not created equal and have heard some people complain about biothane leashes that they got from companies other than All K-9, so I wanted to issue that word of warning.

Ruff Rider ROADIE Canine Vehicle Safety Harness

Hudson spends a good bit of time in the car with us.  When we picked him and his brothers up, we did a 12 hour drive from NC to NY.  A few months later, we did a 10 hour drive to Ohio for Christmas, and then then 10 hour drive back.  We made the same drive in February and again in April.  Plus, for vacation we went down to the Outer Banks area and drug him along.  All and all, he has spent a lot of his short life in a car.

When I got him, I knew that there would be a lot of trips from NY to OH and back, since that is where our family is, so I started looking for a solid, safe car harness.  Both for if, God forbid, there is an accident, and to keep him in the car until I had a leash hooked on him.  Most of our driving is interstate and I cannot imagine how terrifying it would be to have your dog get loose at a rest stop or gas station.  I also know that our cars are too small to safely secure a crate for a full grown Hudson.  So, car harness it was.  What I finally decided on was a Roadie Harness.  They are a little expensive, but I liked that they were designed for car safety first and foremost. I also liked that the car attachment was permanently attached and that it gave my 6 ft leash a little extra length.

I ordered the smallest size for Hudson because he was still an itty bitty puppy.  It was easy to figure out how to put on, which was was the front, which way was the back.  It seemed comfortable for Hudson, he didn't shy away from it like he does his EzyDog Chest Plate and it had several different places to adjust.

When he out-grew this harness, I toyed with replacing it with another Roadie, but since he was still growing, I went with a less expensive harness with a car seat attachment until I knew what his final chest size would be.  Since then, I have had a chance to think about it and I am not sure I'll be adding another to my harness roster.  Here is why.  It was a little tricky getting it on and there was a bit of tugging on his one leg to get it through the leg hole.  Definitely not something I would suggest if you have an older dog who has joint issues. That also makes it hard for me to ask anyone else to put it on him, if I was also getting ready to go outside. My other big issue with it is that, being a harness designed to keep a dog secure in case of an accident, it is the only harness I've seen Hudson wiggle out of.  We were at a park and he get his long line wrapped around a pole and in his struggle to untangle himself, he got loose!

In the end, I liked how it fit him, though a little difficult to actually get one and I liked how it looked.  If I was looking for just a general, everyday wearing harness, I would look at a Roadie, but at $50+, it's a little expensive for just a walking harness.   

As a "keeping in the car when the door is open" it definitely works well and even though there are several other harness brands with 'car attachments', I like how long the one on the Roadie is.  It gives the dog plenty of room to sit or lay down while traveling, which I think is important on long drives.  I no longer worry about keeping him in the car when I open the door, partly because I keep his leash on him the entire trip now that he is past chewing on it (dogs!) and partly because he is very good at "Wait" until I have the leash in my hand and tell him it's "Ok".

Roadie Car Harness

Planet Dog Orbee Strawberry & Tuff Bone

I decided to put these two together since they are made by the same company and are very similar.

I am going to go over the Strawberry first. It has a hollow inside, meant for stuffing with treats, but when it is empty it is squishy and easy for a dog to hold.  They bounce well, float, are easy to throw, and since the are an odd shape, roll erratically. I think this is one of Hudson's favorite toys, he enjoys carrying it around in his mouth, squishing it.    If I tell him "Go find your Strawberry" he will go pounce on it and bring it over to me to play fetch with.

Hudson took to the Strawberry so quickly that the next week we picked up the Tuff Bone.  I had a lot of fun tossing it into the baby pool.  Hudson, on the other hand, doesn't think there is enough room in the pool for him, let alone him and some toys, so he kept pulling it out and dropping it on the ground.  I like to think that we both had a lot of fun with this game.

The Orbee Strawberry & Tuff Bone are made in the USA, so no need to worry about lead.  They have both held up extremely well.  I don't think the Strawberry has a single scratch on it.  The bone has a few, but none are very deep.  If you have a dog that likes to carry toys around, or likes to fetch I highly recommend either of these two toys.

Planet Dog Orbee Strawberry

JW Pet Company Undercoat Rake

Growing up we had German Shepherds and when shedding season came around, we just used a slicker. Hudson's coat is much different than a German Shepherd, so I had to revisit how to groom a dog.  I ended up picking up a JW Undercoat Rake.  Hudson's coat is pretty short close to his body, but he has quite a bit around his ears, neck and hind end.  This rake does a marvelous job getting out all of the loose under coat.  When his coat was changing from his puppy coat into an adult coat, this rake was a life saver.  It is definitely something I recommend to anyone with a dog who has a coat like Hudson's.

