Two great remedies
Photo: Julian Chokkoto
Icelandic+ Mini Cod Fish Chips for $10: Open a bag of these codfish chips and your room will instantly be filled with fish that will linger in your nostrils for hours. On the other hand, your dog will run to your room and take them down immediately. At least mine did. These are imported from Iceland and sustainably wild caught. There are literally no other ingredients.
Top Essentials Freeze Dried Raw Treats for $12: Like the codfish chips above, Vital Essentials freeze-dried raw food has only one ingredient. You can choose from several flavors — my dog loves beef tripe — and it’s high in protein.
Other great accessories
Photo: Julien Chokkatto
Casper Dog Bed for $126: Getting a dog bed from a mattress company can seem overwhelming, but investing in your dog’s care and comfort will help keep them happy and healthy. I got a Casper dog bed for my 18 pound dog in 2023, and it has held up well. Foam is supportive without adding too much height to the bed. The Casper dog bed comes in three sizes (small, medium and large) and colors (blue, sand and grey). The foam inserts are completely removable, so you can easily throw the cover in the washing machine. The downside? There are five foam inserts, which can sometimes be frustrating to fit back into the cover.
Molly Mitt Wool Dog Bed for $150: I’m a fan of wool, pretty much anything wool, so when we got a new puppy it made sense for me to get a wool dog bed. What makes Molly Mutt’s wool bedding special is the wool’s antimicrobial, anti-odor properties. After six months of use, including several wet dog days to pounce on the thing, and it still doesn’t smell the slightest bit. I’ve followed Molly Mitt’s suggestion to water it once a month or so and leave it in direct sun, but otherwise it’s been a zero-maintenance bed. We were lucky that our dog house broke in about a week, but if you do have an accident don’t panic, just add a little water when you put it in, leave it in the sun, it will dry out and smell quickly. will be purified.– Scott Gilbertson
Roverlund Ready-to-Roll Cabin Carry-On for $389: The idea behind this carry-on is that the horizontal shape will allow you to lift your dog’s carrier up, making it easier to travel with them instead of carrying them separately. I tested the carry-on on a recent trip to Kentucky and paired it with Dagan Dover’s Kyoto carrier and, while I like the carry-on itself, the experience wasn’t great. The carrier is wider than the carry-on, so my dog tipped over and the whole thing fell down. If your dog is small, this may work. Roverlund also recommends this with their carrier, but I have the older version without the luggage strap, so I couldn’t use it. However, you can still see in the photos that his updated carrier is wider so I don’t think the result would be any different. Still, I think this system works if your dog is 15 pounds or less. I love the bright orange accents inside the carry-on, and the many organizational pockets and pouches. It’s a great weekend; I was able to fit the entire suit on one side!
PetSmile Pet Toothpaste for $23: Every time I go to the vet, they give me a booklet on how to brush my dog’s teeth I really need to brush them more.. There are a lot of dog toothpastes out there, but my dog seems to love the taste of Petsmile, especially London Broil. Well, he loves the toothpaste, but he hates the brushing part. Petsmile says you don’t need to brush, just put something on their teeth and let their tongue do the work, but I brush anyway. It’s approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council, but keep in mind that this organization doesn’t do the testing—it reviews data from trials that follow the VOHC protocol.
Photo: Kate Merck
Tavo Dupree II Pet Carrier for $300: As anyone who’s driven with a pet in the car can attest, animals don’t always stand still. This can be a hazard to both pets and drivers under normal driving conditions, let alone in the event of an accident. There are pet seat belts and restraints, but for maximum safety, a pet carrier that can be attached to a vehicle’s car seat anchors can be a good option. The Tavo Dupree is from high-end baby car seat manufacturer Nuna, and like its car seats, it meets the UN’s ECE child restraint standards. It can clip onto your vehicle’s anchor bars and is also airline compliant as a carry-on that fits under the seat. It’s an extremely sturdy, structured bag with a removable memory foam bed and thoughtful details such as an Air Tag holder. Be advised, however, that it’s only for very small pets under 20 pounds—at 18.5 x 11.5 x 10.25 inches it was a good fit for even my small tortoiseshell cat. –Kate Merck
WagWellies Mojave for $49: Ice and snow are the main cause of claw concerns, but so are hot floors. We love the WagWellies Mojave, which are like miniature Crocs for your kids. They come in seven sizes, and the straps around the ankle help the shoe fit better, while the holes keep their toes fresh and airy. Our tester’s dogs haven’t figured out how to walk in shoes, but they stay on their paws.
RifRuf Caesar 1 Dog Sneakers for $75: Take the modern, woven mesh that many humans love, scale it down, and offer it in six colors for your dog. Sturdy soles protect your dog from the elements, but the shoe’s textured body can keep their paws cool enough on regular walks. Our tester dog Taro looked especially cute in the pair, even if he refused to walk in them.
PetSafe Stay & Play Wireless Virtual Pet Fence for $320: Virtual dog fences are not a substitute for real fences. If your dog needs to be completely contained, get a real fence. However, if your living situation allows for a loose barrier, this wireless fence gives you a hassle-free way to partially restrain your dog. Despite the name, it’s not really plug and play. The device itself is: Just put it on, set the circle distance, and you’re done. But you still have to train your dog to recognize the perimeter and get used to staying within the allowed space. Once it’s done, this fence works really well. It’s also portable, so you can take it to a campground or any Airbnb that allows dogs. Petsafe also makes a more permanent in-ground electronic fence that we like even better because it’s cheaper and easier to set up a perimeter. The trade-off is that you have to bury the wire. The key to success is fence training your dog. Don’t install it and expect your dog to figure it out.
Accessories for avoiding dogs
Photo: Julian Chokkoto
StitchLeash Coops Retractable Leash for $35: Most of the pet products sent my way are great. This is not the case with StitchLeash. It’s a simple retractable strap, but they have holes with carabiners. One carabiner holds the poop bag holder, the other holds the poop bag dispenser, and you can attach two other things to the empties. Useful!
However, the metal carabiner rubs against the plastic, and after a few days, it starts making horrible screeching noises. The worst part is that the strap broke after a whole week! My dog ran after a squirrel, and instead of stopping it at the end of the leash, it snapped off the stitched leash. You had a job! I’ve owned the Classic Flexi Retractable Leash for years and never had this problem. (Update: Turns out, the model the company sent me was a beta prototype that wasn’t intended for use with … dogs. I’ll get the final version out soon to try and get back to StitchLeash.)
