Showing posts with label pet trainer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pet trainer. Show all posts

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Treatstik Large Meal and Treat Dispensing Dog Toy

Treatstik Large Green Meal And Treat Dispensing Dog ToyThis is one of my dog's favorite toys. She had one that I got at a pet store and finally trashed it but I could not find it anywhere but amazon this time. Happy I did.

Product arrived without the top and could not be used. Company just told me to order another one. Made of a material that if product was dropped on a floor by pet it would crack. Bad choice for a toy especially for a yellow lab

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This is a quality product. I used the pink version of this large Treatstik (9.75" long) to feed my 50lb. border collie one of her 2 meals a day of her dry kibble. It both entertained her and slowed down her too-rapid eating. (The Treatstik was recommended by name to me by a dog trainer for this purpose.)

Treatstik is well made of thick, hard, sturdy nylon that is smooth, with no sharp parts. Even the hole treats are dispensed from has smoothed edges. Our border collie passed away a couple of weeks after we got the Treatstick (from a pre-existing auto-immune disorder), so I cannot speak to how long it would have lasted. Of course no dog toy is indestructible if you have a super-strong chewer, and I can't say what a stronger/larger jawed chewer than mine would do with it, but this toy is so sturdy and well made that I fully expect that it would have lasted for years with my dog: she did not seem too interested in chewing on it, mainly just knocking the food out (which occupied her for quite a while, but was not so hard to do that she became frustrated & felt the need to chew it open). I might add that she worked on it quite vigorously, pawing hard at it and knocking it into furniture. There were no furniture scratches since the toy is so smooth, but over time it could mar delicate furniture, of course. But we're dog people, so we're used to this, eh? I toss throw pillows or towels in front of certain furniture legs, etc, when I give my dog this inside.

I've looked at all the treat/food dispenser toys I can find in stores and online, and I've bought several, but this is the only one I've continued to use. Unlike the others, Treatstik is very easy to fill through its large opening; even my sore hands can screw the cap on/off easily (cap even has smooth ridges that help grasp it with wet hands); cap stayed on while my dog played with it; and it's very easy to wash by hand, or it's dishwasher-safe.

Note that the Treatstik website says it is not for "toy" dogs: the hole that dispenses the treats is by my measure approximately 3/4" long by 1/2" wide oval. The small size Treatstik (6" long) has the same size hole. So I believe your dog might be a bit safer if she has lower canines farther apart than ¾" (the latter is just my opinion).

The large Treatstik holds up to 1.5 cups of treats or kibble, and the smalll size holds ½ cup. Although the large size that I already have works fine with my 14lb mini poodle, and she loves it (I supervise her with it, and her lower canines are wider than the hole), I plan to order the smaller size simply because I plan to give the large one to a friend who has a big dog. My little dog eats only 1/3 cup kibble per meal, so I don't need the large size anymore.

UPDATE 10/25/12: I've been using the small Treatstik for several days now with my miniature poodle (14lbs, 11" tall at shoulder, bordering on small enough to be called a toy, but with lower canines wider than the hole). Both sizes have the same size treat dispensing hole, and both are the same excellent quality construction. I thought that the small would be better for this much smaller dog to handle, but I have decided that I prefer the large one that I already have, even for my small dog. The smaller toy is so much narrower in diameter in the part where the dispensing hole is, that if I put her entire 1/3 cup kibble in it (it has a ½ cup capacity per manufacturer), my dog feels she might be able to reach the kibble by just lying down & chewing at the hole to get to the food something she never even tried with the large version, and not what I want her to do with this toy. So I have to feed her the 1/3 cup in 2 installments, a minor nuisance (but not an issue if you're only using it to feed a few treats at a time). Also, I had thought that she would be able to pick up & tilt the smaller version to get every last kibble out, which she couldn't do with the larger one since it was too thick for her small mouth to pick up. However, she still can't pick up the fatter end of the small one, which is where she would need to grasp it to tilt it to get the food to fall down to where the hole is (she frustrates easily & won't experiment with creative ways to tilt it)so she has the same problem with both sizes, causing her to get frustrated & give up on getting the last 6-10 pieces of (very small bites size) kibble out. This is not a big problem since I always supervise her while she uses it, so whichever size Treatstik we're using, I just shake the kibble down to the hole for her a few times toward the end of play. So both sizes work pretty much the same for my small dog, except that I can put her whole meal at one time in the large one, and the small one just requires a refill part way through, so just a little more involvement on my part.