Chuckle Hound Collar and Bow Tie

This one is a fun one, guys.  Have you ever been going out on the town and wanted your dog to look snazzy?  Well, I haven't either, but I did want Hudson to have a bow tie, just in case.  In case of what, you might ask.  I have no idea, but my husband is a Boy Scout and he tells me that we should always be prepared, I am prepared to turn Hudson into a nerdy, frat boy at any given moment.

An internet friend started posting pictures of her Aussie in adorable bow ties and I knew I needed one from Hudson.  Chuckle Hound is a small company in Boston, MA that makes the most awesome collars, bow ties, and flowers.  Everything you need to take your dog out in style.  I really like that the bow tie has two small velcro loops on the back so you can change what collar it is on.  I am guessing the flowers are the same way, but I don't have any experience with them.

The collars are fabric collars all the way through.  Because of that I don't use it as a main walking collar, if Hudson is wearing it, he also has a harness on and the leash is on the harness.  If your dog is better behaved on a leash, then I'm sure this wouldn't be an issue and, in all honesty, the collar feels sturdy enough that I don't think it would have a problem holding Hudson when he gets SUPER excited to meet a new friend.  But, this isn't a risk I'm willing to take.

I love these bow ties.  They have lots of holiday options available and I'm planning on getting Hudson a Christmas one eventually.

Alex Dog Collar & Bow Tie

TufFlex Biothane Collar

I love these.  I love these so much, there aren't words to describe how much I love these.  They are bright, colorful, easy to keep looking nice, sturdy.  Basically, I think Biothane is God's gift to mankind.  This stuff is awesome.  Ok, I'll stop gushing now.  Just kidding, this review is basically all gushing.

If you have never experienced biothane, it is a synthetic leather.  They are advertised as being mildew resistant, doesn't hold smells, easy to clean, and virtually indestructible.  This is another product I own multiples of. Hudson has a 1 inch neon green collar and a less obnoxious 3/4 inch black one.  I ordered mine from Gun Dog Supply Company and it comes with a name plate.  Hudson's has just his name and my cell number.  I use them a lot when we are traveling so I don't have to worry if I have his tags on him or not.  When (not if, when) I order another one for him, I'll also add to the plate that he is micro-chipped.  I used these two collars exclusively when we went to NC for vacation this year and after a week of fun in the sun, sand, and waves, they are not any worse for the wear.  I don't have anything bad to say about these collars and I think everyone should have one of these collars in their collection.

I personally like the 3/4 inch width on my dog.  Hudson is about 35 lbs and wears a 16 inch collar.  I just think the 1 inch width is a tiny bit too wide on him.  He doesn't seem to mind it.  I also have a 1 inch wide Lupine collar that I also think is a little too wide, so I don't think it is a biothane phenomenon, I'm just not a quick learner.

When my MIL suggested we get my husband's great aunt something dog related for her birthday, I automatically thought of this and sent her one.

8/2016 Update

It's been a few years and I still LOVE these collars.  I have been using the 3/4" collar almost exclusively for Hudson.  He has a few fancy collars for special occasions, but his normal collar is this biothane.  After 3 years, the name and phone # on the collar are still crisp and clear, which is one of the reasons I really like it.  I never have to worry about moving tags from one collar to another, or the tag falling off.  Some people do worry about the collars breaking the coat on the longer haired dogs.  Personally, I haven't noticed much of it.  Sure, I do find some fur wrapped in the rivets, but not enough to think it is doing any real damage.  My only real complaint, after all of these years, is that I got the 3/4 in black and not a brighter color!.

TufFlex Collar

Ezydog Chest Plate Harness

I like this harness.  I like it more than Hudson does.  Bright colors are my favorite things, which you will notice as you see more and more pictures.  My harness is the bright, neon orange.  Neon orange anything is the best.

This was purchased in mid-February of this year and has held up really well.  It's a little dirty, but the stitching has held up great.  Speaking of stitching, it has reflective stitching, but since we are rarely out after dark in it, I don't know how reflective it really is.  It ships with a removable car seat attachment. It attaches to the D-Ring on the back of the harness, then the seatbelt is fed through the loop, and buckled.  The problem with having it detachable, I promptly lost mine.  Luckily Hudson is good in the car and I don't worry about him jumping out when I open the door.

