Premier Pet Pogo Plush Slap Happy

Hudson received this funny toy in his November Bark Box and he loves it.  I waited to review it because I wanted to see how well it was going to hold up to him.  He likes to destuff his soft toys and I didn't want to review something that only lasted a few days, or week.  This toy is the strangest thing, and I don't know why this has held up longer than most of his soft, stuffed toys; maybe because it isn't stuffed, it is a silicone skeleton, covered in synthetic sheep skin, with 6 dangly legs.  There is also a floating squeaker, but that didn't last more than a few days (thank goodness).  It's great for tugging & fetch. I am terrible at throwing things, so I appreciated that I could bounce it off the wall, the window, the TV, etc and not have to worry too much about breaking things.

It's a fun toy that Hudson really likes.  I would like to see it made out of a stronger material so it didn't wear so quickly.  When it has been totally destroyed, I hope to use the interior skeleton as a ball, similar to a JW Holey Roller.


Picture taken 1/4.  You can see the multiple holes in the sheep skin covering and that "Fuzzy" is down to only 5 legs.

Pictures taken shortly after receiving the toy, mid November

6/7 UPDATE
Fuzzy has lost all of his fleece now and is just the purple skeleton.  I hid a small tennis ball inside, so Hudson still likes to play with it.  He enjoyed this toy so much that when I found similar toys at the local Ocean State Job Lots, I bought 3.  2 of the 3 were kept back for later fun, but he really enjoys playing with the 1 I let him have.

http://store.petsafe.net/pogo-plush-slap-happy
http://store.petsafe.net/sheepskin-toys

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