This is just my take on it. My dog gives up easily & never goes back to toys that frustrate her, but some small dogs might work at the small Treatstik until they figured out a way to tilt the food out which might even be a good thing to keep them busy longer?

Please forgive the long wordy review. I wanted to give as much detail as possible, since this is a relatively expensive toy I wish I'd known all this before I invested in the 2nd one that I ended up not needing.

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My dog (lab) has separation anxiety. I put a small amount of his dog food in here and get ready to leave and he couldnt care less when i grab my purse and keys. only toy that has ever done that for him. success! it is heavy and durable.

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Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Steel Coated Dog Collar in Gold

Platinum Pets 22-Inch by 4mm Steel Coated Dog Collar, GoldI was excited because golden chains are not common, and my dog is a golden retriever, so I bought this collar and the matching leash. Very good quality material, very heavy. But He always wears 22" collars, either: nylon, leather or choke chain. This was small on him, I couln't get it on, didn't even get the head through. Maybe it's inteded for a large dog of a small breed? I wouldn't recommend it for a large large dog. Too bad.

A los 2 meses se empezó a pelar, muy poco, solo se nota de cerca, de lejos mantiene color original. A pesar de esto se ve muy bien en mi Bullmastiff

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I have lots of these collars I love all the colors but the gold. I was not happy with the gold colored dog collar when it came. It looked more like dirty brass or something,. funny how the blues and purple etc, are all bright beautiful colors but the gold is darkened between the links (where they rub together, or where the color didnt' reach properly) I expected the gold to be more like the even color of the blues and other colors, they are not. I don't know if it is a different process that puts the gold color on , but it is not bright and clean like the other colors. Too bad, I have been looking for a gold chain collar for my dogs forever. I used to have a collar leash set with gold double chains. I can't find them anymore. so I tried these. They are not up to my expectations for a normally great product. I have the other colors and love them. I just do not use the gold ones I purchased. If you don't mind the 'antique' or old) look, you may like the gold collar, but they look cheap to me. And they don't look GOLD.

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Item exactly as expected. Would recommend to anyone looking for something a little different to "match" their dog. Oh my goodness, we Americans. Oh well!

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Good collar for chewing puppies. My dog always manages to somehow, and I'm not always sure how he does it, get the collar in his mouth. I actually have to pull the collar off his head to get it out of his mouth, so not sure how he is able to get it in, but he has gone through a few beautiful leather collars. Scary if he were to get loose out on the street, so these are perfect. Can't bite or chew through these.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Pet Agree Ultrasonic Training Aid

Pet Agree Ultrasonic Training AidI was somewhat apprehensive about buying an ultrasound device for dog training, because some of the other products were given lukewarm reviews. But at $20 for this handheld device, I thought I'd give it a try. Well, I am thrilled. This is not an overstatement. My husband and I have dogs that are barking breeds. And bark they do. One starts, and it's pandemonium. We have been going crazy. Nothing stops them once they begin. This little device is the only thing that works. I pair a hand gesture with the Pet Agree. I put my hand out toward the dog as if I'm telling a car to stop, palm out. At the same time, I push down in two short bursts on the Pet Agree. Everything immediately goes silent. The dogs don't like the sound. My hope is that they will eventually stop barking with my hand motion alone, and I won't need to use the Pet Agree anymore. I recommend this product.

I have been a professional dog trainer for 30 years. I have used the Pet-Agree product and it does what it's supposed to do: delivers a high-frequency sound that only dogs can hear (although if you put it up to your own ear you will hear a faint sound).

