Every good adventuring campaign needs gear! Here are some tested recommendations to help you along on your quests. I am not personally affiliated with any of the below companies nor am I receiving any compensation for these recommendations.
Leads and Leashes
Bold Lead Designs - My absolute favorite leash is the 8-way lead from BLD. I prefer their leather (for me their biothane is stiffer than I prefer) but both the biothane and leather are comfortable, strong, and versatile.
Palomine Lines - Palomine has always been my go to recommendation for biothane long lines. I love their product - it’s strong, it’s customizable, and it comes in lots of pretty colors!
DingDog Etsy - I’ve bought multiple braided leather leashes from DingDog, and they are all so comfortable and strong. Highly recommend for a comfortable, secure everyday leash!
Harnesses and Collars
The below harnesses are the ones I’ve found most often fit most dogs well. They allow for a lot of room to fully move the shoulder and legs, while being durable enough for strong pullers. The Balance and the 3in1 both have the option for front clip or back clip, whatever your preference.
My favorite collars are almost all from The Collar Shop, below, who will also customize collars with fabric you enjoy. They’re well made and super cute. K9 Tactical Gear has really solid collars to add your dog’s name patch!
Muzzles
Muzzle Resources - I particularly love Trust Your Dog muzzles for their customization and safety, as well as their many color options and easy measurements.
Please be aware Baskerville muzzles, while often the easiest to acquire quickly, are not truly biteproof. They are GREAT muzzles, but should not provide a false sense of security! Muzzle Up Project has several amazing resources on muzzle training
General Safety
Other safety items, including life jacket, cooling vest, and spray shield for being out and about with your dog!
Food Puzzles
These are food puzzles I enjoy using over and over again - sometimes freezing treats or varying the food within them to make them higher value or more challenging. You can also use any food puzzle and make it more difficult by requiring behaviors prior to the opportunity to solve the puzzle!
Chews
Other chew specific items that I particularly love are below - you can get these lots of different places, but if you find a cheap supplier, let me know :)
Treats
My favorite treats are usually freeze dried, sometimes perishable food. If they are already cut up, I prefer treats I don’t need to worry about crumbling, and that are easy to hand out. If I can swing it, I also love it if they aren’t spherical (rolling treats make reward placement hard!)
For treats like Happy Howies and Fresh Pet, I’m also including the link to the vegetable dicer I use to dice them after cutting slices off the log.
Stella and Chewy’s Meal Mixers - be aware the fish is particularly flaky
Crumps Mini Trainers - Really good for the little dogs who get full fast!
Toys
Toys can be incredibly dog dependent. Rather than linking specific toys (other than my favorite flirt pole) I’m linking a few different shops that sell a TON of different toys. Experiment with what you have at home - what does your dog like to put their mouth on and look for toys with similar texture/material.
Crates and Cars
Linking some really well regarded crates that can be used in the house or the car, that, yes, may cost you a second mortgage.
I have Ruffland Crates in my house and car and love them, though they are more narrow than your average crate. Also including other parts of my personal car set up that I have to keep my pets safe.
Your Gear
It’s fun to have your own gear too! My favorite treat pouch is linked below (this is also a feature of a campaign Dungeoneer’s Pack or Explorer’s Pack) as well as the companies that make the training vests and jackets I use.
Books
My second favorite hobby, outside of dog training, is reading. As a result, I have a whole ton of books that I recommend. While I don’t think it’s likely any one person (except me, of course) needs every single one of these books in their library, I do recommend many of them frequently, and if others pique your interest, all of them can be valuable additions to understanding life with your dog.
The exception to that is the first book listed below, Doggie Language. I think every single dog owner would benefit from having this in their library and in their lexicon! This books is included in all of my campaign purchases Dungeoneer’s or Explorer’s Packs.
Interested in a book? Click the image and visit the store!