Hudson is not super thrilled with this harness.  I don't know if it is the chest plate piece that he doesn't like, or if it just fits weird on him, but he has never liked it.  At 35 lbs, and a 24" chest, he is solidly a medium, but from the first time I put it on him, he acted like it was uncomfortable.  Normally after wearing it for a while he seems to forget about it, but every time it goes on he acts like it bothers his back.  It might be because it buckles up top, close to the spine and Small Boy has no extra meat on his bones.  This is not a harness I would replace, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

Ezydog Chest Plate Harness

Chuckit Kick Fetch

Hudson got a Chuckit Kick Fetch for his birthday in late August.  His sister's owner suggested it and I am glad I got it for him!  Unlike most balls, this two identical indentations for easy grabbing, both for the dog and the human.  The indentations also vary in size, so it is easy for a medium sized dog, like Hudson, or a larger dog to grab onto it.  My neighbor's pit-type dog has also come visiting a few times and tries to steal it!

It has a few puncture holes in it from teeth, but since it is solid all the way through, it doesn't deflate like a soccer ball would.  I do not think it would hold up to a large dog with powerful jaws.  After a few months of moderate use, one of the seams is starting to come apart.

All in all, Hudson really likes it. It's easy to play with, with a lot of different options. I can kick it, throw it, bounce it (it bounces really well).  If it were to come apart, I would probably replace it.  For a medium sized dog, like Hudson, I would recommend it.  I would be hesitant to recommend it for a larger, more powerful dog.

8/5/2016 Update
After a few years of fun, the ball is still going.  It isn't going strong, but it is still holding it's own and is still a favorite around here.  I did breakdown and buy a replacement ball for Hudson since he enjoys it so much, but this darn ball has stood up to almost 3 years of abuse.  It has a lot of holes, and Hudson has torn some of the outer cover off (which becomes a new toy in Hudson World).

Kick fetch

West Paw Zisc

My first review will be the West Paw Zisc.  This might not be the best frisbee for the serious disc dog crowd, but I really like it and, more importantly, so does Hudson.  They come in two different sizes and three different colors.  We own both sizes, the large 8.5 inch and the smaller 6.5 inch.We got our first one in March or April, after 7 months of use, it is still in great shape, under all of the dirt it looks new.  A few months later, we bought the smaller version of it.

I find that they fly pretty straight and are heavy enough that the wind doesn't blow them around too much. Hudson isn't super skilled with Frisbees, so he likes that these are floppy and easy to pick up. I like that they are soft in your hand for playing tug with the dog.  I also like that, unlike normal hard discs, these don't seem to get those sharp, rough edges. Supposedly these float, but we haven't had a chance to try that out. Another plus, being a soft, rubbery type material, they also don't do damage when you accidentally hit your car (whoops!).

The small one is also pocket size.  My husband, a few of our friends, and myself took a trip into NYC a few weeks ago.  One of the guys who came with us really wanted to play Frisbee in Central Park, so my husband folded the small one in half and put it in his back pocket.

West Paw Zisc

Thanks
Terri & Hudson

About Us

Hello!
My name is Terri and through out this blog, you will see pictures of my dog Hudson. I am kind of a dog gear nut.  I don't require the best, most expensive, newest toys for Hudson, but I do try to focus on quality toys, equipment and treats.  I especially enjoy supporting small business, and do a decent bit of my shopping on places like Etsy.

Outside toy bin

Happy Dog

This blog came about when I was cleaning my living room, picking up Hudson's toys that he had strewn from one end of the room to the other, and realized that he had a lot of stuff.  I mean, A LOT.  He has a toy basket that is overflowing in the living room, a bucket of bones to chew on, leashes and collars hanging on just about every door knob, a plastic tub of toys in the basement, another box of seasonal gear, and treats tucked away in nearly every available drawer. I decided to put this to good use and start a collection of reviews so that you can get an honest look at what I like, don't like, didn't think held up, or was surprisingly impressed with.  

If you have anything suggestions of things you would like me to test, please drop me a line at Thedogreview@gmail.com and I will see what I can do.

I also like to take pictures of my hansom boy, so there will be lots!


Thank you and happy reading
Terri & Hudson