I think the reason people reviewing this product are saying it doesn't always work, or wears off after a time, is due to the fact that ultrasonic devices ALONE won't solve your problems! (1) You must first determine why the dog is doing what it's doing, and often that will be something in the environment/lifestyle that you need to change; (2) the purpose of the ultrasonic device is merely to INTERRUPT the behavior long enough for you to reward the brief stopping of the behavior and then insert a more appropriate behavior into the "void" you created by using the ultrasound (counterconditioning). To just point the device at your dog and press a button (as if it were some sort of "magic wand") might work sometimes, but it won't get to the root of the problem, and after a while most dogs will start igorning the sound and go on doing whatever they were doing. This is the "lazy way" to try to solve a dog's behavior issues and will not have long-lasting effects. Without positive reinforcement added to the process, it becomes a very negative, vicious cycle.

If you want to be successful using this kind of product, consult a good positive dog-training book, or call a professional to help you.

UPDATE APRIL 2012: I would like to add a few more thoughts to my original review: I was referring specifically to training one's own dog, as it is probably impossible to train a neighbor's annoying dog w/o the neighbor's cooperation! There are sonic devices available that you can post permanently in your yard, but unfortunately, these might not always work, either.

Using this Pet-Agree device would not permanently solve the "neighbor's barking dog" problem in most cases. It might stop the dog for a few seconds, but then they would resume barking at whatever was triggering them (which is sometimes just plain old boredom).

I agree that one has to speak to the neighbor, if at all possible, and find out what your town's barking ordinance is (it differs from place to place), and notify the authorities if the dog is exceeding the accepted limits. However, I do sympathize with Paul, who has had no luck going the conventional route. Unfortunately, this does happen much of the time, and we have limited control over someone else's pets (or children, for that matter)! :-)

As far as how to combine positive reinforcement with a "startle device" such as the Pet-Agree: It would be helpful to use clicker training if one is knowledgable about the concept and coordinated enough to manage it (a good book, video, or trainer could help you).

But even w/o a clicker, I would proceed this way: Use the Pet-Agree to interrupt the barking (if it works on your dog). Coupling the word "Quiet" with the startle device, as suggested by another poster, is valid. As soon as you get a couple of seconds of silence, click/praise and give your dog a tasty treat. Call the dog over to you to get the treat and then redirect his attention AWAY from what was triggering him to bark in the first place. If he tries to go back and bark some more, repeat the above process. Redirecting his attention is key.

Contrary to a lot of dog owners' beliefs, a dog does NOT have to sit by the window and bark at everything all day long! This is barrier frustration and it will get worse. Give your dog interactive, puzzle toys and safe "chewies" to keep him occupied AWAY from the windows while you're not at home. Block his access to troublesome windows in any way you can, if at all possible.

Most of all, make sure he gets enough EXERCISE!!! Behavior problems are caused or exacerbated by insufficient exercise. Do obedience training with him, on your own or with a trainer, and practice it every day. This will give him a job to do. Much barking is caused by boredom, unexpended energy, and frustration. After all, when a dog is bored, he has limited options. He can't watch TV, surf the net, talk on his smartphone, or read a book. It's either barking, chewing, or digging...none of which are usually acceptable to humans!

As for the "smarty" dogs who manipulate you to get the treat, if you suspect this is happening after a while, just praise the dog for a good response but do NOT click or treat unless you feel it is a genuine situation, not merely a ploy to get a treat.

Hope this is not too rambling and involved. As you can see, if you have real problems, you might need the help of a professional. But good luck to all of you out there with barking dogs! (BTW, the Pet-Agree can be used to interrupt other behaviors, such as jumping up).

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I was skeptical whether this product would work given the price and give than my dog is a beast. You don't even have to point this at the animal and it works. I have a very aggressive and hyper german shepherd and this brings her right to attention. I wish I would have purchased this a long time ago before purchasing a shock collar.

After opening the box, I realized that this is the same training aid my professional dog trainer uses.

