Barking bags
This has now replaced my handbag except for the rare occasions that I don’t have the dogs with me. It holds everything and can be worn as a shoulder bag, cross body bag or I clip it round my waist with the strap and have it on the hip.
The strap unclips from both ends to become an emergency lead and the poo bags feed through so you can easily tear them off. The pictures below show what I carry but basically:
Spare credit card, £10 note, painkillers, hair bands, antiseptic wipe, tick remover, spare dog tag, plasters, insect bite reliever, spare bag of treats, silicon pouch of treats, personal attack alarm, whistle, small towel, glasses cloth, keys, fold up sun hat, tissues, face mask, fold up brush and mirror, Gentle Leader harness, sunglasses, phone, fold up carrier bag.
Not only a great bag but also excellent customer service from the company.
Beds
We have had a Pet Fusion bed for about 3 years now that we initially got for our black Labrador Splash who was arthritic and incontinent. It is made of memory foam which in encased in a waterproof liner and then covered with a removable washable cotton cover. This meant that it was easy to wash the cover and wipe over the inside when she was incontinent during the night. Both of our Goldies seem to find the bed very comfortable.
We recently bought a second bed for them – one of the donut calming beds. I did a lot of research, looking at all the reviews and checking the reviews for credibility using the FakeSpot app. The one that came out best was The Dog’s Bed Sound Sleep Donut Dog Bed, XL Silver Grey Plush Removable Cover Calming Nest Bed made by ‘The Dog’s balls’. Although it is expensive, it has a removable washable cover and I have been very impressed with it. I bought the XL hoping it would be big enough – it certainly is – both of our girls fit in it.
Equafleece
https://www.equafleece.co.uk/home
Fleece bodysuit which covers the body completely except for the genital area, paws and tail. Absorbs dirt and water leaving the dog clean underneath. Washes and dries easily.
We absolutely wouldn’t be without these. Goldies in particular have fur that hangs close to the ground and can get really filthy on even a walk that you think will be dry – hello muddy ditch – I forgot about you – no don’t lie down in it (arggh). Plus our older dog likes to roll on her ball (and of course the mud underneath).
Floors for Paws luxury vinyl flooring
After years of trying to keep carpets clean (and never managing to completely remove the stains left by upset tummies), this year I decided to go for a wood effect luxury vinyl. Floors for paws is anti slip – it has a bit of texture which makes it easier for dogs to move on – especially when they get old and have difficulty standing. It comes with a 30 year guarantee and is very resistant – if your dog has an upset stomach in the night, it won’t stain. Really easy to clean – I use my shark hoover and then a mop which comes with a built in spray bottle. We had our front room done in April and then dining room, kitchen and utility room done in September. Also comes in a slate effect if you prefer.
Hugo and Hudson cooling coats
We bought these coats this year from Amazon which had them half price and I have been very impressed. They stay cool for hours – on one of the hottest days we only re-watered them once and even then they didn’t really need it. It does say that they should only be worn for an hour but what they actually mean (we checked) is that they should be checked every hour to make sure they are not drying out as that could cause your dog to overheat. When thye are dry they are flexible unlike some of the older ones which went like cardboard as they dried out.
Jormax windbreaks
https://www.jormaxwindbreaks.co.uk/
We decided to get a set of these after seeing how useful our friend’s one was.
In the past we had used stakes to keep the dogs tied up but they always managed to get their lines crossed over. The windbreaks form a dog garden complete with a gate so you can let them loose inside.
We went for the see-through one because it’s easier to stop them barking if someone goes past if they can see who or what it is.
Although the Jormax ones are not cheap they are very good quality and we are very pleased with them.
Robot vacuum cleaner
We recently bought a robot vacuum cleaner which also has a floor wash function – prices have come down quite dramatically. Ours was a generic brand but there are lots of different ones available – have a look at the reviews on Amazon and make your own choice.
I am delighted with ours – yes, it’s running a lot of the time but that’s fine – I can just put it in a room and close the door. It seems to cope well with carpet and luxury vinyl although it’s not recommended for deep pile carpet. It does need emptying every time and the fur removed from the roller which is easy to do. Finally the house looks reasonably clean!
Ruff and Tumble drying coats
https://ruffandtumbledogcoats.com/
Brilliant to put on after a swim or run in wet grass or after washing them – the double thick toweling absorbs the water leaving them pretty dry. Also useful if you didn’t think you needed the equafleece and they laid in mud and you’re not able to wash them off – the toweling absorbs the mud meaning your house / car / Motorhome stays clean while they dry off.
We have 2 sets for each dog for use in the Motorhome because the coats do take quite a while to dry because they are so absorbent. Our dogs usually get wet on their early morning walk because of the dew.
Another benefit is that if the weather is really hot, you can spray the inside of the coat with water to use as a cooling coat. As the toweling is well insulated it keeps them cool for a long time.
The gloves make it much easier to dry or wipe the mud off the legs so we use these with both the toweling coats and the equafleece.
Shark vacuum cleaner
Like a lot of Goldie owners, I swear by this. The anti hair wrap technology means the fur, if it gets caught, wraps round the roller which is easy to remove and clean. I’ve tried a number of cleaners in the past and for me, this has been the best for dog fur.
You can usually get a special offer – check their own website, Amazon, Currys, AO.com etc
Toys
Tuffy’s toys
We bought the Lobster, Shark and Duck when we got Jenna and all 3 are still intact which is more than can be said for any other soft toy they have ever had which are usually disemboweled within hours. We bought them from Amazon but you can get them in some pet stores.
Wizco Remote Control Barking Training collar
Although this says that it controls barking it can be used to stop any unwanted behaviour such as jumping up, humping other dogs etc. The collar fits round the dog’s neck with two prongs that just touch the throat (they are soft tipped so don’t dig in or hurt).
The first time the unwanted behavior happens you say no and touch the first button which produces a short sound which breaks the dog’s concentration. If the behaviour persists you say no again and touch the second button which makes the prongs vibrate briefly. This does not hurt the dog.
I have found dogs learn very quickly – ours used to ask to go out just to bark at the world, and now, if they start barking when they go out I just put the collar on and they don’t ask to go out unless they actually need to. We bought ours from Amazon.
Goldies on tour 