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I just moved into my first place and the only negative is my neighbour's two very large,very aggressive,very bark-y dogs. They look like Rott/Pitbull mixes. They don't allow me or anyone else to get near the fence on my side and bark incessantly when anyone comes into my driveway. I went as far as to install an extra layer of chainlink on my side and still they get frenzied and hurl themselves up on to the fence causing it to lean. My new neighbour sits calmly on her porch and watches her demon dogs get completely out of control and does absolutely nothing about them. So I had to take matters into my own hands. I did lots of online research and finally settled on the Pet-Agree.I couldn't wait to try it out on the hell hounds! So I waited till I had a visitor. As soon as the car drove in,the dogs raced to my fence and started barking loudly. I gave the device one sustained press and immediately they whined a little and then stopped completely. I was amazed. I did not have to press it twice.They turned right around and retreated to their porch..quietly.I have now tried it three times with the same astounding result. I love it!

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Honestly I didn't have high hopes for this product , but for twenty something bucks I was willing to give it a try. I have two small dogs one is a miniature pincher and chihuahua mix and the other is a mix of five different dogs including doberman, chihuahua, and some kind of terrier. Anyway they make a sport of sitting in the window and barking like mad whenever someone walks or drives by. When someone comes to the door they suit up for war and are ready to bark till the death! Once they start barking their brains go blank and it's nearly impossible to break their focus and get them to stop. My husband and I have been tolerating the barking for 3 years now, but I felt it was time to try something new. I did not want to resort to bark control collars so I gave this product a try. All I can say is WOW so far I am thoroughly impressed! Their barking has decreased about 90% , ( I still want them to bark sometimes for security). That being said I feel this is a training aid not a magic button. What I did that I feel was extremely important was to hide the device in my pocket. I did not want my dogs to see the device and associate not barking only when I was holding a blue thing in my hand. When they began to bark I quickly hit the button while giving a firm verbal command " QUIET" at the same time I gave a hand signal of a closed fist. When my dogs stopped barking I praised them in a high pitched voice and gave them a couple treats. After only a few times I no longer needed to use the device at all. All I need to do is say quiet or give them the hand signal. Needless to say I am very pleased with this product.

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Monday, July 7, 2014

Z-Bone Box Treat 6 pack

Dog Supplies Z-Bone Large Cherry 6 packWe got these to help clean our dogs teeth and she loves them! One thing I will say though is eventually they kind of dry out and get harder and then my dog will just leave them on the floor. She likes to eat them when they are still chewy, so just make sure you close the bag inside the box fully or they dry out. Zuke's is a great brand, my dog loves all their treats.

When he knows one is coming his way he waits patiently. When he gets his bone he runs to a private spot in the house where he can enjoy the bone on his own. This is a substantial treat so he only allowed one a day.

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I have been trying to find the ones like on the box picture. Zukes must have replaced those with the newer ones. The new ones that don't have Z;s all over them seem really soft. My Weimaraner eats through them in seconds. Looking for something that she has to chew on to clean her teeth, not just gulp down in large bites.

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Great treat. High quality. My dog really looks forward to these at bedtime. I only wish they were available in a bigger box.

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They don't seem too bad for dogs and she loves to eat them all up. The only thing I wish is that the Z Bones were tougher, because my lab is a strong chewer and the bones don't last very long.

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Saturday, June 21, 2014

Bungee Pupee 6-Feet X-Large Leash, Gold/Black

Bungee Pupee 6-Feet X-Large Leash, Gold/BlackI ordered a large bungee leash (for dogs up to 165 pounds). My dog is 120 lbs. On the first walk using this leash the clasp snapped open when my dog pulled on the leash. The leash is rated for large dogs but clearly is not safe. I tested the other leash I bought (same size) and had the same results with it. The clasp snaps open when pulled. Not at all safe would definately not recommend for large dogs.

I've had this leash for my Husky for a few years now. I've loved it. He pulls a lot and its a bit easier on my shoulder and his neck... even thought the 'right' course of action would be to train him not to pull!

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I bought the up to 165# leash about 10 yrs ago. It worked like a charm for my 100# American Bulldog. I am currently using it for my 115# French Mastiff and am having great results. I let the leash do the work for me and he get the "extra" exercise! I would definately reccomend this product to everyone with a dog that pulls when on a leash.

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Friday, January 24, 2014

RC Pet Products 1-1/2-Inch All Webbing Martingale Dog Collar, Medium, Pirate Pooch

RC Pet Products 1-1/2-Inch All Webbing Martingale Dog Collar, Medium, Pirate PoochThis "soft-choke" collar works well if your dog is already trained to walk on a leash. It works like a Chinese finger-cuff in that It tightens as the dog pulls against the leash, but it doesn't get so tight that it actually chokes the dog. It merely restrains the dog.( I would not recommend that it be used to train a dog.) What I use it for is when I take the dog with me on bike rides to run along the side of me. With a standard collar, the dog had on occasion backed out of his collar when he had been spooked by another dog, animal, runner or biker. With the Martingale collar he no longer backs out of the collar, thus avoiding the possibility of running into traffic. Between myself, my wife, son & daughter-in-law, we have 4 dogs and 4 of the Martingale collars and we all use them on bike rides.

TIP: If you attempt to have your dog run along with you on bike rides, switch the brake line cables on your handle bars so that the left brake lever controls your rear brake as you will be holding the leash in your right hand to keep the dog to the right of you. This will keep you from going over the handle bars as both you and the dog learn to ride/run together.

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Monday, November 4, 2013

Large Pet Cot with Mesh Panel in Crimson

Guardian Gear 600D Polyester/PVC Elevated Pet Cot with Mesh Panel, Large, CrimsonThe concept is fantastic, but the quality is terrible! I purchased one of these from a local pet store, because I wanted instant gratification and it was the only brand available locally. SPEND THE EXTRA MONEY AND GET A BETTER BRAND! My elderly boxer/lab mix loves this bed...but it began ripping at the seams within ONE WEEK of use, and now, after less than a month, it is full of holes, just from my dog sitting on it. I purchased the XL, and my sweet old guy only weighs about 60 lbs now, and he doesn't chew or "dig." He has simply slept on it and it has disintegrated. The only reason I even gave it one star is because he loves it. I'll be getting another raised bed, but NOT another one of these!

I ordered this for our dog who weighs 62 pounds. I ordered the larger size so the dog would have plenty of room to stretch out. It has only been used a few times & the stitching in the middle near the mesh is already coming apart in a very critical area. The concept is good for keeping your dog cool but the quality of this bed is not what I expected.

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I actually purchased this product at another vendor because they had other items I needed, but they do not provide for a review and it's the same product, so here goes. Our dog (70lb golden retriever) was hit by a car and had spinal cord inflammation, so he couldn't walk and did not have control of any function below his waist. We tried making him a bed out of several different things (pillows, bed covers, etc) but since he was incontinent we would frequently find him soaked and being a large dog it was very hard to get him up, clean him, dry him, get him back in bed, etc. We ordered this cot and it was PERFECT!! Easy to set up, lightweight and the mesh allowed us to place puppy training pads below so no more soaked dog or wet floors. We also took some caster wheels, removed the rubber feet and put them on and voila! a rolling bed so we could just wheel our dog outside and save our backs. We would also use it as a gurney to take him to vet visits. As he slowly recovered the use of his legs, he would get out of it on his own, get back in and be wheeled inside again. This product has been a big help in our long ordeal!! I highly recommend it.

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I bought this cot for my 120 lb. dog when we go camping. Boo uses it when we are all sitting outside. He LOVES it! I like that it gets him up off the ground and the mesh panels allow cool air to circulate around him. My daughter's dog, Chance (lab mix) tried it out and didn't want to get off the cot! Chance now has his own cot. Chance weighs 82 lbs., but my daughter bought him the xlarge because he likes to stretch out.

The material is very strong and the mesh holds up to toenails even when Boo or Chance is in a sitting position. The cot does not tilt or flip when the dogs get on or off. The cot is well-made and sturdy. It is also easy to wipe clean or you can machine wash it when necessary. It sets up/tears down quickly. The only problem we've encountered is that neither my daugher or I are strong enough to lock in the end bars...our husbands have to do it. Also, it would be nice if it folded, but it does go up/down quickly.

This is a great product and we (especially the dogs) highly recommend it!!!

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So far my dog is not interested in using this product. It came with mold (?) on it. I had to wipe it down and there are black stains on it too. I would not buy this product again. For the money the product is in poor condition.